Vegas Lost Its Second-Round Pick and the NHL Hasn’t Changed Its Mind

The Vegas Golden Knights won’t be making a pick at No. 63 in the 2026 NHL Draft. That spot is gone, and according to NHL insider Chris Johnston, there’s no chance they’re getting it back.

Johnston posted on X that the league has not reversed its decision on Vegas forfeiting the second-round pick for what it called “flagrant violations” of playoff media rules. The punishment stems from the team blowing off media availability during their second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks.

So the pick stays forfeited. End of story.

How John Tortorella cost the Knights a draft pick

The weird part is that John Tortorella wasn’t even the coach when the violations happened. He was hired late in the regular season, took over, and the team responded. They beat the Utah Mammoth in the first round. They got past Anaheim. Then they swept the Colorado Avalanche, which nobody saw coming that cleanly. They took a 2-1 series lead on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final before finally losing.

But the media stuff came during that Ducks series, and the NHL dropped the hammer. The pick was taken away. And Tortorella, who has a reputation for being difficult with reporters, was essentially blamed for it even though the decision to skip media sessions was probably organizational.

What Vegas does now without the pick

The Golden Knights still have talent on the roster. They hired Ryan Craig as their head coach, a guy who came up through the organization. That move signals they want continuity. But with no second-rounder, they’ll have to lean harder on free agency and trades to fill gaps.

The draft won’t help them much this year. That’s just reality. Vegas is still expected to contend, especially with Craig in charge. But drafting is how you keep a pipeline going, and missing a pick in the top 63 hurts. It might not show up for a couple seasons. When it does, it’ll be because the prospect they would’ve taken is playing for someone else.

For now, the Knights move forward with what they’ve got. The league made its call. The pick is gone. And nothing has changed.