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NHL Expansion Draft Breakdown: Who Might Join the Pack?

After months with just a handful of players, the Vegas Golden Knights roster ballooned on Wednesday night. They added more than 30 players through the NHL expansion draft and accompanying trades.

With only 23 spots available on the Golden Knights NHL roster, some of their acquisitions may find themselves wearing burgundy and gold for Wolves during the 2017-18 season. While the roulette wheel is still spinning on Vegas’ opening night roster, here are a few players Wolves fans might see at Allstate Arena this season:

JEAN-FRANCOIS BERUBE

Position: Goaltender
DOB: July 13, 1991 (25)
Birthplace: Repentigny, Quebec
Entry Draft: 2009, 4th Rd., 95th Overall (LAK)
Vegas Acquisition: Expansion Draft selection from New York Islanders
NHL Games: 21 (Debuted with NYI at CHI, Oct. 10, 2015)
AHL Games: 107 (2009-16; BRI, MCH)
AHL Accomplishments:
Backstopped the Manchester Monarchs to the 2015 Calder Cup championship as he registered a 37-9-4 regular-season record with a 2.18 goals-against average
Earned spot in 2015 AHL All-Star Classic
Last Season:
Spent the season with the Islanders and posted a 3-2-2 record with 3.42 goals-against average and .889 save percentage in 14 appearances

JAKE BISCHOFF

Position: Defense
DOB: July 24, 1994 (22)
Birthplace: Grand Rapids, Minnesota
Entry Draft: 2012, 7th Rd., 185th Overall (NYI)
Vegas Acquisition: Acquired from New York Islanders along with Mikhail Grabovski, 2017 first round draft pick and 2019 second round draft pick.
NHL Games: 0
AHL Games: 6 (2016-17; BRI)
Amateur Accomplishments:
Spent four seasons playing for the University of Minnesota, where he collected 17 goals and 51 assists in 139 games
Served as alternate captain for final two seasons with Gophers and earned team’s Outstanding Student-Athlete Award as well as Unsung Hero Award
Last Season:
Earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors while contributing five goals and 27 assists for the league champions
Signed with Islanders after season ended and joined Bridgeport (AHL) for six games

CONNOR BRICKLEY

Position: Left wing
DOB: Feb. 25, 1992 (25)
Birthplace: Everett, Massachusetts
Entry Draft: 2010, 2nd Rd., 50th Overall (FLA)
Vegas Acquisition: Expansion Draft selection from Carolina Hurricanes
NHL Games: 23 (Debuted with FLA vs. PHI, Oct. 10, 2015)
AHL Games: 195 (2013-16; CHA, POR, SA)
Career Accomplishments:
Twice represented the United States in IIHF competition (2010, U18 Worlds; 2012 World Juniors) and owns one gold medal (2010)
Skated four seasons (2010-14) with the University of Vermont Catamounts and collected 48 points (21G, 27A) through 117 games
Last Season:
Led the Charlotte Checkers with six game-winning goals
Finished eighth in team scoring with 26 points (15G, 11A) through 69 games
Wolves Fans May Remember: Brickley’s three-point game (1G, 2A) on April 23 against the Wolves during Game 3 of the Central Division Semifinals in the 2017 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Wolves beat the Checkers to move on to the Central Division Final against the Grand Rapids Griffins.

WILLIAM CARRIER

Position: Left wing
DOB: Dec. 20, 1994 (22)
Birthplace: LaSalle, Quebec
Entry Draft: 2013, 2nd Rd., 57th Overall (STL)
Vegas Acquisition: Expansion Draft selection from Buffalo Sabres
NHL Games: 41 (Debuted with BUF at OTT, Nov. 5, 2016)
AHL Games: 127 (2014-16, RCH)
Career Accomplishments:
Skated for Team Canada and won bronze at the 2012 U18 World Championship
Posted career highs in goals (13), assists (17), points (30), plus/minus (+14) and shots (123) during 2015-16
Last Season:
Split the season between the Buffalo Sabres (NHL) and Rochester Americans (AHL)
Appeared in 41 games for the Sabres and collected eight points (5G, 3A)
Skated in just eight games for Rochester

BRENDAN LEIPSIC

Position: Left Wing
DOB: May 19, 1994 (23)
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Entry Draft: 2012, 3rd Rd., 89th Overall (NSH)
Vegas Acquisition: Expansion Draft selection from Boston Bruins
NHL Games: 6 (Debuted with TOR at VAN, Feb. 13, 2016)
AHL Games: 188 (Debuted with MIL in 2014-15)
Amateur Accomplishments:
Tag-teamed with Ty Rattie to lead the Portland Winterhawks to the 2013 Western Hockey League title
Posted 120 points in 68 WHL regular-season games during the 2012-13 campaign
Last Season:
Ranked as the second-leading scorer on the Toronto Marlies with 51 points (18G, 33A) in 49 games
Wolves Fans May Remember: Leipsic contributed six assists in nine games against the Wolves while playing for Milwaukee and Toronto during the 2014-15 season.

COLIN MILLER

Position: Defense
DOB: Oct. 29, 1992 (24)
Birthplace: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Entry Draft: 2012, 5th Rd., 151st Overall (LAK)
Vegas Acquisition: Expansion Draft selection from Boston Bruins
NHL Games: 103 (Debuted with BOS vs. MON, Oct. 10, 2015)
AHL Games: 155 (Debuted with MAN, 2013-14)
Amateur Accomplishments:
Captained the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds during his overage season in 2012-13
Posted 31 goals and 74 assists during three seasons with the Greyhounds
AHL Accomplishments:
Ranked as the top-scoring defenseman (19G, 33A) for the 2015 Calder Cup champion Manchester Monarchs
Last Season:
Spent the entire year with Boston and contributed six goals and seven assists in 61 games.
Collected one assist in four Stanley Cup Playoff appearances.

TOMAS NOSEK

Position: Center
DOB: Sept. 1, 1992 (24)
Birthplace: Parbudice, Czech Republic
Entry Draft: Undrafted
Vegas Acquisition: Expansion Draft selection from Detroit Red Wings
NHL Games: 17 (Debuted with DET at NSH, Dec. 26, 2015)
AHL Games: 176 (2014-16; GR)
Career Accomplishments:
Won first Calder Cup with Grand Rapids Griffins (2017)
Once represented the Czech Republic and captained the team for 2012 World Juniors
Posted an AHL-leading +30 plus/minus rating (2014-15)
Last Season:
Earned Calder Cup with Grand Rapids Griffins
Led all postseason skaters with four game-winning goals
Finished third in postseason point scoring with 22 points (10G, 12A) in 19 games
Averaged a point per game against the Wolves through eight games
Notched 41 points (15G, 26A) through 51 regular-season games and finished eighth in team scoring for Grand Rapids
Wolves Fans May Remember: Nosek’s three-point game (2G, 1A) against the Wolves on Dec. 7, 2016, when Grand Rapids edged Chicago 6-5 in overtime.

TEEMU PULKKINEN

DOB: Jan. 2, 1992 (25)
Birthplace: Vantaa, Finland
Entry Draft: 2010, 4th Rd., 111th Overall (DET)
Vegas Acquisition: Expansion Draft selection from Arizona Coyotes
NHL Games: 83 (Debuted with DET vs. EDM, March 14, 2014)
AHL Games: 166 (2012-17; GR, IA)
Career Accomplishments:
Earned the AHL’s 2014-15 Willie Marshall Award by leading the league with 34 goals
Named to the 2013-14 AHL All-Rookie Team and led all league first-years in goal scoring
Led the Griffins in goals, points and playoff scoring (2013-14)
Member of the 2013 Calder Cup champion Grand Rapids Griffins
Named SM-Liiga Rookie of the Year with Jokerit (2011-12)
Has represented Finland six times in IIHF competition, including three times at World Juniors (2010, 2011, 2012)
Twice won bronze with Finland at the U18 World Championship (2009, 2010)
Helped Finland to a silver at the 2016 World Championship
Last Season:
Skated in 13 NHL games split between the Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild
Through 47 games with the Iowa Wild, finished third in team scoring with 36 points (18G, 18A)
Shared Iowa Wild goal-scoring lead with Alex Tuch (18 goals apiece)
Began the season with the Detroit Red Wings organization and was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 11, 2016
Traded by Minnesota to the Arizona Coyotes for future considerations on Feb. 27, 2017
Wolves Fans May Remember: Pulkkinen leading all AHL rookies in scoring with 31 goals during the 2013-14 season.

GRIFFIN REINHART

Position: Defense
DOB: Jan. 24, 1994 (23)
Birthplace: West Vancouver, British Columbia
Entry Draft: 2012, 1st Rd., 4th Overall (NYI)
Vegas Acquisition: Expansion Draft selection from Edmonton Oilers
NHL Games: 37 (Debuted with NYI at CAR, Oct. 10, 2014)
AHL Games: 143 (Debuted with BRI in 2014-150
Amateur Accomplishments:
Helped the Edmonton Oil Kings win a pair of Western Hockey League titles, which included serving as captain and earning the WHL Playoffs MVP award in 2013-14
Led the Oil Kings to the 2014 Memorial Cup championship
Served as captain for the Canada Pacific U17 squad in 2010-11
Played for Canada’s U20 squad in the World Junior Championships in 2012-13 and 2013-14
Last Season:
Spent regular season with Bakersfield Condors (AHL) and notched 7 goals and 14 assists in 54 games
Joined Edmonton Oilers for Stanley Cup Playoffs and contributed 1 assist in his lone postseason appearance
Wolves Fans May Remember: Reinhart’s older brother, Max, scoring a hat trick for the Milwaukee Admirals against the Wolves on Feb. 26, 2016.

SHEA THEODORE

Position: Defense
DOB: Aug. 3, 1995 (21)
Birthplace: Langley, British Columbia
Entry Draft: 2013, 1st Rd., 26th Overall (ANA)
Vegas Acquisition: Traded by Anaheim
NHL Games: 53 (Debuted with ANA at CGY, Dec. 29, 2015)
AHL Games: 89 (Debuted with Norfolk Admirals in 2013-14)
Amateur Accomplishments:
Contributed five assists in seven games to help Canada claim the 2013 IIHF U18 World Junior Championship
Posted one goal and one assist to help Canada win the gold medal at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship
Last Season:
Split year between the Anaheim Ducks and San Diego Gulls
Posted two goals and seven assists in 34 regular-season appearances for Anaheim before adding two goals and six assists in 14 Stanley Cup Playoff games
Notched five goals and 15 assists in 26 regular-season games with San Diego

ALEX TUCH

Position: Right Wing
DOB: May 10, 1996 (21)
Birthplace: Syracuse, New York
Entry Draft: 2014, 1st Rd., 18th Overall (MIN)
Vegas Acquisition: Traded by MIN in exchange for a conditional-third round draft pick in either the 2017 or 2018 draft
NHL Games: 6 (Debuted with MIN at VAN, Feb. 4, 2017)
AHL Games: 57 (IA, 2016-17)
Amateur Accomplishments:
Through two seasons (2014-16), appeared in 77 games for the Boston College Eagles and collected 62 points (32G, 30A)
Represented the United States twice in IIHF competition (2014, U18 Worlds – gold; 2015, World Juniors – 5th place)
Won a bronze medal with Team USA at World U17 Challenge (2013)
Member of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (2012-14)
Last Season:
Led the Iowa Wild with six game-winning goals and three overtime goals
Finished one point behind Iowa’s top scorer – captain and former Wolves player Pat Cannone – with 37 points (18G, 19A) in 16 fewer games (57 vs. 73)
Collected five points (3G, 2A) in nine games versus the Wolves during his rookie campaign
Wolves Fans May Remember: Tuch’s overtime goal that gave Iowa a 3-2 victory over the Wolves on April 14, 2017.