The Vegas Golden Knights can make a big move to make themselves Stanley Cup contenders once again. Here are three moves to do the job.
The trade rumor mill is one that constantly churns out different names going to different places. It’s where speculation and imagination come to the forefront, giving fans ideas of what their respective team should acquire. Some look good on the surface while others fall flat like a drunken man coming home from the bar.
Whether it’s using a site like PuckPedia or turning on the XBOX to make a trade, there are many avenues for a hockey fan to explore. Trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs or Boston Bruins? Sure thing! That way, you can make a team as broken as possible, creating the modern version of the 2002 Detroit Red Wings. Imagine housing a top line of Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Connor McDavid. It’s like fantasy hockey on steroids.
The Vegas Golden Knights could use one right now, for they’ve lost a chunk of their starting 12 forwards (and a defenseman) from last season. Add a couple of trades that sent out tenured Golden Knights and the lineup will look drastically different heading into 2024-25. The team is rumored to be exploring a potential trade, although general manager Kelly McCrimmon has stated he’s trusting the younger core to step up. Still, names like Linus Ullmark and Patrik Laine loom,
Still, let’s have some fun with this and make this a good time for everyone. Who are three superstars that would make the team better? Which moves would strike fear in the hearts of the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks? Let’s experiment and think of three dream scenarios that could help the Golden Knights.
The Vegas Golden Knights acquire Mitch Marner from the Maple Leafs in a blockbuster trade
The Vegas Golden Knights have a good problem on their hands. They have a surplus of defensemen heading into Opening Night, giving them more depth than they can handle. That’s not a bad thing to deal with; the Golden Knights have dealt with numerous injuries in the past three seasons. That makes positional depth a good thing for a team, where they can call the next man up to replace the injured star.
With Jonathan Marchessault out of the picture, that leaves the Golden Knights searching for a complimentary top-line piece for Jack Eichel. The Maple Leafs have a tough salary cap situation with Mitch Marner in the last year of his contract. So why not go after the All-Star and pair him with Eichel? It would catapult Vegas to being Stanley Cup favorites and atop the Pacific Division.
The one downside to acquiring Marner is the Golden Knights wouldn’t get him as a mere rental. He’ll be due around $10.9 million (his current cap hit) or slightly more in his next contract, which’ll complicate matters. Still, Kelly McCrimmon knows how to have other teams retain salary, making this easier to work.
There’s also the defenseman surplus that the Golden Knights have now. Ben Hutton and Kaeden Korczak are two blue-liners who can start for Vegas, leaving the team with cheaper options. Given that Shea Theodore ($5.2 million cap hit) and Brayden McNabb ($2.8 million cap hit) are more expensive and in the last year of their respective deals, why not make room for Hutton and Korczak?
Names such as William Karlsson and Alex Pietrangelo have been floated around in trade proposals. That’s understandable, for both are older than 30 and carry a sizeable cap hit. However, Toronto wouldn’t want to carry long-term cap hits on their team, especially if they free up space in the process. Therefore, this would be a dream scenario for both teams.
Patrik Laine replaces Jonathan Marchessault on the top line
Another name that has popped up consistently in trade rumors has been Patrik Laine. The Finnish winger has everything a team could want: He’s a big player who can score 40+ goals in a season. With his booming shot and penchant for scoring from anywhere, there’s a good reason why he’s a sought-after trade candidate.
Unfortunately, not many NHL teams feel the same way, as only one has reached out about Laine. He’s dealt with many problems during his career, including injuries and off-ice issues. There might be teams that are waiting for the price to go down or they might avoid him altogether.
So let’s throw in a third team for good measure. The Calgary Flames are starting a long rebuild, trading players like Noah Hanifin and Jacob Markstrom. McCrimmon’s known for having other teams retain salary, which was the case in the Hanifin trade. Therefore, it makes sense that the Flames would be the third wheel in a potential Patrik Laine deal. That’s especially true with the Finnish forward’s $8.7 million cap hit annually. With Laine being a bit of a risk, it would reap a bigger reward if he worked out with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Surprise! Linus Ullmark comes to the Golden Knights
The Ottawa Senators want to take the next step and compete in the Atlantic Division. They made a big move this summer by acquiring Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins. The deal solidifies their goaltending situation, leaving them with enough scoring options and netminders to contend.
But what happens if the Senators aren’t contending? They’ve been a regular NHL laughingstock in recent years, marred by the inept ownership of the late Eugene Melnyk. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Ottawa lagging; the Atlantic Division is tough, consisting of contenders like the Maple Leafs and defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers.
The Senators would have other big cap hits to move in this scenario, including Claude Giroux ($6.5 million) and Anton Forsberg ($2.75 million). Considering Ottawa hasn’t been good historically, this would make sense for them to make way for younger players. So why Brayden McNabb instead of Shea Theodore in this situation?
If you noticed in the Mitch Marner trade, Theodore’s name was on there. Marner’s cap hit is $10.9 million this season, which would require financial gymnastics from McCrimmon. However, this doesn’t take as much, for Ullmark is only a $5 million cap hit. Theodore brings plenty of offensive acumen to the Golden Knights and is younger, making him valuable to Vegas. Therefore, McNabb would be an expendable player in a defenseman surplus.
Granted, there are some caveats with this, starting with the proposed scenario. This banks on the Senators not contending, which might not happen. The team has good goal-scorers, including Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk. Even in a challenging Atlantic Division, they can make noise and surpass a rival if one of them collapses. Other issues such as a 15-team no-trade list could hinder a deal. However, the plausibility is there, especially since the Golden Knights were involved in trade talks before Ullmark left Boston.
