Headlines

  • Mammoth Begin Extension Talks With Logan Cooley
  • Blues Pushing For Bowen Byram Trade
  • Hurricanes Sign Nikolaj Ehlers To Six-Year Deal
  • Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov, Claim Nick Leddy
  • Islanders Sign Maxim Shabanov
  • Blues Waive Nick Leddy
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Deadline Primer: Vegas Golden Knights

February 3, 2019 at 4:27 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? We start with a look at the Vegas Golden Knights.

This is a somewhat different year for the Vegas Golden Knights who took the league by storm last season in route to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance. While Vegas remains playoff bound as they are firmly entrenched in third place with 62 points. However, this Vegas team has shown inconsistency throughout the year. While it looked like the Golden Knights had turned the corner throughout December and January, the team suddenly finds itself in a four-game losing streak with the Tampa Bay Lightning in front of them next. After trading a first, second and third-round pick to acquire Tomas Tatar at the deadline, who turned out to be a major disappointment, the team might be more reluctant to make a big trade at the deadline and may be more inclined to just add some depth options this time around.

Record

29-21-4, third in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$15.554MM in a full-season cap hit, 2/3 used salary cap retention slots, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: VGK 1st, VGK 2nd, VGK 3rd, NSH 3rd, WPG 3rd, VGK 4th, MON 5th, MIN 5th, VGK 5th
2020: VGK 1st, VGK 2nd, DAL 2nd, PIT 2nd, VGK 3rd, VGK 4th, VGK 5th, VGK 6th, VGK 7th

Trade Chips

Perhaps the biggest trade chips that the Golden Knights possess are their draft picks. General manager George McPhee has already sent off quite a few to acquire Tatar and then flip him along with top prospect Nick Suzuki and another second-rounder to pry Max Pacioretty from Montreal. However, as the team keeps an eye the future, the team also full well knows it may not want to move any more of their top picks in the next few years. That doesn’t mean they don’t have some later picks that they could move, including three third-rounders this year and three second-round picks in 2020 if they want to add some depth to their team. If they really want to make a splash, the team could include a first-rounder, but they may be reluctant to do so.

The team also has significant cap room, although that has been slowly disappearing. The team still has to lock up center William Karlsson, who will be a restricted free agent against after signing a one-year deal, but the team has all their key players locked up for at least the next two years, so they could take on an expensive contract for a discount.

The forward lines look pretty set even without Erik Haula, who could miss the entire season, but the team has a number of depth forwards who they could move like Oscar Lindberg, Ryan Carpenter or even Tomas Nosek to free up a valuable roster space. The question is whether other teams would be interested in any of those options. Carpenter could be of value to a team needing a bottom-six depth option, while Nosek is still young enough to offer some potential. As for defense, while the team could use an upgrade, the Golden Knights already traded away Brad Hunt, suggesting they are unlikely to move another defenseman now and although they have several interesting young defenseman waiting in the wings in the AHL, it’s unlikely the team is going to move out a player to make space for a prospect.

Five Players To Watch For: F Carpenter, D Nicolas Hague, D Nick Holden, F Nosek, G Malcolm Subban

Team Needs

1) Top-Four Defenseman: While the team doesn’t really need a big-name forward at the trade deadline, defense could be a different matter. The Golden Knights defense is good, but the team was almost desperate to acquire Erik Karlsson last season from Ottawa, but came up just short. They followed that up by adding Nick Holden during the offseason, but that’s hardly the answer either. With Deryk Engelland starting to show his age, Holden struggling and star prospect Erik Brannstrom not yet ready to contribute, the team could use a defenseman that can help protect goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. Plenty of rumors seem to have Vegas focused on one of St. Louis’ top defenders, including Alex Pietrangelo or Colton Parayko, but the team would obviously have to move more than a few middle-round picks to acquire either of them.

2) Back-up Goaltender: Vegas has struggled finding a solid backup. While Subban has the skills, the 25-year-old is just 2-5 this season with a 2.95 GAA and a .904 save percentage and is currently injured. On top of that, he has made just eight appearances this season, which isn’t really helping a 34-year-old Fleury who has already appeared in 46 games this season, the same number he played in during the regular season a year go. With no prospects in the wings, it might make sense for Vegas to go out and get a Keith Kinkaid, Jimmy Howard or another veteran goalie to fill the void for the remainder of the season and give them an option to re-sign them this summer if they work out.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email

Deadline Primer 2019| George McPhee| Vegas Golden Knights Alex Pietrangelo| Brad Hunt| Colton Parayko| Deryk Engelland| Erik Brannstrom| Erik Haula| Erik Karlsson| Jimmy Howard| Keith Kinkaid| Malcolm Subban| Marc-Andre Fleury| Max Pacioretty| Nick Holden| Nick Suzuki| Oscar Lindberg

“Zero Chance” New Jersey Devils Will Trade Taylor Hall This Season
Main
Snapshots: Islanders’ Trade Deadline, Byron, Elliott, Crawford
View Comments (1)

Comments

  1. ericl

    6 years ago

    The Blues are right in the thick of the Wild Card race. They are only 2 points out. I don’t see them trading Pietrangelo or Pareyko when they are that close to the playoffs. Vegas likely will have to look elsewhere for defensive help

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Mammoth Begin Extension Talks With Logan Cooley

    Blues Pushing For Bowen Byram Trade

    Hurricanes Sign Nikolaj Ehlers To Six-Year Deal

    Sharks Sign Dmitry Orlov, Claim Nick Leddy

    Islanders Sign Maxim Shabanov

    Blues Waive Nick Leddy

    Nikolaj Ehlers Expected To Sign Today

    Oilers Sign Andrew Mangiapane To Two-Year Deal

    Hurricanes Acquire K’Andre Miller In Sign-And-Trade With Rangers

    Alex Delvecchio Passes Away At Age 93

    Recent

    Capitals Re-Sign Anthony Beauvillier

    Islanders Notes: Shabanov, Barzal, Horvat, Drouin

    Mammoth Begin Extension Talks With Logan Cooley

    Islanders Hire David Cunniff, Chad Kolarik To AHL Assistant Coach Roles

    Blues Pushing For Bowen Byram Trade

    Kraken Sign Jake O’Brien To Entry-Level Contract

    Hurricanes Sign Nikolaj Ehlers To Six-Year Deal

    Panthers, MacKenzie Entwistle Agree To Two-Way Deal

    Examining The Penguins’ Road Back To Competitiveness

    Capitals Sign Milton Gästrin To Entry-Level Deal

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
    • Sam Bennett Rumors
    • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
    • Mitch Marner Rumors
    • Marco Rossi Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 Free Agent Focus Series
    • 2025 Offseason Checklist Series
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Coaching Staff Directory
    • Draft Pick Tracker 2025
    • Key Offseason Dates
    • Offseason Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version