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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vegas Golden Knights

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2019-20 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Vegas Golden Knights

Current Cap Hit: $80,474,999 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Zach Whitecloud (one year, $925K)
F Cody Glass (three years, $863K)
D Nicolas Hague (three years, $791K)

Potential Bonuses:

Whitecloud: $850K
Glass: $850K
Hague: $133K

While there is no guarantee that any of these three will be on the roster when the season begins, all three are expected to see time with the Golden Knights this season and could find themselves with significant roles depending on how things shake out. Glass, the team’s biggest prospect, is finally turning pro and while the organization has said in the past that Glass needs a full year of AHL work, he may have proved himself after his junior season ended last year. The sixth-overall pick from the 2017 draft, tallied five points in six AHL regualar season games, but was also one of the team’s top players throughout the AHL playoffs as he helped lead the team to the Calder Cup Finals. He tallied seven goals and 15 points in 22 playoff games. That play suggests that he might be ready and will compete for an immediate chance on the team’s third line.

Hague and Whitecloud are expected to challenge for a spot on one of the open spots in Vegas’ defense. Both players had impressive seasons with the Chicago Wolves last season and might be ready to make an impact. The 20-year-old Hague scored 13 goals in his rookie campaign, while the defensive Whitecloud showed off some offensive potential in his first full season in the AHL.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Cody Eakin ($3.85MM, UFA)
F Ryan Reaves ($2.78MM, UFA)
D Nick Holden ($2.2MM, UFA)
D Jonathon Merrill ($1.38MM, UFA)
F Tomas Nosek ($1MM, UFA)
G Malcolm Subban ($850K, RFA)
G Garret Sparks ($750K, RFA)
F Curtis McKenzie ($750K, UFA)
F William Carrier ($725K, RFA)
D Deryk Engelland ($700K, UFA)
F Valentin Zykov ($675K, RFA)

With their cap room extremely tight, there remains a legitimate possibility that the team may still make a trade and if that does happen, the player is likely to come from this list of players. Eakin, Reaves and Holden are not likely to return in a year and could be trade bait. Eakin is coming off a career-best season with 22 goals and 41 points, but assuming the team is healthier this year, will likely settle into a third-line center role this year unless Glass beats him out. However, with Eakin’s value at its highest, the team might be able to get the best return if they move him and his $3.85MM contract.

Reaves has become a fan favorite in Vegas, giving the team highlight reel hits and become a popular locker room presence. He also posted 305 hits for the Golden Knights. However, Reaves makes quite a bit of money for a player who produced nine goals and 20 points last season. With some young fourth-line players closing in on potentially replacing him, the team could find a taker in Reaves and his $2.78MM deal.

The team has been impressed with the development with Merrill, who was initially only looked at as an emergency defenseman, but really took that next step last season and has earned himself a full-time role with the possibility of even earning top-four minutes next season. Holden would be another option for the team free up cap room as the team signed him last summer to a two-year deal, but the veteran struggled to get consistent playing time and is on the outside looking in. The team might hope it can send Holden to a defense-needy team, but may be forced to bury him in the AHL if he can’t prove he belongs on the Golden Knights roster and with Engelland likely taking a lesser role at the bottom of the defense next season, it might be hard to win a spot.

The Golden Knights also have an interesting battle in net for the backup goalie spot after acquiring Sparks during the offseason from Toronto. While Subban is the likely candidate to keep the position, Sparks could provide some much needed depth in goal for the future if the Golden Knights managed to hold onto him. Sparks was a top prospect goaltender just a season ago, but struggled in his first full season in Toronto. However, the Golden Knights hope he can bounce back quickly.

Two Years Remaining

F Paul Stastny ($6.5MM, UFA)
F Brandon Pirri ($775K, UFA)

The team has been set up to provide a number of short-term deals at higher cost and Stastny is one of those who signed a three-year deal at a high AAV. Injuries limited the veteran to just 50 games last season, but when he played, he provided excellent playmaking on the team’s second line, scoring 13 goals and 42 points. If the 33-year-old can stay healthy this season, he could center one of the strongest lines in the league as he is one of the best playmakers who historically makes his line mates even better.

Pirri is an interesting addition. The 28-year-old showed off his scoring touch after being called up midway through the season. In just 31 games, he tallied 12 goals and 18 points, including a string of goals. Most expected the UFA to find a team that could offer him more playing time this summer. Instead he opted to remain and may get that playing time after the team decided to move KHL star Nikita Gusev to New Jersey this summer. Gusev had been penciled into the third line which now could fall to Pirri, who the team hopes can continue his scoring ways.

Three Years Remaining

G Marc-Andre Fleury ($7MM, UFA)
F Reilly Smith ($5MM, UFA)
D Brayden McNabb ($2.5MM, UFA)

While Fleury has been a stud since arriving from Pittsburgh in the expansion draft, the veteran goaltender is now 34 years old and has three years remaining on his deal. The Golden Knights have to hope that Fleury can continue playing at a high level for that time as they do not have a suitable replacement in the system at all yet and could find themselves in trouble in a few years if they can’t find a suitable player to step in and help take the burden from the netminder. With little faith early in the season in Subban, Fleury played in 61 regular-season games last season, his highest total since 2014-15. Subban did improve somewhat and played better in the second half, but it’s likely that Fleury will take on another significant load this season as well.

While 53 points may not be the type of numbers the team was hoping for from Smith, the Golden Knights know that Smith has proven to be a valuable commodity who is a key on the team’s penalty kill and is an excellent playmaker, especially when playing with the top line. McNabb has also been a key player under a cap-friendly deal who is playing solid minutes in the top-four, while providing excellent defense along with 200 hits last year.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Mark Stone ($9.5MM through 2026-27)
F Max Pacioretty ($7MM through 2022-23)
D Nate Schmidt ($5.95MM through 2025-26)
F William Karlsson ($5.9MM through 2026-27)
D Shea Theodore ($5.2MM through 2025-26)
F Jon Marchessault ($5MM through 2023-24)
F Alex Tuch ($4.75MM through 2025-26)

It’s hard to believe, but after just two years, the team has its core in tact and locked up for a long time and should be Stanley Cup contenders for the next few years. Stone’s value has only increased in the last year as he completed the team’s quest to have two dominant lines. While the Golden Knights could alter their lines this season, Stone is expected to be a big piece and eventually the face of the franchise in Vegas after being acquired from Ottawa at the trade deadline and then signing a eight-year extension immediately after the trade and at $9.5MM, he may prove a bargain as the 28-year-old posted 33 goals and 73 points during the regular season, but really took off in the playoffs, putting up six goals and 12 points in seven playoff games.

While all the long-term deals look solid, if there is one to scrutinize even closer, it’s the four-year extension that Vegas signed Pacioretty to a year ago. That extension is kicking in this year, but the 30-year-old didn’t bounce back to his 30-goal ways that he had in Montreal in previous seasons. Pacioretty, who scored 30 goals five times in six straight years in Montreal, scored just 22 goals and 40 points in his first year in Vegas, but the team hopes they can get more out of him this year. He did show off more offense in the playoffs as well as he tallied five goals and 11 points in seven games.

The Golden Knights finally locked up Karlsson to a long-term deal, something both sides were hoping for and getting the forward to sign for under $6MM is impressive for the franchise. While the 24-year-old Karlsson saw his goal totals drop from 43 to 24 last season, a drop off was expected and the team believes that with two impressive lines, Karlsson should get more chances to score with less pressure from just top-line defenders.

Schmidt and Theodore should continue to develop and provide top-four defense for many years to come. Theodore in particular is only 24 years old and could break out and develop into a dominant defenseman in the next few years. Tuch took a solid step in his development, scoring 20 goals and 52 points in his second year and if the 23-year-old keeps improving, could be quite the bargain under $5MM in the future.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

F Tomas Tatar ($500K through 2020-21)

Salary Cap Recapture

None

Still To Sign

D Jimmy Schuldt (RFA)

The team might have to free up just a little extra to finally get Schuldt locked up for a number of years, but the top collegiate free-agent this offseason opted to sign with Vegas and could begin his career immediately. With attention from 29 of the 31 teams, many believe that Schuldt will get every opportunity to win a spot on the Golden Knights’ defense and could make his impact right away. After four years at St. Cloud State, he still will have to prove that he can beat out Whitecloud and Hague, but once the RFA signs, he could end up being a big piece to the team’s defensive outlook.

Best Value: Karlsson
Worst Value: Pacioretty

Looking Ahead

The Golden Knights general manager combo of George McPhee and Brad McCrimmon have done an amazing job of putting a team together quickly that is ready to compete immediately and have a chance to compete for many years. At the moment, the team has done a good job of locking up its core and while the team is right up against the cap, it does have a number of players making quite a bit of money while on short-term deals, which could allow the team to continue to upgrade to the team after those deals expire. Throw in a number of younger players who are getting closer and closer to being able to contribute, the team should be in solid shape for quite a while.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Malcolm Subban Re-Signs With Vegas Golden Knights

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Just a few moments after the announcement of his scheduled arbitration hearing, Malcolm Subban won’t need it anymore. The young goaltender has re-signed with the Vegas Golden Knights on a one-year deal worth $850K. Golden Knights executive George McPhee released this statement:

We are pleased to announce this one-year contract for Malcolm. He’s been a valuable contributor to our team over the last two seasons. We are excited to continue to work with Malcolm and help him reach his full potential as an NHL goaltender.

Subban, 25, is set to return as Marc-Andre Fleury’s backup next season and get another chance at really establishing himself in the NHL. Though he has played 43 games for the Golden Knights the last two seasons, he has just a 21-14-4 record and .906 save percentage. While that’s good enough to start the odd game, it’s not exactly positioning himself to take over as the full-time starter should Fleury’s age catch up with him at some point. If he ever wants that role, he’ll have to improve his consistency dramatically this year.

For the Golden Knights though, it was unlikely they were going to find a substantially better option on the open market for this type of contract. The near-minimum salary is exactly what they needed as they continue to deal with cap issues, and if another opportunity presents itself Subban’s deal can be entirely buried in the minor leagues. Betting that the 2012 first-round pick can improve as he enters the usual prime goaltending years isn’t a bad one either, especially knowing that depth goaltending hits waivers frequently throughout the year.

Subban will be a restricted free agent again next summer with arbitration rights.

Latest On Nikita Gusev And The Golden Knights

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A player who a few short months ago was simply excited to finally be in North America and looking forward to playing for the Golden Knights is now in the middle of a high-pressure negotiation that could force him to be traded for the third time before even making his NHL debut. Nikita Gusev finally made the jump this spring after a phenomenal KHL career and the Russian forward was hoping to take the next step of his career with Vegas. However, the 27-year-old scorer also sought fair value, burning his entry-level deal to negotiate a fair contract. The problem is that the Knights lack the space to meet even modest demands, currently over the cap and with other players to sign. The question now is whether Gusev becomes a casualty of the cap crunch or whether Vegas is willing to move other pieces to retain him.

The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that the Golden Knights and Gusev’s camp are currently $2MM apart in terms of AAV on a new contract. Gusev has long been rumored to be seeking at least $4MM annually, while Granger believes the offer on the table is two years at $2MM. Granger estimates that Vegas has just over $2.5MM of cap space to work with after moving David Clarkson to the LTIR, if they make no other moves. However, Gusev is not the only player in need of a new contract, as backup goalie Malcolm Subban, standout collegiate defender Jimmy Schuldt, and potentially veteran leader Deryk Engelland are all in need of extensions. Even if Gusev were to accept the current offer or potentially even if he were to be traded, the Knights would still need to make a move to clear out cap space, so another deal is nearly unavoidable. Granger wonders if the hold up in negotiations is simply the calculus of who Vegas would have to move out to meet Gusev’s demands.

The longer that talks drag on, the more likely a Gusev trade becomes. The dynamic winger is not without fans around the league who would be willing to take a chance at his current asking price. The Hockey News’ Steven Ellis names five teams that have both the interest and the means in cap space and trade capital to acquire Gusev: the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets, Ottawa Senators, and Edmonton Oilers. Unsurprisingly, three of those five teams – Ottawa, New Jersey, and Columbus – are among the bottom five in the league in payroll and would have no concerns about paying Gusev. Montreal just took a big swing and miss at Sebastian Aho on an offer sheet, so they’re clearly willing to pay up for scoring as well. Edmonton would be a tight squeeze, but the Oilers could desperately use more forward talent to surround Connor McDavid. Ottawa could be most appealing to Gusev if he want to become a team’s centerpiece and boost his public image, while the upstart Devils may be his best chance at winning a Stanley Cup as soon as possible. However, Gusev’s preferences will matter little to Vegas if they do choose to move him, likely opting for the best package of picks and prospects they can find.

A resolution won’t be easy to come by, although both Granger and Ellis agree that the Golden Knights would be better served by keeping Gusev. If the team can figure out their cap situation, perhaps by moving the contracts of non-core players like Ryan Reaves and Nick Holden or Jon Merrill, then keeping Gusev is the ideal move given his ceiling and the potential for Vegas to have the most formidable forward corps in the league. Moving Gusev will likely bring back a nice return in building blocks, but at the cost of could-be superstar. It is not an easy choice for Vegas, whereas Gusev holds all the leverage as a KHL icon but unproven NHL commodity just waiting for his chance to break out, in Vegas or otherwise. So long as he gets paid a fair wage, Gusev is likely willing to begin his NHL career anywhere.

Boston Bruins Add Maxime Lagace

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In need of an established third-string option in net, the Boston Bruins have opted to sign Maxime Lagace to fill the role. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports it is a one-year, two-way deal for the 26-year-old and worth the minimum $700K at the NHL level. The former Vegas Golden Knights keeper will spend next season with AHL Providence barring any injuries to top tandem Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. 

Lagace wasn’t needed much as a third-sting option for Vegas this season as he only appeared in one game for the Golden Knights, but he saw quite a bit of action in the Golden Knights’ inaugural season when he became the starting goaltender for a stretch after the team lost both Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban to injury. He appeared in 16 games that year, but struggled with a 3.92 GAA and a. 867 save percentage. He split time with Oscar Dansk this year in with the Chicago Wolves, but took more of a backup role to him, especially in the Calder Cup playoffs as Lagace appeared in just three games of their Calder Cup Finals run. However, his numbers remained solid in the AHL, where he put up a 2.43 GAA and a.914 save percentage in 33 appearances.

Lagace will replace Zane McIntyre who the Bruins were going to lose in free agency. The team hopes that Lagace can help mentor 21-year-old Dan Vladar, who showed some flashes of success at the AHL level, but also proved to be quite inconsistent and wouldn’t be able to help much at the NHL level. Lagace should be able to fill that void.

 

 

Vegas’ William Karlsson Signs Eight-Year Extension

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Monday: The terms first reported by The Athletic’s Jesse Granger of an eight-year pact at a $5.9MM AAV has now been confirmed by the Golden Knights. Karlsson is now locked up through the 2026-27 season at what will be a bargain rate for Vegas if his production remains steady. In the meantime though, CapFriendly estimates that the signing puts the Knights $1.5MM over the off-season salary cap with several restricted free agents still in need of contracts. Vegas fans can celebrate the Karlsson contract now, but cost-cutting measures are coming soon.

Sunday: One of the most important offseason tasks that the Vegas Golden Knights and new general manager Kelly McCrimmon must deal with is trying to lock up restricted free agent forward William Karlsson to a new contract. It looks like that task is close to complete as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Karlsson is expected to sign an extension later this week and it is believed to be for eight years. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the deal will be for just under $6MM.

LeBrun adds that while Karlsson was pushing for an eight-year deal, the Golden Knights were pushing to keep his AAV under $6MM.

The Golden Knights will have to find a way to unload some cap room as they are over the new $81.5MM cap, however for a period during the offseason, a team can exceed the cap by 10 percent, allowing them to go to $89.65MM if they need to. Regardless, they must unload some salary in order to lock up their own free agents, including Karlsson, KHL star Nikita Gusev, Tomas Nosek, Malcolm Subban and likely Deryk Engelland. The team has discussed moving several players to free up some cap space, including defenseman Colin Miller ($3.88MM AAV), center Cody Eakin ($3.85MM AAV), injured forward David Clarkson’s contract ($5.25MM AAV) and potentially moving Gusev as well.

Karlsson, who could have become an unrestricted free-agent had he opted to force arbitration and take a one-year deal, had made it clear that he has wanted to remain in Vegas, where he loves it. According to LeBrun, the eight-year term was the most important part of the deal. While it’s been clear that Vegas was just as interested in bringing back their top-line center, much of the issue of signing the 26-year-old to a long-term deal was how much to pay him.

Known as one of the Golden Misfits after Columbus left him exposed to the expansion draft after he tallied just 15 goals in two full seasons with the Blue Jackets, Vegas picked him up and he rewarded them by posting a 43-goal, 78-point season in the Golden Knights inaugural season that led them to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, the team was leery of those numbers, however, as Karlsson shot an unbelievable 23.4 percent, a number that wasn’t considered likely to be repeated. The team expected a drop off this year and it came as Karlsson’s numbers dropped to 24 goals and 56 points as his shooting percentage dropped as expected to 14.2 percent.

Regardless, Karlsson has become one of the key faces to the franchise and remains the team’s top center partnered with Jon Marchessault and Reilly Smith for two straight seasons and has always been considered a must-sign, although there has been little doubt that Vegas and Karlsson would get a deal done.

Snapshots: Datsyuk, Faulk, Karlsson, Sutter

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Despite some initial speculation early this off-season, it seems an NHL comeback for Pavel Datsyuk is unlikely. Speaking to Helene St. James of The Detroit Free Press, agent Dan Milstein stated that Datsyuk’s probable landing spot remains his home town of Yekaterinburg with the KHL’s Avtomobilist. A free agent after wrapping up a very successful three-year stint with SKA St. Petersburg, Datsyuk made it known that he was leaving SKA and was hoping to land somewhere more familiar to he and his family. The 40-year-old center’s NHL rights are currently owned by the Arizona Coyotes, but they expire on July 1st with the start of the new league year. As such, there was some thought that he could return to the Detroit Red Wings, where he spent all 14 years of his NHL career. Datsyuk would be joining a team now run by fellow Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman and even in his advanced age, Datsyuk would have had the chance to return to a key role for Detroit. Although he recently visited the city and reportedly spoke to Yzerman and company, Milstein maintains that Datsyuk is more likely to settle into a cushy role in Yekaterinburg. “We are meeting in the coming days to discuss options and future plans,” Milstein said, but it seems that the decision is already close to being made. “It’s very likely Pavel will live up to his promise of playing for his hometown team in Russia.”

  • In an article offering up some trade suggestions over the waning days of the NHL postseason for those teams no longer in the running, USA Today’s Kevin Allen notes that teams may not want to waste their time trying to pry a defenseman out of Carolina. The Hurricanes succeeded this season largely because of their strength on the back end and GM Don Waddell appears more concerned with maintaining that depth rather than leveraging it. Allen reports that the team is engaged in extension talks with long-time stalwart Justin Faulk, whose current contract expires after next season. Allen adds that the team is not interested in dealing Faulk or any of their top-four defensemen at this time, which certainly includes Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, and Brett Pesce, but may also include their big free agent addition from last summer, Calvin de Haan. The one defenseman who might have been dangled as trade bait is Trevor van Riemsdyk who, like Faulk, has only one year remaining on his contract. However, a long-term injury that will see van Riemsdyk on the sidelines to begin the season will probably put a damper on any trade talks. van Riemsdyk’s early-season absence will also allow youngsters Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean to see some NHL ice time, keeping all blue line parties content through another season at least.
  • Offer sheets remain a rare occurrence in the NHL – the last came in 2013 – but that doesn’t stop talk from spreading every off-season that one of the top restricted free agents could finally land such an offer. One prominent RFA whose name has not been associated with an offer sheet thus far, perhaps should be, writes David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Schoen believes that center William Karlsson is a prime candidate for an offer sheet this summer. The Vegas Golden Knights are already buried in payroll and the off-season has yet to begin. CapFriendly estimates that they are already over the projected $83MM ceiling for next season, yet still have Karlsson, Nikita Gusev, Malcolm Subban, and others to re-sign. The Knights will be forced to move out salary regardless, but a substantial offer sheet signed by Karlsson may be too much for Vegas to match. Specifically, Schoen names the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, and Detroit Red Wings as potential suitors, citing cap space and need for all four teams.
  • While it is not a done deal, the Los Angeles Kings don’t appear worried about losing one of their key free agents. Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen reports that the Kings are close to extending Brett Sutter, the captain of the AHL’s Ontario Reign. Sutter, 32, is a respected veteran who Rosen states is a “great conduit between the coaching staff and dressing room.” An experienced and productive minor league forward, Sutter is the type of dedicated player that all organizations like to have around and it seems he will be back with L.A. for at least one more year.

Golden Knights Notes: Salary Cap, Gusev, Gambling

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Trusted salary cap database CapFriendly has rolled over their site to the 2019-20 season already and one of the most eye-grabbing results is just how much trouble the Vegas Golden Knights are already in. Using a projected salary cap ceiling of $83MM, up $3.5MM from this season, at the top of the projected salary list is Vegas, who are already $125K over the cap with more than $83MM committed to just 19 players. A further inspection reveals that the Knights have just one goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, and six defensemen signed as of now, with no room to make any further additions. GM Kelly McCrimmon and company will have no choice but to shed salary this summer, at the very least just to re-sign restricted free agents like William Karlsson, Nikita Gusev, Jimmy Schuldt, and Malcolm Subban. Any free agent signings beyond that will require further sacrifice. Despite being just two years into their existence, Vegas has already accumulated an incredible amount of salary, mostly due to major contracts handed out to the likes of Mark Stone, Nate Schmidt, Alex Tuch, Shea Theodore, Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny, and Fleury, all signed since this time last year. Golden Knights fans should be prepared for some tough moves, as solving this problem won’t be as easy as simply placing David Clarkson on the injured reserve. Inaugural Knights like Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Cody Eakin, and Colin Miller are among the most likely casualties.

  • Even in the midst of his new team’s cap crunch, Nikita Gusev is expecting and hoping to re-sign with Vegas. Gusev, whose rights were acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, finally jumped to the NHL late this season after a decorated career in the KHL. The 26-year-old forward burned his one-year entry-level contract, despite not playing, and is now a restricted free agent. He tells Russian hockey source Sport-Express, as translated by The Sin Bin, that he likes Las Vegas and feels he owes it to the team to re-sign with them if made a reasonable offer. Gusev acknowledges that he will likely receive other offers, either from KHL clubs overseas or in the form of an NHL offer sheet, but he will wait for Vegas’ initial offer before making any decisions. What might it cost the Knights to retain their newfound weapon? The interviewer suggested to Gusev that a $4MM AAV could be the ballpark price and he did not disagree. He would only confirm that he expects a one-way deal, but did not talk specific finances. Overall, Gusev sounded very flexible about getting a deal done and even acknowledged that he would be open to playing in the AHL if that is what is asked of him. That seems like an unlikely route for Vegas to take, but Gusev’s attitude at least implies that this negotiation process and first full year in North America should go smoother than it did for Vadim Shipachyov. If (when) the Golden Knights are forced to sell off scoring this off-season, Gusev could be an ideal candidate to take on a major role next season.
  • Speaking at a conference today, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman projected the successful growth of betting on hockey by using the Golden Knights as an example, per TSN’s Rick Westhead. In Nevada, where sports gambling is legalized, hockey bets grew by 60% in Vegas’ inaugural season and again by 40% this season. While Nevada, and Las Vegas in particular, is the unofficial gambling capital of the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Murphy v. NCAA last summer allows all states to decide for themselves whether or not to allow for legalized gambling. Many states already have sports books up and running and many more will soon follow. If the growth exhibited in Nevada in regards to betting on hockey is replicated by other states, it will be a key growth factor for the game and the NHL and one that Bettman will surely try to take advantage of as best he can.

Vegas Golden Knights Looking To Move Out Salary

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The Vegas Golden Knights have gone from an empty expansion team roster to a cap crunch sooner than anyone could have expected. The defending Western Conference champs are enjoying another strong season and made a major splash at the trade deadline, acquiring Mark Stone and subsequently signing him to an eight-year, $76MM extension. GM George McPhee made the move knowing that the majority of the roster was locked up through next season and beyond and he would not be forcing anyone out by adding a $9.5MM cap hit to the payroll; or so he hopes. The other side of that coin is the lack of free agents who could depart Vegas naturally this off-season leaves little cap flexibility for the one major extension the team needs to make: top line center and impending restricted free agent William Karlsson. 

Karlsson, 26, bet on himself this past year when he signed a one-year, $5.25MM deal with Vegas following a breakout 78-point campaign. He hasn’t quite replicated those numbers this season, but with 44 points through 71 games, Karlsson is on a 51-point pace and has at least proven that he is a reliable contributor and will almost certainly be able to command a raise in his next deal, which is likely to be a long-term pact.

The only problem is that CapFriendly currently projects Vegas to have negative cap space next season. Of course, this does not take into account a likely bump in the cap ceiling nor does it exclude the cap hit of the injured David Clarkson, but the Knights have joined the select few teams who are in a legitimate cap crunch, where the salary they need to add to complete their roster does not match up with the space they expect to work with. For now, McPhee is waiting to see what his options are before moving forward in talks with Karlsson. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that the two sides have not talked contract yet and do not plan to until after the season. Even if early discussions go smoothly, that timeline almost assures that Karlsson will again file for arbitration and bad decision for the team side could cause major problems.

As a result, Granger expects the team to work quickly to move out salary this off-season. In addition to Karlsson, Tomas Nosek and Malcolm Subban are also restricted free agents, while veteran leader Deryk Engelland and goal scorer Brandon Pirri are among the UFA’s they might be interested in re-signing. It’s a group of players that each made no more than $1.5MM this season, but new deals even at those same values add up in addition to Karlsson’s demands. Granger expects the Knights to have $5.75MM in cap space, which is likely not enough to re-sign Karlsson, nevertheless these supporting pieces as well. The team could also use an upgrade at backup goalie, moving on from Subban for a more established piece.

So who could be on the move to help clear up space? Granger points to bottom-six forwards Ryan Reaves and Cody Eakin as the most likely trade casualties. Although Reaves is valued more for his checking game and willingness to defend his teammates, his nearly $3MM salary is hard to swallow given his paltry offensive contributions. Vegas could find a much cheaper option to fill Reaves’ role. Eakin is sixth in scoring for the Golden Knights this season, but is seemingly locked into a fourth-line center slot moving forward which doesn’t match up nicely with his contract of just under $4MM. Granger points out that both Reaves’ and Eakin’s contract expires after next season, so moving them may not be hard. However, McPhee could opt to deal from a greater position of strength: Vegas’ surplus of defensemen. The team could try to trade Colin Miller, who costs slightly more than Eakin against the cap and has taken a step back in his development this year. The 26-year-old is signed for three more years, but there are surely teams out there who would still be willing to take a chance on his upside. Other possibilities to clear cap space, albeit smaller amounts, are defenseman Jon Merrill and forward William Carrier.

Whatever McPhee decides to do, it is clear that he must move some salary out and the sooner the better once the off-season gets underway. The Golden Knights’ focus is elsewhere right now, but if this promising team is to keep their core together and continue their impressive start to the franchise, they need to do what it takes to keep Karlsson around long-term, even if it costs them in the short-term to do so.

Minor Transactions: 03/17/19

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After a 12-game schedule on Saturday, the NHL has another seven games to wrap up the weekend, including several with playoff implications. Perhaps one of the most important will be the Minnesota Wild hosting the New York Islanders. A victory by the Wild would put them into a tie with the Arizona Coyotes for the final wild card spot in the West. In the meantime, teams continue to tweak their rosters throughout the day. Check to see what they’ve done:

  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis. The Golden Knights reported that Marc-Andre Fleury has a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. Fleury did not show for the morning skate and it is believed that Malcolm Subban will get the start Sunday. The 26-year-old Lagace has been playing well in Chicago with a 2.33 GAA and a .917 save percentage.
  • Nick Lappin has been busy lately, at least on paper. After being promoted from AHL Binghamton on Friday, the Devils forward was demoted yesterday. He’s now back with New Jersey, according to CapFriendly. The 26-year-old winger played in his tenth game this season with New Jersey the other night, but has yet to record a point. He has 27 points in 45 games with the minor league Devils.
  • Matt Read has also been a constant on the transaction wire, again being called up to the Minnesota Wild on an emergency basis, the team announced. A free agent addition this season, Read has played in seven games with Minnesota and another 53 with AHL Iowa, recording 33 points. If the Wild do manage to make the postseason, Read will be a valuable veteran depth option. If they miss, he can continue to be a core player for the farm team.

Minor Transactions: 03/10/19

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After 24 teams were in action Saturday, the NHL should be a bit quieter on Sunday with just five games slated for the day. Regardless, there should be some key matches on the slate as the Metropolitan Division leader Washington Capitals will go up against the Central Divison leading Winnipeg Jets. The Calgary Flames, losers of four straight, will also be in action Sunday as well, in an attempt to reclaim the Pacific Division lead as they go up against the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights. With the playoff race getting more intense, teams continue to shuffle their rosters. Make sure to check back throughout the day to get all the team’s transactions for the day.

  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned forward Brandon Gignac back to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Gignac was recalled Saturday due to the massive amount of injuries the Devils have sustained recently and made his NHL debut. The 21-year-old played 9:04 of ice time, registering one shot, one blocked shot and a minus-two rating. With 20 forwards on the active roster, his assignment likely means that one of the Devils’ injured forwards will be ready to go.
  • With the need to add a player to their roster, the Calgary Flames announced they have recalled forward Alan Quine from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The Flames assigned Curtis Lazar to Stockton Saturday, as the team was more interested in bringing in a veteran minor leaguer to add to their roster. Quine has been quite successful this season as he has proven to be better-than point-a-game player with 19 goals and 52 points in 41 games with Stockton. The 26-year-old has also shown some success at the NHL level with three goals and an assist in nine games for the Flames.
  • The up-and-down feeling for Dylan Gambrell continues as the San Jose Sharks have recalled the rookie once again, according to CapFriendly. Gambrell was recalled Thursday to San Jose, assigned back to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL Friday and now has been recalled once again. With the Barracuda, Gambrell has been practically a point-per-game player with 16 goals and 38 points in 40 games. However, in six games with the Sharks, he has zero points and is averaging just 8:11 of ATOI.
  • While there has been no explanation yet for the transaction, Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen reports that the Vegas Golden Knights have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL on an emergency basis, suggesting that one of the team’s goaltenders, either Marc-Andre Fleury or Malcolm Subban, is injured, although there is no confirmation of that. The 26-year-old has been having a solid season with the Wolves with a 2.30 GAA and a .916 save percentage in 28 appearances.

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