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Vegas Golden Knights Shopping Max Pacioretty

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Perhaps spurred by the recent progress in getting the 2020-21 season up and running, the Vegas Golden Knights are back at it, working the phones in an effort to make a move to get salary cap compliant. Vegas is one of a number of teams currently over the salary cap upper limit and must shed some salary before play begins. However, the player that GM Kelly McCrimmon is allegedly pushing to other teams may come as a surprise. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that veteran forward Max Pacioretty has been the subject of trade talks this off-season, with those discussions picking up steam in recent days.

Pacioretty, 32, may be one of the older players on the Vegas roster but is still an elite scorer. The long-time Montreal Canadien was in fact the Knights’ leading scorer this past season, recording 66 points in 71 games for a career-high scoring clip. He added another eight points in the playoffs. In the two seasons since coming over from the Habs, Pacioretty has shown no signs of slowing down. His loss would be felt in a major way in Vegas, both on the ice and in the locker room.

However, Pacioretty’s $7MM, while commensurate to his production, is a massive weight on the Golden Knight’s salary cap. If the team were to move Pacioretty without retaining any salary, they would not only be under the cap ceiling but would have the flexibility to make an addition if they so desire. Seravalli mentions top available free agent Mike Hoffman or a reunion with Erik Haula as possibilities. One would also think that Pacioretty would still bring in a considerable return as well; he cost Vegas Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar, and a second-round pick just two years ago. However, in a definitive buyer’s market, McCrimmon would have to be careful not to give away Pacioretty for too little just for the sake of cap savings. The team was already lambasted for trading top defenseman Nate Schmidt for pennies on the dollar in order to facilitate the signing of Alex Pietrangelo. 

One other concern for the Knights’ brass is the locker room culture. There have already been reports of many players being unhappy with the frequent trades that the team has made and the perceived lack of loyalty toward the roster. The team has dealt Schmidt, Haula, Colin Miller, Cody Eakin, Malcolm Subban, Brandon Pirri, and Paul Stastny all in the past 18 months, leaving the young franchise with very little roster consistency. There are certainly some in the room who have to be unhappy to even hear the whispers of a potential Pacioretty move. Others in the media have noted that he is not the only name on the block either, with fan favorite Marc-Andre Fleury likely being floated again as well. Vegas must tread carefully when it comes to making any further moves and a Pacioretty trade in particular can only be made with a considerable return and a plan to replace him with the cap savings.

Marc-Andre Fleury Happy To Stay In Vegas, Share Net In 2020-21

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When the Vegas Golden Knights signed Robin Lehner to a five-year, $25MM contract extension, it seemed certain that usurped starter Marc-Andre Fleury and his $7MM price tag would be elsewhere by next season. However, it has been weeks since Lehner’s signing and between the high cost of moving a contract like Fleury’s and concerns over Lehner’s recovery from upcoming shoulder surgery, it now seems more likely than not that Fleury will be back with Vegas next season. If this is indeed the case, the respected veteran is just fine with that.

Fleury tells Jean-Francois Chaumont in a recent piece by Le Journal De Montreal that he too assumed he would be elsewhere next season and is still a bit surprised that the Knights are committing so much cap space to their goalie tandem next season. The following is a translated except from his interview:

I was stressed. I watched the news, it wasn’t always good rumors for me. There are always a ton of rumors, but there aren’t many that come true… I still found it surprising as an outcome. My name was circulating quite a bit for a trade. But I am happy. I am lucky enough to stay in Vegas. I will still play for a good team. I won’t have to move, which is also a good thing…  I am ready to share. This year, I also expect it to be a strange season. There will probably be several games in a few days, there will be a condensed schedule. I think not all teams will have the choice to use their two goalies. For this year, it will be a good thing to have two competitive goalies. It will give our team a good chance.

Fleury’s point about the likelihood of a condensed 2020-21 schedule explains both why there was interest from other teams in the high-priced veteran but also partly why Vegas decided to keep their duo together. Having two competent goalies will be crucial this coming season and the Knights realize, even with their talented roster, that a reliable tandem is key. Fleury himself even admits that Lehner is the future for the Golden Knights and will almost certainly serve as the “starter” once he is back to full strength. And the soon-to-be 36-year-old Fleury is also better off as a “backup” at this point in his career. However, with the high likelihood of fewer days off and more back-to-backs this coming season, it will be more of a 1A and 1B scenario for Lehner and Fleury and the pair could be one of the best goaltending combos in the NHL. What happens beyond next season – Fleury has an additional year remaining on his contract – remains a mystery, but Vegas has figured out their finances and are well-positioned in net for a busy 2020-21.

 

Robin Lehner To Undergo Shoulder Surgery

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Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner is set to undergo shoulder surgery next week, GM Kelly McCrimmon told reporters including NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika (Twitter link).  The procedure is being termed as a ’cleanup’ and the team expects that Lehner will be ready to participate in training camp which, as thing stand, is pegged for sometime in December with the NHL currently targeting a January 1st start.

The 29-year-old signed a five-year, $25MM contract with Vegas last week, entrenching himself as their goalie of the future.  It was a big improvement from a stability perspective for Lehner after he played on three straight one-year deals.  Last season between the Blackhawks and Golden Knights, he posted a .920 SV% along with a 2.89 GAA in 36 games.  His GAA dropped considerably in the playoffs to 1.97 in 16 starts with a .917 SV% which was all the Golden Knights needed to see to commit to him.

While veteran Marc-Andre Fleury has been a speculative trade candidate following the signing (plus the recent addition of Alex Pietrangelo), McCrimmon stated (via Cotsonika) that they will not be moving the 37-year-old.  That ensures that they’ll have a quality insurance policy behind Lehner given this procedure but it also means that their cap trimming will have to come from elsewhere.

Snapshots: First Overall, Fleury, Season Start

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The New York Rangers have received “plenty” of calls on the first-overall pick before tonight’s draft according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, but continue to rebuff those interested. Seravalli reports that Rangers even received an offer from the Los Angeles Kings to swap top picks (the Kings hold the second-overall selection) but have “zero intention” of moving off number one.

That would certainly suggest that the Rangers agree with the rest of the world and will select Alexis Lafreniere first this evening. While Quinton Byfield and Tim Stuetzle are supremely talented players that will make their respective franchises very happy, there’s just no comparison to the potential that Lafreniere brings as a do-it-all superstar. The 18-year-old winger has won the CHL Player of the Year award in each of the last two seasons and showed the world what kind of a competitor he was at the World Juniors, physically dominating his opponents and returning from a knee injury to help Canada win a gold medal (and take home the tournament MVP honors).

  •  The Vegas Golden Knights are trying hard to move Marc-Andre Fleury, as Seravalli reports on TSN’s Insider Trading that they are trying to encourage teams to act as a “broker” and take on some of Fleury’s cap hit in a three-team deal. The Toronto Maple Leafs did something similar for Vegas this season when they assumed part of Robin Lehner’s salary in exchange for a fifth-round pick, but the Golden Knights are offering an even bigger prize to teams willing to help them facilitate a Fleury trade. Seravalli reports that Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon has offered a second-round pick to that broker team, but so far that hasn’t been enough to eat the $3.5MM that the Golden Knights are hoping for. Instead, teams like the Carolina Hurricanes who have been involved could be asking for as much as a first- and second-round pick in order to take on that much salary over the final two seasons of Fleury’s deal.
  • While the hockey world goes crazy over this week of draft and free agent frenzy, remember that the 2020-21 season is not going to start for quite some time. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed today what many have speculated on, that the league is now looking at January 1, 2021 as a potential start date for next season. Previously, the league had listed December 1 as the target, but that always seemed optimistic.

Vegas Golden Knights Looking For Third Team To Aid In Fleury Trade

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With the writing on the wall after the Vegas Golden Knights announced the signing of Robin Lehner to be their long-term goaltender, many have wondered what general manager Kelly McCrimmon plans to do with their former franchise goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, who still has $7MM AAV on the team’s books for the next two years. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported Saturday evening on Sportsnet’s Hockey Central that they are currently looking into finding a third team that can help retain some of Fleury’s salary before finding a new home for the veteran netminder.

“I think one of the options that I think Kelly McCrimmon and the Vegas Golden Knights have at least started to explore,” said Johnston, “is whether they may be able to use an intermediary team as part of their three-way deal in which that team is the one that retains part of Fleury’s salary in order to make this kind of transaction work.”

The Golden Knights did something similar at the trade deadline in February to acquire Lehner when they had the Chicago Blackhawks first trade Lehner to Toronto for prospect Martin Dzierkals first, while retaining half of Lehner’s $5MM salary ($2.5MM). The Leafs then retained $1.1MM and received a Vegas 2020 fifth-round pick for the transaction for sending Lehner to Vegas at a much cheaper price, which came out to just a $1.4MM cap cost for the Golden Knights. Now Vegas is trying to do that once again.

Of course with a up to 20 goaltending candidates who could move to a new location this offseason, Vegas might have more of a challenge than most offseasons. Fleury, who only appeared in four games during the Golden Knights’ playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, did fare well in his limited time, suggesting he still has quite a bit to offer a team, looking for a veteran tandem goaltender. He finished the playoffs with a 2.27 GAA and a .910 save percentage. However, his regular season was a little less impressive with a 2.77 GAA and a .905 save percentage in 49 games.

What teams might be interested remains unknown, although The Athletic’s Rob Rossi reports that while it’s unlikely, the Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t given up on the possibility of bringing Fleury back as a tandem with newly signed Tristan Jarry. However, the transaction would likely require quite a bit of creativity to make a move like that work, considering the delicate state of the Penguins’ cap situation.

Vegas, of course, could still opt to buy Fleury’s contract out as the buyout window doesn’t close until Tuesday afternoon, but then would leave the Golden Knights stuck with $2.58MM in 2020-21, $3.08MM in 2021-22 and $2.08MM in 2022-23 and 2023-24, something the team would prefer to avoid.

Vegas Golden Knights, Robin Lehner Agree To Five-Year Extension

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As anticipated for nearly a month now, the Vegas Golden Knights and goaltender Robin Lehner have agreed to a five-year, $25MM contract extension.  The deal has been officially announced with plenty of social media fanfare in typical Knights fashion. Lehner would have been a free agent and highly sought-after commodity when the market opened next Friday, but instead will stay in Las Vegas.  PuckPedia reports that the deal breaks down as follows:

2020-21: $1MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, eight-team NTC
2021-22: $5MM salary, eight-team NTC
2022-23: $6.5MM salary, eight-team NTC
2023-24: $6MM salary, five-team NTC
2024-25: $4.5MM salary, five-team NTC

This new deal is a win-win for both sides. Despite playing at an elite level for the past three seasons, Lehner has only landed one-year contracts and played for fours different team in that span. His goal has always been to find a long-term home and his fit with Vegas has been obvious. At a $5MM AAV, this deal may not be at the top of Lehner’s potential market value, but it provides him with security and the chance to compete for a Stanley Cup each year. As for the Knights, goaltending was not considered a major area of need when the team acquired Lehner at the trade deadline as the intended backup to Marc-Andre Fleury, but it would have become an issue down the road as the 35-year-old Fleury neared the end of his contract with his play continuing to slip. Vegas has merely solved their problem in net before it had a chance to occur. Of course, Fleury’s days with the team are now numbered as Vegas likely cannot afford to keep both goalies, even at a very fair price for Lehner. With limited cap space this off-season, the Golden Knights will have to move their veteran keeper and officially hand the starting job to Lehner.

The other player impacted by this deal is UFA-to-be Jacob Markstrom. With the 29-year-old Lehner off the market, the 30-year-old Markstrom is now the clear-cut best available free agent goalie and will see an increase in his leverage to command a term and salary that could come in higher than Lehner’s.

TSN’s Frank Seravalli was to the first to report that the deal had been agreed upon to earlier today.

Robin Lehner Nearing Long-Term Extension With Vegas Golden Knights

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When word emerged earlier today that  Robin Lehner and the Vegas Golden Knights had come to terms on a five-year, $25MM contract extension, the goaltender was quick to squash the rumors. Lehner said “it’s not true” and called the rumors “annoying” when speaking to the media – “I’m here to win a Cup, not discuss this stuff.” It seemed at the time that maybe the reports were truly erroneous.

The only issue with Lehner’s vehement dismissal of the contract terms though is that reliable sources have since come forward to corroborate the extension rumors. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger, who knows the Knights as well as anyone, writes that Vegas does plan to extend Lehner and those talks have indeed begun. While he echoes Lehner’s comment that “nothing is finalized”, Granger stops short of dismissing the possibility that the two sides could be close to a resolution. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski goes on step further, reporting that there is in fact a handshake agreement in place between the Golden Knights and Lehner on a new deal. He also believes that the five-year term and $25MM price tag are accurate.

Should the purported extension come to fruition, it will be a win-win for both sides. Despite playing at an elite level for the past three seasons, Lehner has only landed one-year contracts and is playing on his fourth different team in that span. His goal has always been to find a long-term home and his fit with Vegas has been obvious. At a $5MM AAV, this deal may not be at the top of Lehner’s potential market value, but it would provide him with security and a the chance to compete for a Stanley Cup each year. As for the Knights, goaltending was not considered a major area of need when the team acquired Lehner at the trade deadline as the intended backup to Marc-Andre Fleury, but it would have become an issue down the road as the 35-year-old Fleury neared the end of his contract with his play continuing to slip. Once an extension with Lehner is finalized, Vegas will have merely solved their problem in net before it had a chance to occur. Of course, Fleury’s days with the team are now numbered as Vegas cannot afford to keep both goalies, even at a very fair price for Lehner. With limited cap space this off-season, the Golden Knights will have to move their veteran keeper and officially hand the starting job to Lehner.

Goaltending Notes: Lehner, Lundqvist, Free Agency

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Robin Lehner has shutout another opponent, blanking the Dallas Stars last night to even the Western Conference Finals at a game apiece. That was Lehner’s fourth shutout of the postseason, raising his overall save percentage to .924 and lowering his goals-against-average to a measly 1.84. The big trade acquisition has been outstanding for the Golden Knights since arriving, which makes it easy to see why the team is trying to keep him around long-term.

Jesse Granger of The Athletic writes that talks have already begun between the Golden Knights and Lehner on a long-term extension, though it’s not clear exactly what price tag a new contract would come with. A move of that nature however would likely spell the end of Marc-Andre Fleury’s time in Vegas, if only because it would be too expensive to keep them both on the roster. Fleury, who has also performed well in his lessened role this postseason, has two more years on his contract at a $7MM cap hit and holds a 10-team no-trade clause.

  • Another legendary goaltender may be getting pushed out this offseason, as Rick Carpiniello of The Athletic writes that Henrik Lundqvist’s career with the New York Rangers is coming to an end as the team “must buy him out and they know it.” Lundqvist has just a single year left on his contract but has been passed by two different young goaltenders in New York. A buyout would save the Rangers just $3MM of his $8.5MM cap hit in 2020-21 and force a $1.5MM penalty onto the books for 2021-22.
  • If Lehner re-signs with the Golden Knights, and the Vancouver Canucks manage to bring back Jacob Markstrom as they indicated yesterday, the free agent pool for goaltenders suddenly doesn’t look quite as impressive. Sure, there are still plenty of names available like Thomas Greiss, Anton Khudobin, and Cam Talbot, but if Markstrom and Lehner both re-up with their current teams it is going to leave Braden Holtby as the only UFA starter that isn’t already in his mid-thirties. That can only help Holtby’s market, but it also could lead more teams to consider the trade route with options like Matt Murray and Frederik Andersen both potentially on the market.

Pacific Notes: Fleury, Myers, Smith

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The Vegas Golden Knights goaltending controversy could get more interesting in the coming hours. After netting his team a 3-0 shutout last night against Vancouver, Robin Lehner would seem like a solid candidate to start again tonight for Game 4 of their series. However, Lehner is 1-7-1 in his career on second nights when he plays both ends of a back-to-back series. That could allow the opportunity for veteran Marc-Andre Fleury to get the start tonight.

In fact, NHL.com’s John Shannon reports that there is an internal belief that Fleury will get the nod against Vancouver in Game 4. However, Vegas coach Pete DeBoer refused to confirm that belief:

“I’m not going to confirm any lineup decisions we’ve made,” said DeBoer (via Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen). “You’ll see tonight. We’ve got a plan, and we’re going to continue on the path that we know is the right one for our group.”

However, considering that DeBoer and Vegas management has continued to claim that it is a 1 and 1a situation, a Lehner start would likely negate that stand. Fleury, on the other hand, has appeared in just two appearances so far in the playoffs. If he does start tonight, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger notes it will be his first appearance in 14 days, his second game in 23 days and his third game in 174 days.

An official word isn’t likely until just before gametime.

  • Speaking about unknowns, TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers was skating today, although there is no word on whether the blueliner is available for Game 4 tonight against the Golden Knights. Myers, out with a shoulder injury since Aug. 14, wasn’t expected to be ready until later this week, according to The Province’s Patrick Johnston, who added that the two-day break after this game could benefit him. However, Dhaliwal suggests there is a possibility that he could be ready tonight depending on how he responds to treatment. Again, he will be a game-time decision.
  • In an interview with The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman (subscription required), Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland admitted the Oilers will keep with a tandem goaltending situation. However, he also added that while he was pleased with the team’s goaltending for much of the season, he still needs time to assess whether they will make any changes, especially since veteran Mike Smith is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins adds that Smith is likely to be re-signed by the Oilers if Holland can find a way to upgrade Mikko Koskinen and his $4.5MM contract. If the team can unload Koskinen, that could improve Smith’s chances of staying in Edmonton. Otherwise, the team would likely look to let Smith walk and hope to find an upgrade in net after that.

Vegas’ Fleury Downplays Agent’s Backstabbing Tweet

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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury met with the media today to discuss a tweet that came out Saturday from his agent Allan Walsh of the goalie being impaled in the back with a sword, suggesting the veteran is unhappy with his current backup role with the team. Fleury said he has no interest in being a distraction to the team and his agent was just defending him. He asked his agent to remove the tweet and Walsh did that.

“Regarding that picture that came up, I just wanted to say that Allan has been my agent for a long time,” said Fleury (via The Athletic’s Jesse Granger). “I’ve known him since I was 15. I really appreciate his passion for the game. I think it was a way to defend me for not playing much, but I’m here to win with my team.”

Fleury, who will likely be 36 years old when the 2020-21 season begins, played in just one game during the team’s five-game series with the Chicago Blackhawks as the Golden Knights and head coach Peter DeBoer have put their faith in trade deadline acquisition Robin Lehner instead. Lehner hasn’t allowed more than three goals in any playoff game, including two of the team’s round-robin games against the top Western Conference teams. Fleury did perform well in his one game against the Blackhawks, holding Chicago to one goal and posting a .963 save percentage. While many expected a even split between the two goaltenders when Vegas acquired Lehner for a second-round pick, Malcolm Subban and prospect Slava Demin, that hasn’t been the case as DeBoer seems to prefer Lehner.

Of course, this has happened only one other time in his career when Fleury lost his job in Pittsburgh to Matt Murray, which prompted a move to Vegas in the first place. It’s also interesting to note that when asked whether he knew that his agent was going to post the picture, Fleury declined to answer, which does suggest he’s not happy with his current role on the team.

Fleury said he spoke to general manager Kelly McCrimmon and DeBoer Saturday. Fleury, known as a leader in the locker-room, said it was a good talk and it was made clear that he didn’t want to be a distraction during the Golden Knights playoff run in which they have lost just once in eight playoff games so far (including the round-robin).

“I’ve known these guys for a little while now,” said Fleury (via NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika). “I just want to put this behind and move on. All I care about is winning and what’s best for the team and I think they know that.”

Regardless of the outcome for the Golden Knights, the team could find themselves in a interesting situation. While Fleury is likely the most loved player on the Golden Knights’ team, Vegas doesn’t have enough money to pay both Fleury and Lehner, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Fleury still has two years remaining at $7MM. While his numbers have been solid recently, he hasn’t been the dominant player he once was in the team’s inaugural season. He appeared in 49 games with the team during the regular season, but had one of the worst save percentages in his career at .905.

With the team cap strapped for the next couple of years and with Fleury aging, the team likely will have little money remaining to pay for a solid backup goaltender to help take the load off Fleury during the regular season, which could be a problem with Vegas designed to win over the next couple of years. The team might be better off with a younger goalie like Lehner, who is just looking for a home, but would Vegas even entertain the idea of trading Fleury and would anyone want him at the price tag?

However, Vegas is in a good position for this postseason with two solid netminders and Fleury is more than capable of taking over the series at any point and reclaiming his spot as the team’s No. 1 goalie.

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