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Golden Knights Looking To Trade Ben Hutton

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While the Golden Knights will be without Alex Pietrangelo moving forward, it appears that another defender could be on the move as well.  David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that Vegas is trying to move defenseman Ben Hutton.

The 32-year-old has spent the last four seasons with Vegas after signing with them as a depth option early in the 2021-22 season.  After that first year, he has signed a pair of two-year contracts with his current deal having one year left at an affordable price tag of $975K.

Unfortunately for Hutton, his role last season saw him become a sparingly used depth piece.  While he did miss 16 games with an upper-body injury, he was a healthy scratch in 55 others as he played in just 11 games during the regular season.  He had a pair of assists in those outings along with 19 blocks in a little over 13 minutes of ice time per game.  Hutton also didn’t see any action in the playoffs.

For his career, Hutton has played in 520 career NHL games with five different teams, spanning over parts of ten seasons.  The bulk of that came with Vancouver when he was used in a top-four role for good chunks of the four years he spent with them.  He has 124 points and 670 blocks in those outings with an ATOI of over 18 minutes per game, largely skewed from his time with the Canucks.  Over his four seasons in Vegas, Hutton has averaged 15:38 per game, more reflective of the sixth defender role he has held when he has been in the lineup.

As things stand, Hutton figures to be the seventh defenseman once again for the Golden Knights heading into next season so it appears that Vegas is trying to find a new team that could give him a better opportunity.  But there are several blueliners still in free agency that could conceivably take away some potential landing spots for Hutton in the coming weeks so it wouldn’t be surprising if he ultimately makes it to training camp still with Vegas.

At the moment, the Golden Knights are about $6.8MM over the cap, per PuckPedia.  That amount includes Pietrangelo’s $8.8MM cap charge which will land on LTIR, meaning that they have around $2MM of flexibility to work with.  Moving Hutton and replacing him with a player at the league minimum would only add $200K of extra room but every bit of cap wiggle room would help.  Now, the only question is whether a team is willing to trade for Hutton or if he ultimately lands on waivers in the fall if they can’t find a trade for him and want to create that small increase in cap space.

Golden Knights Sign Kaedan Korczak To Four-Year Extension, Jeremy Davies To Two-Year Deal

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The Vegas Golden Knights have re-signed defenseman Kaedan Korczak to a four-year, $13MM contract extension, per Stephen Whyno of AP News. The deal will carry an annual cap hit of $3.25MM. Vegas later confirmed the deal in a team press release. In that release, the team also mentioned they’ve signed defenseman Jeremy Davies to a two-year contract.

Korczak will earn a hardy bode of confidence with this news. He has one more season left on a two-year, $1.65MM contract signed on July 1st, 2024. With that contract in place, Korczak was promoted to Vegas’ extra defender role – marking his first season spending the full year with the NHL roster. He was often a healthy scratch over the course of the season, but still managed to record 10 assists, one penalty, and a plus-15 across 40 games. He also recorded 59 hits in his appearances — giving him the fifth-most hits per-60 minutes of ice time.

Physical hockey and strong passing were the two features that Vegas aimed to buy in signing Korczak to a multi-year extension last season. They evidently saw enough to stand confident in his abilities, and will now keep Korczak controlled through his age-33 season in 2029-30.

A hefty contract extension could be a strong indication that Korczak is set for a nightly feature in Vegas’ lineup, likely in place of fellow giant Nicolas Hague, who was recently traded to the Nashville Predators. Korczak has appeared in 77 NHL games across the last four seasons, and managed one goal, 21 points, and a plus-25. He has also recorded 39 points and a minus-three in 134 AHL games since 2020.

Vegas will find an insurance defender in the gritty Davies, who has spent the last four seasons primarily in the minor-leagues. He recorded a staggering 11 goals and 48 points in 72 games with the Belleville Senators this season – marking a new career-high. The boost in scoring came alongside a dwindling in penalties, with Davies recording 44 PIMs this year after posting 90 PIMs just two seasons ago. He’s been a fixture of the minor-leagues through his six-year professional career, so far only stepping into 23 NHL games and recording three points. A standout year with Belleville could be enough to warrant NHL attention next year, though Davies will likely have to climb his way up from a feature role with the Henderson Silver Knights.

Alex Pietrangelo Placed On LTIR, Unlikely To Play Again

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Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon stated today that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has officially been placed on LTIR and that the veteran is unlikely to play again, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. McCrimmon’s grim outlook reinforces the picture that both he and Pietrangelo have been painting in recent days regarding Pietrangelo’s future.

On Sunday, after weeks of speculation, it was announced that Pietrangelo would need to undergo “multiple major surgeries” this offseason, likely putting his 2025-26 season in jeopardy. On Monday, things became even more bleak as Pietrangelo and McCrimmon discussed the defender’s future, with Pietrangelo stating how challenging the last few seasons have been on his physical well-being.

“After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it’s been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life. This decision has been difficult to come to terms with after the last 17 years of competition and the camaraderie with my teammates and coaches. The likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family,” he said.

McCrimmon added that Pietrangelo would need to have bilateral femur reconstruction in order to resume his playing career, and that the procedure would not guarantee a return to health.

“Our hope in February during the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off was to give Alex treatment and rest to help provide relief, but instead, what we found were diminished positive results and a process that is no longer sustainable moving forward. Alex has given everything to the game and to the Golden Knights and has played through significant challenges in the pursuit of trying to win another Stanley Cup in Vegas,” McCrimmon said.

A day later, it appears McCrimmon has seemingly made Pietrangelo’s future official. If this is the end of the road for Pietrangelo’s playing career, the 35-year-old retires with 1,087 games played, 637 points, and two Stanley Cup championships.

Golden Knights Sign Dylan Coghlan, Jaycob Megna, Cole Reinhardt

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4:22 p.m.: The Knights confirmed the below signings and also announced a two-year, one-way contract for winger Cole Reinhardt. The former Senators depth piece played a career-high 17 games for Ottawa last year, scoring his first NHL goal and assist.

3:45 p.m.: Vegas has also signed defenseman Jaycob Megna to a two-year, one-way deal worth $800K per season, his agency, Bartlett Hockey, announced. He spent last season in the Panthers organization and was a post-deadline call-up, but mostly played with AHL Charlotte, where he had 16 points and a +26 rating in 64 games. The 6’6″ 32-year-old lefty has a 4-23–27 scoring line in 193 career NHL games with the Ducks, Sharks, Blackhawks, Panthers, and Kraken.

1:09 p.m.: The Golden Knights are bringing in defenseman Dylan Coghlan for his second stint in Vegas on a one-year, one-way league minimum contract, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Irfaan Gaffar.

Coghlan played through four seasons in the WHL prior to his move to pros, and went undrafted through all three years of eligibility. He was extended an invite to the Detroit Red Wings’ training camp in 2016, but wouldn’t earn his first pro contract until the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural training camp in 2017. Vegas signed Coghlan to a three-year, $2.2MM entry-level contract in 2017, and assigned him back to the WHL for his fourth and final season of juniors eligibility. When he was ready to turn pro in 2018, Coghlan was moved to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, where he managed an impressive 15 goals, 40 points, and plus-four through 66 games of his AHL rookie season. Vegas made the right-shot defender show he could match that performance in the following year. He stumbled to just 11 goals, 24 points, and a minus-nine, but still showed enough strength to join the Golden Knights as an extra defender for the shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Getting his first taste of the NHL, Coghlan posted six points, one penalty, and a minus-three through 29 games. He returned to an NHL role in 2021-22, and managed a stouter 13 points, 18 penalty minutes, and minus-five through 59 games. That season stands as the most Coghlan has played in the NHL – after a 2022 move to the Carolina Hurricanes pushed him back into competition for a fringe lineup role. Since 2022, Coghlan has recorded three points in 23 NHL games and 72 points in 112 AHL games. That includes a career-best 16 goals, 41 points, and 40 penalty minutes in 61 games of the 2023-24 season, which he spent with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.

Coghlan will offer the Golden Knights high scoring upside at the minor-league level, and a big-bodied extra defenseman at the NHL level. He could help fill the role of Nicolas Hague, who Vegas moved to the Nashville Predators in the days leading up to free agency.

PHR’s Gabriel Foley contributed significantly to this article.

Latest On Rasmus Andersson

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Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson is eligible to sign a contract extension as of today but talks between him and the team showed that there is still a considerable bridge to gap.  While GM Craig Conroy has said they’re comfortable with having the blueliner in training camp without a new deal in place, the gap in discussions has certainly fueled trade speculation.

To that end, TSN’s Darren Dreger recently reported on Edmonton Sports Talk (video link) that the Kings were believed to have a trade in place to acquire the 28-year-old but Andersson made it known that he doesn’t want to play for them.  He only has a six-team no-trade list but presumably, Los Angeles would have found out about Andersson’s lack of desire to play there when hypothetically discussing what an extension would look like.

At the moment, it appears that Andersson has his eyes set on one trade destination in particular.  Pierre LeBrun reports in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that the team on the top of Andersson’s wish list is the Golden Knights.  He adds that there have been discussions between the two teams over the past week but Calgary hasn’t been excited about the offers on the table just yet.

There’s a logical fit for Andersson in Vegas, with Alex Pietrangelo’s playing days appearing to be over now.  Pietrangelo’s absence would open up a significant hole on the right side of their back end, one that Andersson would be capable of filling.

The 28-year-old has been an all-situations player for several years in Calgary and has reached at least 30 points in four straight years.  Andersson is coming off a quieter year but he still managed 10 goals and 21 assists in 81 games for Calgary last season while logging 23:59 per night of playing time.  While he wouldn’t be quite as impactful as a healthy Pietrangelo, he would certainly be a quality replacement.

Of course, fitting him onto the books for the upcoming season is a whole other challenge.  Vegas used the LTIR relief from Pietrangelo to acquire Mitch Marner from Toronto.  Even with the LTIR savings, that will put them over the cap by the time they fill the remaining open roster spots, meaning that some salary would need to be cleared to open up room for Andersson and his $4.55MM cap charge for next season.

Meanwhile, should Andersson get moved to his preferred team, it stands to reason that an extension would need to be worked out.  Given the contracts that have been handed out to some blueliners in recent days, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could come close to doubling his current price tag on a long-term contract.

With Vegas taking on Marner at $12MM per season and Jack Eichel expected to receive an extension at some point as well, that’s a lot of money to be adding to their future books so if the Golden Knights are able to land Andersson, they’re going to have to clear up some significant cap room – both present and future – to do so.

Golden Knights Acquire, Extend Mitch Marner

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Tuesday: Both sides have officially announced the one-for-one swap.

Monday, 6:45 p.m.: PuckPedia has shared the financial breakdown of Marner’s new deal with Vegas:

  • Year 1: $4MM salary, $11MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 2: $4MM salary, $10MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 3: $4MM salary, $9.75MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 4: $4MM salary, $7.25MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 5: $5MM salary, $6MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 6: $5MM salary, $6MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 7: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 8: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause

4:07 p.m.: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vegas Golden Knights have acquired forward Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shortly thereafter, Friedman shared that Marner is expected to sign an eight-year, $96MM deal ($12MM AAV) with the Golden Knights. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Nicolas Roy is the only player headed to the Maple Leafs in the reported deal, making it a one-for-one swap.

Arguably the league’s top available free agent since Artemi Panarin in 2019, the Golden Knights have assured that Marner won’t even reach unrestricted free agency. Marner will join a star-studded roster in Nevada that already includes Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Shea Theodore.

Unlike his situation in Toronto, Marner also joins a team that’s entrenched in winning. Without question, the most successful expansion team in NHL history, the Golden Knights have qualified for the postseason in seven out of their eight seasons, reaching three Western Conference Finals, two Stanley Cup Finals, and winning one Stanley Cup.

After the money is squared away, the Golden Knights should have approximately $2MM remaining in salary cap space. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is set to miss the entire 2025-26 season, potentially longer, providing Vegas with an added $8.8 million in flexibility. Coupled with Roy’s $3MM salary, the Golden Knights had plenty of flexibility to bring in Marner on a long-term contract.

In Marner, Vegas will add one of the league’s premier playmakers to its already high-end offense. Since debuting for the Maple Leafs in the 2016-17 season, Marner has scored 221 goals and 741 points in 657 games, averaging 20:03 of ice time per night. Aside from his offensive capabilities, Marner is exceptional on the defensive puck, earning a +128 rating with a career 52.7% CorsiFor% at even strength and a 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

By re-signing Brandon Saad and Reilly Smith over the past two days, and adding Marner this afternoon, the Golden Knights have completely addressed their need for quality wingers before unrestricted free agency has even opened. Furthermore, with $2MM remaining in salary cap space, Vegas has some flexibility to add toward the bottom of their lineup, or to shore up their defensive core with cheaper deals.

Marner’s addition reaffirms the adage of the ’rich becoming richer’. The Golden Knights finished the 2024-25 campaign with the fifth-best goals scored average (3.34), third-best goals against average (2.61), second-best powerplay (28.34%), 13th-best shooting percentage (11.0%), ninth-best CorsiFor% (51.8%), and 11th-best in high-danger scoring chances (51.9%). Interestingly enough, despite being known for his offensive talents, Marner may help Vegas the most on the penalty kill, as they finished this past season ranked 26th with a 75.74% kill rate.

In terms of the salary cap, this deal is only likely to improve for the Golden Knights. Marner will earn 12.57% of Vegas’ available salary cap next year while watching that percentage drop to 10.57% in only two years. Considering that they’ll need a new contract for Eichel after next season, Vegas should be in good shape to retain both for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, Marner does carry some baggage when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Like the Maple Leafs, the Golden Knights are firmly within their competitive window and have been competing for the Stanley Cup since becoming a team less than a decade ago. Although he won’t deal with a similar media landscape in Vegas, Marner will have similar expectations regarding his postseason performances.

In fairness to Marner, he’s been a quality postseason player, just not to his standard. During his time in Toronto, Marner scored 13 goals and 63 points in 70 playoff games, achieving a +9 rating. Although this would be viewed as quality production for most players, it’s a 0.22 drop-off in point-per-game average compared to his regular-season output. Now cemented in Vegas for the prime years of his career, Marner will only have so many more chances to correct the version of himself as a player when hockey becomes as important as it ever can.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have done well by turning nothing into something. The likelihood of Marner staying in Toronto has been known for several weeks, and the Maple Leafs have made sure to get another asset in return rather than lose him for nothing. Unlike Marner, the player they’re acquiring from the Golden Knights has considerable postseason experience.

Over the last four years, Roy has become a valuable third-line center in Vegas. He can play all three forward positions and can move up and down the lineup, making him an extremely versatile forward.

Since becoming a full-time player for the Golden Knights in the 2021-22 season, Roy has scored 57 goals and 141 points in 284 games with a +26 rating, averaging 15:48 of ice time per game. His playoff scoring has declined, with five goals and 15 points in 40 games, but he contributed to the Golden Knights’  Stanley Cup victory in 2023. He should help create a stalwart third line in Toronto next to Max Domi and Scott Laughton.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Alex Pietrangelo Expected To Miss 2025-26 Season

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Monday: The Golden Knights have released statements from Pietrangelo and GM Kelly McCrimmon.  While stopping short of announcing it officially, it would appear as if Pietrangelo’s playing days may very well be over.

Pietrangelo:

The past few years have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health. After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it’s been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life. This decision has been difficult to come to terms with after the last 17 years of competition and the camaraderie with my teammates and coaches. The likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family.

McCrimmon:

Alex has our organization’s full support in prioritizing his long-term health and quality of life. Alex is dealing with hips that would require bilateral femur reconstruction, with no guarantee of success. Throughout the season, the steps that Alex needed to take to be able to play and practice began to grow and take a significant toll on his body. Our hope in February during the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off was to give Alex treatment and rest to help provide relief, but instead, what we found were diminished positive results and a process that is no longer sustainable moving forward. Alex has given everything to the game and to the Golden Knights and has played through significant challenges in the pursuit of trying to win another Stanley Cup in Vegas. He is one of the most respected players in the league, not only for his elite talent but for his character, leadership, competitiveness, and professionalism. Today’s decision is a difficult one for both Alex and the Golden Knights, but it is being made for the right reasons – so that Alex can be the family man we all know him to be.

Sunday: After weeks of speculation, it’s looking more like Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo won’t be available next season. He’s in line for “multiple major surgeries” this offseason that will go so far as to jeopardize his career, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

The news comes just days after general manager Kelly McCrimmon spoke after the draft on Pietrangelo’s future. When asked whether or not Pietrangelo would be healthy enough to play next season, McCrimmon said it was something that still needed to be sorted out.

“We’re going to know more on that in the coming days. Alex and I have had a number of discussions. There are a number of decisions that need to be made. When I spoke earlier about having a number of things that need clarity, that would be one of them,” he said.

As rumors continue to intensify linking pending free agent Mitch Marner with the Golden Knights, Vegas now seemingly also faces the challenge of replacing Pietrangelo’s leadership and production. But moving Pietrangelo to long-term injured reserve before the start of free agency may free up the space the team needs to sign Marner, as outlined by Danny Webster of Las Vegas Review-Journal. Pietrangelo has two years remaining on his $8.8MM AAV deal, and the Knights currently have just $5.615MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Pietrangelo, 35, appeared in 71 games for the Golden Knights last season, posting four goals, 33 points, and a plus-11 rating. While he missed 11 games on the year and opted out of the Four Nations Faceoff due to injury, Pietrangelo averaged over 22:24 of ice time per game on the year, showcasing his ability to log meaningful minutes when healthy. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has produced 637 points throughout his 17-year career.

PHR’s Paul Griser contributed significantly to this article.

Predators Acquire, Extend Nicolas Hague

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June 30: Both clubs have made the trade official. The Predators announced they’ve retained half of Sissons’ salary, opening up an additional $1.43MM in cap space for the Knights. Vegas is also sending its 2027 third-round pick to Nashville, although it can upgrade to their second-round choice if the Knights win at least two rounds in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

June 29: The Nashville Predators have acquired Nicolas Hague from the Vegas Golden Knights and signed the defenseman to a four-year, $22MM contract extension, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. In return, the Golden Knights will receive forward Colton Sissons and defender Jeremy Lauzon, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. Hague was set to become a restricted free agent on Tuesday, but will now carry a $5.5MM cap hit for the Preds. Lauzon and Sissons each have one year remaining on their contracts.

While it’s no surprise to see Hague traded, the destination isn’t expected. Nashville wasn’t one of the few clubs linked to Hague’s services earlier this month, and Hague’s name was then tossed into speculation for his potential involvement in a Mitch Marner sign-and-trade with the Maple Leafs. That Marner deal may still happen, but Hague’s rights won’t be a part of it.

Hague, while an effective piece for the Knights since they drafted him in the second round in 2017, has been deployed almost exclusively on their third pairing. He’s been good while doing it, posting 83 points and a +20 rating in 364 career games while averaging 17:33 per night, but his market value exceeded what Vegas was going to be able or willing to pay him on a new contract this summer, especially with Noah Hanifin and Brayden McNabb ahead of him on the left side.

It didn’t help matters that the Kitchener, Ontario, native is coming off something of a down year in 2024-25. His 12 points in 68 games weren’t too far south of his career average pace. It’s his career-worst possession numbers that caused concern. Hague posted a relative Corsi share of -4.9% at even strength as well as a career-low 48.3 xGF%, and there wasn’t an increase in difficulty in his minutes to explain it. He received an even 50/50 split of offensive and defensive zone starts at 5-on-5 and even saw a lower workload than usual at 17 minutes per game.

That makes Nashville’s steep commitment to the 26-year-old a risky one. A similarly-sized lefty in Kevin Bahl just received an extension at a $5.35MM cap hit from the Flames after a platform year in which he averaged north of 21 minutes per game, provided more offense, and had comparable possession impacts. He’s a year younger than Hague and received a six-year term. It makes it even more of a confusing fit when considering Hague will presumably slot in as Nashville’s No. 3 lefty as well, with Roman Josi and Brady Skjei ahead of him.

There’s now an added logjam amid left-shot depth defenders in Nashville. Andreas Englund is under contract on a one-way deal for 2025-26 and will presumably serve as a healthy extra when everyone is available. Where does that leave waiver-eligible players on two-way deals like veteran Jordan Oesterle or, far more importantly, 24-year-old Adam Wilsby, who showed solid defensive upside in a 23-game call-up last year while averaging over 18 minutes per game?

That’s the question general manager Barry Trotz will need to answer in the coming months before training camp opens. Meanwhile, Vegas immediately addresses the need for a Hague replacement in Lauzon, who fills the role for a price tag that’s $3.5MM cheaper than what Hague ended up signing for. The 28-year-old is less of an adept two-way defender than Hague but is among the most physical rearguards in the league, recording 987 hits in 240 games over the last four seasons.

Last season was a tough one for Lauzon, though. He now enters the final season of his contract after missing most of 2024-25 with a lower-body injury. He recorded one assist, a minus-four rating, and 127 hits in 28 games while averaging 17:58 per night before being shut down in January. While it’s a slight downgrade at the position for the Knights, Lauzon not only costs far less than what Hague was going to make, he also costs less than what Hague made on his expiring contract by $294K.

Not to be overlooked is Sissons, whose 13-year run in the Predators organization ends with this trade. The 31-year-old was a second-round pick in 2012 and has since grown into a quintessential middle-six checking center, ranking seventh in Predators franchise history with 690 games played. Nonetheless, he’s moved out as he enters the final season of the seven-year, $20MM contract he signed as a restricted free agent in 2019.

Sissons is also coming off something of a down year, limited to seven goals and 21 points in 72 showings in 2024-25 after back-to-back 30-point seasons. He also saw a reduction in ice time as well, going from well north of 16 minutes per game in 2023-24 to 14:22 nightly in 2024-25. He’ll get moved out as the Preds look to make more room in their lineup for their younger forwards, 2021 first-rounder Fedor Svechkov chief among them as he looks to serve as a direct replacement for Sissons in the top nine, particularly after the club also brought in center Erik Haula from the Devils earlier this month.

He’ll now serve as bottom-six depth for Vegas, a particularly necessary pickup if Nicolas Roy is moved to Toronto in the Marner sign-and-trade as rumored. That would save Vegas about $140K in cap space at the position – not much, but something for a team for which every cent counts.

As for Vegas, they’re now officially up against it cap-wise after taking on Lauzon and Sissons in this deal. They have a “full roster” at 21 of 23 players with roughly $750K in space, per PuckPedia. That projection has defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on standard injured reserve instead of LTIR, though. He’s now likely to miss the entire campaign, which would give them an additional $8.8MM in spending flexibility if his LTIR placement is executed perfectly. That, plus dealing Roy to Toronto, would leave Vegas with closer to $12.5MM in cap space – potentially enough to accommodate a Marner extension.

PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed significantly to this article.

Images courtesy of Brett Holmes-Imagn Images (Hague) and Steve Roberts-Imagn Images (Sissons).

Maple Leafs Could File For Tampering If Mitch Marner Signs With Golden Knights

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are just days away from a separation with their superstar right-winger Mitch Marner. Signs have pointed towards Marner testing the free agent market for the bulk of the regular season – but official word of the split came via Chris Johnston of The Athletic in mid-May. It’s been a scramble in the five weeks since, with multiple teams pushing their way into the sweepstakes for a 100-point winger. As usual in big-end moves, the Vegas Golden Knights have made themselves front-and-center in discussions – and even gone as far as discussing a trade to acquire Marner’s negotiation rights. But draft day rumors have revealed that, should Vegas sign Marner right away on July 1st without a trade, the Maple Leafs are prepared to file a tampering charge against the Golden Knights, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast.

Friedman emphasized repeatedly that despite these rumors, there is no present evidence of any tampering in Vegas. He also added that charges of tampering would likely go away should the two sides complete a trade before July. But teams are recently acutely sensitive to evidence of tampering, and Friedman adds that the NHL has recently been eyeing opportunities to set examples of how player rights should be managed and respected.

Tampering has been a hot topic in the NHL over the last year. The NHL included a reminder of tampering rules in the 2024-25 season’s first round of GM meetings in November. Specifically, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly reiterated that teams do not have the power to negotiate or agree to new deals with pending-free agents until noon ET on July 1st, unless provided express permission from the rightsholder.

Marner isn’t the only player with tampering concerns swirling around. The Maple Leafs were also the subject of a tampering scare over the last few weeks, after popular podcaster Paul Bissonnette shared that Toronto had already agreed to a deal with Brad Marchand on the Spittin Chiclets podcast — though it appeared those claims were ultimately debunked. The NHL also investigated possible tampering charges against the New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and Chicago Blackhawks last summer – for their potentially premature signings of Brett Pesce, Brandon Montour, Tyler Toffoli, and Tyler Bertuzzi respectively. The Ottawa Senators also alleged “soft tampering” against the New York Rangers for their pursuit of Brady Tkachuk in December.

On a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast from December, Friedman listed out some of the potential penalties for teams caught tampering (captured here by @PuckReportNHL on Twitter). At a team level, the possible punishments included a fine of up to $5MM, termination of contracts signed, forfeiture of draft picks, and rewarding of confiscated draft picks or cash to the effected club. Players can also be penalized with a $1MM fine, suspension, or expulsion from the league.

For a player like Marner, the thought of tampering charges will ring loud. He is headed for a possible record-breaking, or record-tying, contract this summer after netting 102 points in 81 games this season. He’s among the league’s best wingers – and will be making the first move of his nine-year career with a change of teams this summer. If the NHL is looking for an example to set, closely monitoring free agent negotiations at this scale would be a strong place to start.

These concerns could be mitigated by a swap of assets for Marner’s negotiating rights, which would allow Vegas to sign Marner ahead of July 1st while also providing compensation back to the Maple Leafs. Should Vegas have any concerns, that move may be a nice safeguard to ensure they can land another lineup star with no barriers. Then again, with no clear evidence of tampering, rumors or concerns spreading around NHL circles will be no more than that, until a team is proven guilty.

Canucks, Golden Knights, Kings Interested In Bowen Byram

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After sending high-end winger, JJ Peterka, out West a few days ago to the Utah Mammoth, the Buffalo Sabres are reportedly working the phones on another one of their younger roster players. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger on the Barn Burner podcast, the Sabres are receiving consistent interest in defenseman Bowen Byram from the Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights, and Los Angeles Kings.

For the former two teams, it’s apparent that Byram is being viewed as an option on his off-hand. Operating on the assumption he’ll be in any acquiring team’s top-four, the Canucks already have Quinn Hughes and Marcus Pettersson on the left, while the Golden Knights have Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin.

Meanwhile, the Kings may view Byram as a sufficient replacement for Vladislav Gavrikov should the defensive blue liner depart in free agency. Byram isn’t nearly as good as Gavrikov in the defensive zone, but would bring far more offensive pressure and could create a quality pairing with fellow youngster, Brandt Clarke.

For context, there’s no trade close at the time of writing, but it’s become apparent that the Sabres are making a concerted effort to balance out the handedness of their defensive core. The team has already found one quality right-handed option in Michael Kesselring, and is likely seeking one more after moving Byram.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, it’s challenging to ascertain Byram’s value on the trade market. He has not made many significant strides since his time with the Colorado Avalanche, recording a 0.46 PPG average over the past three years, despite an increase in average ice time since arriving in New York.

Still, despite his billing as an offensive-minded defenseman, Byram can hold his own in the defensive zone, racking up 313 blocked shots in 246 career games, with a 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength. It’s also important to note that, unlike many of his peers in Buffalo, Byram has postseason experience and had his name put on the Cup in 2022 with Colorado.

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