Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Golden Knights Rumors

Golden Knights Notes: Marchessault, Hague, Lehner

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vegas Golden Knights met with the media today to discuss their season and the future of the franchise. One player whose future is unclear is Jonathan Marchessault, a player who has been with the organization since the beginning in 2017. According to Jesse Granger of The Athletic, Marchessault told the media that he and Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon met earlier in the day with both sides saying that they have a mutual interest in working out an extension to keep the 33-year-old in Vegas.

The Conn Smythe Trophy winner from last year’s Stanley Cup run is one of just five players remaining from Vegas’ inaugural 2017-18 season and he is the Golden Knights all-time point leader with 417 points in seven seasons with the team. While both sides have mutual interest in an extension, the Golden Knights are pushed right up against the salary cap and have several key free agents including Chandler Stephenson, William Carrier, Alec Martinez, and Anthony Mantha.

In other Golden Knights notes:

  • Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague reportedly has a lower-body injury that will not require surgery (according to SinBin Vegas). Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon told the media that the 25-year-old should be healthy and available for the start of next season. Hague suffered the injury in game 1 against the Dallas Stars and did not play for the rest of the series. Hague took his physicality to another level this season, dishing out 153 hits in just 73 games. The Kitchener, Ontario native doesn’t put up much in the way of offence and struggled down the stretch going scoreless in the final 20 games.
  • SinBin Vegas also reported that Kelly McCrimmon offered an update on the status of goaltender Robin Lehner. McCrimmon told reporters that if Lehner can’t play next season he will remain on the long-term injured reserve. McCrimmon went on to add that it might very well be the case that Lehner can’t play and the news isn’t overly surprising given that Lehner missed the last two seasons and hasn’t played since April 2022 after undergoing hip surgery. Lehner has one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $5MM and if he remains on LTIR it would allow Vegas to exceed the cap by that amount.

William Karlsson Played Through Hamstring Injury

at CDT | by 12 Comments

Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff is reporting that Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko will be out of the lineup through at least game 4 of the Canucks second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers. The netminder is making progress and is back on the ice skating, but his earliest return would be for game 5.

The 28-year-old hasn’t played since suffering a lower-body injury in game 1 of the Canucks first-round series against the Nashville Predators. His work in practice thus far has consisted of skating sprints, working side-to-side, and some work on his butterfly. The Vezina Trophy finalist hasn’t taken part in any live drills as of yet, but if he continues to progress it could happen sooner than later.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson told reporters today that his hamstring bothered him through the first round of the playoffs and caused issues with his skating. The lower-body issue didn’t keep Karlsson out of the lineup, but it certainly limited the 31-year-old’s effectiveness as he posted just two assists in seven playoff games after registering 30 goals and 30 assists in 70 regular season games. Karlsson has three years remaining on his eight-year $47.2MM contract and will likely continue to be a middle-six option for Vegas next season.
  • Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times writes that the Seattle Kraken ownership group continues to discuss a new umbrella company that would encompass the Kraken, major projects, as well as a potential NBA team in Seattle. The NBA is eyeing expansion in the near future and the city of Seattle as well as Las Vegas are reportedly among the frontrunners to land an expansion team. Seattle has been without an NBA team since the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City back in 2008, but with the Kraken making moves to form an umbrella company it would put them in a good position to enter into NBA expansion.

Nicolas Hague Out For Game 7

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Brossoit’s return to the Jets last summer for his second stint with the club was a surprise. The 31-year-old’s stock was at an all-time high after posting a .927 SV% in 11 games down the stretch for the Golden Knights after returning from injury, and he was serviceable in eight playoff appearances as Vegas won the Stanley Cup. Some believed he would be able to land a role as a tandem netminder and eclipse his previous career-high of 24 appearances, but he instead opted to return to a familiar role backing up Connor Hellebuyck on a one-year, $1.75MM deal.

  • The Golden Knights won’t get defenseman Nicolas Hague back for Game 7 against the Stars tomorrow, head coach Bruce Cassidy said (via The Athletic’s Jesse Granger). The bottom-pairing fixture sustained a lower-body injury in Game 1 and hasn’t yet returned to practice. Hague, 25, also missed eight games with a lower-body injury early in the season. He finished the regular season with two goals, 10 assists, 12 points and a -5 rating in 73 games while averaging 18:33 per contest.

West Notes: DeSmith, Namestnikov, Kiviranta, Hague

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Casey DeSmith isn’t on the game roster for Canucks in today’s Game 4 against the Predators, forcing Vancouver to turn to third-string Arturs Silovs for his first playoff start with Thatcher Demko already hurt. It doesn’t appear the Canucks expect DeSmith out for long, however, as he was only termed day-to-day with a lower-body injury. There was further evidence to the fact shortly after the game started, as The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reports DeSmith was still the Canucks’ designated emergency backup for today’s game.

The 32-year-old would only be eligible to play if Silovs and backup Nikita Tolopilo suffered in-game injuries. Otherwise, holding DeSmith out of game action points to his absence as being more precautionary than anything else, hoping to avoid aggravating whatever he’s dealing with. Assumedly, he’ll be back in action for elimination games later in the series after putting up a .911 SV% in two postseason games thus far.

Elsewhere in the Western Conference:

  • Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov left today’s Game 4 loss to the Avalanche after a Nate Schmidt slapshot hit him in the side of the head in the middle of the third period. He remained on the ice for nearly a minute and was able to skate off with the assistance of trainers, not requiring a stretcher. He’s still been transported to a Denver hospital for evaluation, reports Guerilla Sports’ Jesse Montano. Winnipeg head coach Rick Bowness had no update on Namestnikov’s health postgame other than confirming he was taken to a hospital. The 31-year-old had a goal and a -2 rating in the first three games of the series, which the Jets now trail 3-1.
  • The Avalanche were without winger Joel Kiviranta in today’s win, paving the way for 24-year-old Nikolai Kovalenko to make his NHL debut after being recalled from the AHL less than an hour prior to puck drop. Speaking with reporters postgame, Avs head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Kiviranta’s absence was injury-related, calling him day-to-day with a lower-body issue (via NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding). The 28-year-old had worked his way into a third-line role, a domino effect due to Jonathan Drouin being out for the series. He started the season on a PTO and subsequent AHL contract but inked a major-league deal with Colorado in November. He has one assist and a +2 rating in three games against the Jets this postseason.
  • The Golden Knights expect to be without defenseman Nicolas Hague again in tomorrow’s Game 4 against the Stars, head coach Bruce Cassidy said (via the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Danny Webster). He sustained a lower-body injury in the third period of Vegas’ Game 1 win and has yet to return to practice. The 25-year-old’s third-pairing duties have been assumed by veteran Alec Martinez, who began the postseason on the outside looking in after the Golden Knights’ trade deadline acquisition of Noah Hanifin pushed him down the depth chart. Hague made 73 appearances in the regular season, accumulating two goals and 12 points.

Evening Notes: Russian Showcase, Hague, Karlsson, Raymond

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Due to regulations that have been put in place by the National Hockey League, a limited number of teams have been able to travel to Russia in an attempt to scout upcoming overseas talent for the 2024 NHL Draft. However, it appears a solution has been developed, as Kevin Weekes of ESPN reports that a Russian showcase will take place from June 18th to 23rd.

Being the most high-profile Russian prospect available at this year’s draft, it is unlikely that forward Ivan Demidov will usurp Macklin Celebrini as the top player in this year’s class due to the showcase. However, after Celebrini, there is no singular player who is a surefire pick for second overall, meaning Demidov could use this showcase to his advantage.

Of the other Russian prospects projected to go in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Anton Silayev and Igor Chernyshov could also use the showcase to their advantage. However, even though he is projected as the second-best international skater, it is hard to imagine a scenario where Silayev is selected any higher than the third defensemen off the board.

Other notes:

  • Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague has been ruled out of tonight’s third game against Dallas and remains listed as day-to-day notes Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  He missed the second game of the series due to a lower-body injury which will cost him now at least a second contest.  The 25-year-old led all Vegas blueliners in hits this season with 155 while chipping in with a dozen points in 73 games. Alec Martinez played in place of Hague last game and should do so again.
  • Staying in Vegas, even though he was not on the ice for the team’s practice this morning, forward William Karlsson is expected to suit up for the Golden Knights tonight reports Jesse Granger of The Athletic. After another quality regular season in Vegas, Karlsson has been able to suit up in the first two games of the series but has failed to find the scoresheet so far. Nevertheless, with Karlsson confirmed in the lineup, the third line of Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, and Anthony Mantha still represents one of the premier third lines in this year’s playoffs.
  • Joining many of his teammates and coaches for this summer’s 2024 IIHF World Championship, Chris Johnston of TSN reports that Detroit Red Wings’ forward Lucas Raymond will join Team Sweden for the international tournament. Raymond represents one of the best offensive options for Team Sweden after experiencing a breakout year during the 2023-24 campaign. In 82 games, Raymond scored 31 goals and 72 points, leading all Red Wings in scoring.

Golden Knights Add Nine Players To Playoff Roster

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Now up 2-0 in their first-round series against the Stars, the Golden Knights have recalled nine players from AHL Henderson to serve as Black Aces for the remainder of their playoff run, per CapFriendly’s transaction log. Forwards Brendan Brisson, Grigori Denisenko, Byron Froese and Mason Morelli; defensemen Kaedan Korczak, Dysin Mayo and Christoffer Sedoff; and goaltenders Isaiah Saville and Jesper Vikman are now all immediately available to Vegas if injuries force them to reach deep into their pool of depth players.

There was no postseason action in store for any of these players in the minors. Henderson failed to qualify for the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs after going 28-36-3-5 in the regular season, missing out for the second year in a row.

Many of these players, including all of the forwards mentioned and Korczak on the blue line, played in NHL games with the Knights this season. Mayo had 82 NHL games of experience across 2021-22 and 2022-23 with the Coyotes but didn’t suit up for Vegas in 2023-24. Saville, Sedoff and Vikman have yet to make their NHL debuts.

Brisson, 22, is the most likely of these recalls to see game action in the playoffs. The 2020 first-round pick did well in his first NHL season, recording two goals and six assists for eight points in 15 games across a spattering of late-season recalls. Averaging 12:20 per game, he played a handful of different units but spent most of his time on the wing with William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault. The trio controlled 65.2% of expected goals in 43 minutes together, per MoneyPuck. The former University of Michigan standout also had 19 goals and 38 points in 52 contests with Henderson, his second full season in the pros.

Denisenko, 23, was picked up in the first round by the Panthers two years before Brisson. After failing to crack Florida’s opening night roster, he was nabbed off the waiver wire by Vegas in October. He was assigned to Henderson after there were no takers for him on waivers a second time – including his former team. The 5’11” winger still doesn’t have an NHL goal to his name in 32 appearances, six of which came in a Golden Knights sweater this season. However, he did have a breakthrough campaign in the minors, recording career-highs across the board with 20 goals, 36 assists and 56 points in 65 games. That led the club in assists and points, and only veteran Sheldon Rempal had more goals (27).

Froese, 33, recorded an assist in 16 appearances for Vegas this year, marking his first time playing in back-to-back NHL seasons since playing in three straight from 2015-16 to 2017-18. The longtime farmhand has suited up 141 times in parts of six seasons for the Canadiens, Flames, Golden Knights, Maple Leafs and Lightning. An alternate captain with Henderson, Froese finished fifth on the club in scoring with 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 53 games.

Morelli, 28, earned his first NHL contract with the Golden Knights last July after spending three years on minor-league deals with the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ AHL affiliate. Fresh off a Calder Cup win in 2023, Morelli made his NHL debut in February while injuries decimated the Knights’ forward group. He put up a goal and an assist on his first try against the Sharks and finished his callup with four points in nine games. The North Dakota native also had a career-high 13 goals in 56 games with Henderson, adding 16 assists for 29 points on the year.

On the blue line, Korczak will be head coach Bruce Cassidy’s first choice to insert into the lineup if Vegas needs to reach past the two extra defenders they entered the postseason with. The 23-year-old was a second-round pick in 2019 and played a career-high 26 games for the Golden Knights this year, posting nine points and a +12 rating while averaging 16:30 per game. He mirrored those stats in Henderson with a goal and eight assists in 26 games there and still carries significant NHL upside as a smooth-skating, 6’4″ right-shot defender. His entry-level contract is up this summer, but his next deal shouldn’t cost more than $1MM just yet and will be a cheap, reliable call-up option with an outside chance to crack next year’s opening night roster.

Mayo, 27, was picked up by the Knights in a February 2023 trade with Arizona that sent a fifth-round pick and the contract of defenseman Shea Weber, who won’t play again due to various injuries, to the Yotes. An adept shutdown defender with depth NHL upside, Mayo had a career-high 25 points in 67 games with the Silver Knights this season with a -6 rating and 79 PIMs, his most in a single season since his junior hockey days.

Sedoff, 22, was an undrafted free-agent signing by Vegas from the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels last year. The Finnish blue-liner managed to stick in the AHL the whole season, avoiding a demotion to the ECHL, but didn’t score in 46 appearances. He tallied 10 assists for his first-ever professional points and posted a -1 rating, the second-highest on the team behind Brisson among qualified skaters.

Saville and Vikman split backup duties for Henderson behind the more experienced Jiří Patera, although neither won the job outright. The 23-year-old Saville had slightly better numbers, going 7-12-1 with a .893 SV%, 3.27 GAA and one shutout in 22 appearances. The Alaska native was a Vegas fifth-round pick in 2019. Vikman, 22, was a fifth-round pick a year after Saville. The 6’3″ Swede split the year between Henderson and ECHL Savannah, failing to cross the .900 SV% plateau at either level.

Snapshots: Hague, Lomberg, Sharks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Golden Knights will be without defenseman Nicolas Hague as they attempt to take a 2-0 series lead over the Stars tonight. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said the 25-year-old is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Hague hasn’t been ruled out past tonight’s game. He logged 15:41 in the Game 1 win, leaving the game midway through the third period after a brief tangle with Stars winger Evgenii Dadonov along the half-wall (video link). The 2017 second-round pick remains a mainstay on the Vegas blue line, making 73 regular-season appearances with two goals and 12 points in 2023-24. Averaging 18:33 per game, he posted a career-worst -5 rating and 46.7 CF% at even strength.

Missing Hague is far from the end of the world for Vegas, who had three-time Stanley Cup champion Alec Martinez sitting as a healthy scratch for Game 1. He’ll enter in place of Hague on a third pairing alongside Zach Whitecloud after posting 17 points in 55 games in the regular season.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Sticking with postseason action, the Panthers may get enforcer Ryan Lomberg back for Game 3 against the Lightning tomorrow, head coach Paul Maurice said. He sat out Game 2’s overtime win with an illness after logging 6:32 of ice time in Game 1. Steven Lorentz entered the lineup in his place, recording two shots on goal and four hits in similarly minimal usage. If Lomberg cannot go, Kyle Okposo will draw in for his first postseason game since 2016, with Sam Bennett already ruled out. Lomberg averaged only 9:32 per game during 75 regular-season appearances, scoring five goals and seven points with a -1 rating and 80 PIMs. The 5’9″ pot-stirrer will be a UFA this summer after completing a two-year deal worth $1.6MM.
  • While the Sharks fired head coach David Quinn earlier today with one year left on his contract, they didn’t move on from any of his assistants. They’re staying with the team pending a new hire, but GM Mike Grier told San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng that they’ve been granted permission to pursue other opportunities while the search for Quinn’s replacement progresses. One assistant, Ryan Warsofsky, has drawn considerable interest for head coaching roles in the past and could be an outside candidate to land one of the many other vacancies on the coaching market this summer.

Golden Knights Activate Mark Stone, William Carrier From LTIR

at CDT | by 61 Comments

3:30 PM: The Vegas Golden Knights have officially activated both Mark Stone and William Carrier off of LTIR, per CapFriendly (Twitter link). The moves bring the team back to full health just in time for the postseason.

9:45 AM: The Golden Knights are expected to activate captain Mark Stone off long-term injured reserve ahead of tonight’s Game 1 against the Stars, reports ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. He’ll likely return to the lineup to kick off the first-round series after missing two months with a Grade 3 spleen laceration.

The timing of Stone’s injury and LTIR placements over the past few seasons have drawn skepticism from nearly every fanbase in the league. A mid-February LTIR placement followed by an activation just before the first playoff game has now happened three seasons in a row, although his absences in 2022 and 2023 were due to lingering back injuries. Speaking to The Athletic’s Jesse Granger over the weekend, Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon offered his explanation/defense:

I want to just touch on a couple of things with it, because there has been a lot of speculation and a lot of insinuation about his injury. The NHL is 100 percent involved in any of these (LTIR) situations involving teams. Their chief medical director speaks to the surgeon, speaks to our medical team, speaks to our athletic therapist, has access to every document that is filed and every diagnostic test that is given. They have access to all of that information. That’s what keeps the system legitimate. They are the people that are fully involved in this. So, I don’t know if maybe the fans or the media understand the degree to which these injuries are scrutinized.

Stone sustained the laceration against the Predators on February 20. He hasn’t played since, although he’s ramped up his workload in practice over the past couple of weeks. A Grade 3 splenic injury certainly qualifies as severe but may not result in an extremely long-term absence – medical literature indicates these can be treated more conservatively than a Grade 4 or 5, the latter of which indicates a wholly ruptured/shattered spleen. McCrimmon says team doctors told him after Stone’s injury that the laceration could carry something as lengthy as a three-to-six-month timeline but could swing less if his recovery went well.

Vegas isn’t the same team without their captain. They went 13-11-2 after his injury, dropping to the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference and earning a date with conference-champion Dallas to open postseason play.

Still, placing his $9.5MM cap hit on LTIR allowed them to go big-game hunting at the trade deadline, picking up Noah Hanifin, Tomáš Hertl and Anthony Mantha with varying degrees of salary retention. Those will be significant reinforcements as Vegas attempts to be the second team this decade to win back-to-back Stanley Cups and the first eight-seed to win since the Kings in 2012.

Stone still managed to finish fourth on the team in scoring with 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 56 games and second on the team in points per game behind Jack Eichel. His defensive impacts weren’t the extremely stout numbers that have earned him Selke nominations in the past, but write off the 31-year-old at your own risk. He erupted for 11 goals and 24 points in 22 postseason games last year, averaging 18:55 per game as Vegas won the Cup only six years into their existence. Line rushes over the weekend indicated that Stone is expected to play on the Knights’ second line, centered by Hertl and flanked by Chandler Stephenson on the left.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Morning Notes: Luukkonen, Mantha, Blackhawks, Oilers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Sabres are working on signing goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to an extension, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shares in the latest 32 Thoughts article. Luukkonen is set to become a restricted free agent this summer. Goalie partner Eric Comrie is also set to enter free agency this summer, while rookie Devon Levi is signed through the end of next season.

Luukkonen unexpectedly found his way into the starter’s net this season, appearing in 54 games despite competition from Levi and Comrie. He performed well with the chance, recording 27 wins and a .910 save percentage. – serving as the only Sabres goalie to record a save percentage above .900. This season marked Luukkonen’s first year in a full-time NHL role, after splitting the last three years between the major and minor leagues. And while he performed well, he wasn’t the starter many Sabres fans expected entering the season. That weight was instead on 22-year-old Levi’s shoulders – but he quickly lost the role after posting four wins and a .887 save percentage through his first 10 games. Luukkonen stepped in as relief and didn’t let go of the role.

At 25, Luukkonen seems poised for at least another chance at a starting role, though Levi’s presence could make a long-term extension challenging for the Sabres to commit to. How they decide to organize their goaltenders for next season could be very telling into Buffalo’s long-term plans.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Anthony Mantha returned to the Vegas Golden Knights practices on Saturday, donning a no-contact jersey, per The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (Twitter link). Mantha has been red-hot with Vegas since the Trade Deadline, scoring 10 points in his first 18 games with the club – though he missed the team’s season finale with an undisclosed injury. Still not taking contact, Mantha will likely be on the fringe of the lineup as the Golden Knights prepare for Monday’s Game One.
  • Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson shared that it’s time for the team to build up, says Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). Chicago finished second-last in the league this season, on the back of a forward group that looked desolate when it lost Connor Bedard and Taylor Hall to injury. Finding offensive support will likely be the focus of their building efforts, as the Hawks prepare to weaponize their $38MM projected cap space this summer.
  • Both Evander Kane and Mattias Janmark are expected to return to the Edmonton Oilers lineup for their Monday Game One against the Los Angeles Kings, per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kane sat out of the team’s final three games of the season with injury, capping his year off at 24 goals and 44 points in 77 appearances. Meanwhile, Janmark was able to finish out the season but missed the team’s Saturday practice. Neither injuries have been disclosed.

Snapshots: Buchnevich, Fedotov, Stone, Pietrangelo

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The St. Louis Blues are expected to work on a contract extension with winger Pavel Buchnevich, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts article. This news comes after the Blues were reportedly shopping around Buchnevich at the Trade Deadline, though they were said to be asking for as much as two first-round picks in return. No deal came to fruition and Buchnevich went on to finish the year with 27 goals and 63 points in 80 games. It was the least productive season he’s had in St. Louis, though he’s still totaled an impressive 206 points in 216 games with the club.

St. Louis has been living lavishly with Buchnevich’s current deal – getting nearly point-per-game scoring for just $5.8MM against the cap. They’ll get one more year of that team-friendly deal, before likely having to shell out a hefty amount to Buchnevich on his next deal. The Blues will have to be careful to find the balance between term and salary, though, with Buchnevich set to be 30 when an extension would begin.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Friedman also shared that the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to sign goaltender Ivan Fedotov to a two-year extension soon. The 27-year-old netminder was finally able to move to North America this season, playing in the first three NHL games of his career earlier this month. He was admittedly shaky, allowing 10 goals on 53 shots, good for an .811 save percentage in his first looks at North American ice. But the Flyers have to simply be excited to finally have the stout Russian goaltender under their control, and will give him much more of a chance to get comfortable in North America with a new deal.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights could be getting another big boost to their lineup, with winger Mark Stone back to full-contact practice and a game-time decision for Game One of the postseason, per the team (Twitter link). They also shared that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo underwent an appendectomy and returned to a full practice on Saturday. Chandler Stephenson and William Carrier also took full practices. All four players will be hopeful to slot into the lineup as the Golden Knights get ready to take on the Dallas Stars.
AJAX Loader
Load More Posts

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

scroll to top