We are roughly a month away from the March 8 NHL Trade Deadline, and trade buzz has already set in across the league. Names like Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan have already been moved, with Chris Tanev and Vladimir Tarasenko among the players reportedly still on the block.
The Vegas Golden Knights don’t necessarily fit the profile of an active trader at the moment. They have limited cap space (virtually none when you consider that Shea Theodore and his $5.2 million salary will hopefully emerge from long-term injured reserve before season’s end) and are currently in the midst of bolstering their lineup with the returns of key injured players, which will essentially count as free pre-deadline additions.
Still, never count out general manager (GM) Kelly McCrimmon. Last year’s deadline saw him add Ivan Barbashev, Teddy Blueger and Jonathan Quick on the road to a Stanley Cup victory, while previous deadlines have reaped the likes of Mark Stone, Robin Lehner, Alec Martinez and Mattias Janmark.
Of course, to get something, you need to give something up. While McCrimmon and the Golden Knights front office have always found ways to navigate the salary cap and work trades around cap constraints, there’s no getting around the return cost for a coveted trade target. Without knowing who McCrimmon might be eyeing as an incoming talent, let’s rank the club’s own trade assets to see what Vegas might have to offer other teams:
5) Alec Martinez
On a list almost exclusively comprised of future assets, Martinez represents an eyebrow-raising inclusion on this list. While he is unlikely to get moved, the 36-year-old pending free-agent defenseman may not make sense for the Golden Knights anymore. While the former Los Angeles King still sees plenty of ice time (19:51 per game this season) and has a serious playoff pedigree (three Stanley Cup wins), he has taken a step back this season, exhibiting a level of play that can probably be matched at a smaller cap hit.
The potential availability of Martinez highlights the depth of the Vegas blue line. Even with Theodore still out, any of Ben Hutton, Kaedan Korczak, Daniil Miromanov or Tobias Bjornfot could easily step into regular duty, with Nicolas Hague likely moving up in the lineup. Notably, those five aforementioned rearguards combine to make just $200,000 more than Martinez alone.
Need-for-need trades among contenders are rare, and it will be hard talking a non-contender into adding Martinez’s expiring contract. Still, the possibility is there for him to be added to a deal for salary-balancing purposes. And if another defense-needy team desires his shot-blocking, minutes-logging and playoff pedigree, the ability to free up over $5 million in cap room carries value in and of itself.
4) Pavel Dorofeyev
When it comes to the future of Pavel Dorofeyev in Vegas, just about every option seems to be on the table right now. His most recent stretch with the Golden Knights has been praised by head coach Bruce Cassidy, resulting in some speculation that he might be cementing his place in the lineup (from ‘Dorofeyev’s play may be solidifying his spot on the Golden Knights roster,’ Las Vegas Sun, 01/31/24). Less clear, however, is what happens when Jack Eichel and William Carrier return to the lineup, and where Dorofeyev fits. There’s also the matter of his pending restricted free agency.
If the Golden Knights don’t have a clear path to regular lineup duty for the 23-year-old with a full, healthy roster, it’s possible he might find a greater role on other clubs. After all, Dorofeyev has demonstrated the ability to score at the NHL level, potting 14 goals across 49 career games. Between his age, relatively cheap projected contract and established place in the league, the 2019 third-round pick could bring value as a potential immediate and long-term contributor.
3) Lukas Cormier
Back in January, with the Golden Knights besieged by injuries on the blue line, Lukas Cormier got his first taste of NHL action. At just 21 years of age, the puck-moving defenseman didn’t look out of place, picking up an assist across two games. But even that two-game cup of coffee only came about on account of injuries to Theodore, Hutton, Korczak and others. With improved collective health for the unit, it’s unclear when the next opportunity might come.
As of now, the (healthy) Vegas defense corps remains deep, with seven rearguards already signed through next season. Some, such as 34-year-old Alex Pietrangelo, are entering the latter stages of their career, but many are still firmly in the midst of their peak years. If the goal of the Golden Knights front office is to deal from a position of strength, then Cormier would represent a tough asset to part with, but perhaps the right one, nonetheless.
2) 2024 First-Round Pick
Let’s take a moment to appreciate how clean the Golden Knights’ list of future draft picks is. While you might expect the defending Stanley Cup champions to have sacrificed plenty of future draft capital for their current success, they made their 2023 first-round selection (David Edstrom) and still hold every one of their significant future picks, save for this year’s fourth-rounder that they surrendered for Adin Hill.
That, of course, includes their 2024 first-round selection. As we saw with the recent Monahan trade, a late first may not be enough to net a star, but it should help land a useful asset to the lineup (Monahan had 13 goals and 35 points for the Montreal Canadiens prior to being acquired by the Winnipeg Jets). If this year’s first can be used to add one more top-nine forward to bolster the forward corps, you have to figure that McCrimmon would consider it.
1) Brendan Brisson
Golden Knights brass clearly saw something in Brendan Brisson when they called him up for a four-game stint in January, as he once again got the call in time for Tuesday’s 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. As with the 22-year-old’s previous NHL stint, minutes were hard to come by. However, he did nothing to take away from the idea that he is ready for what the sport’s highest level will bring.
With a goal against former babysitter Sidney Crosby and five games worth of demonstrating smart, speedy and aggressive play, Brisson has made it clear that his future lies in the NHL. The looming question, then, is whether that future resides in Vegas or elsewhere. While he could well be a key part of the organization for years to come, the Golden Knights also have to consider a Stanley Cup window that will only last so long with pending free agents like Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson and aging stars like Pietrangelo and Stone.
No one would blame the Golden Knights if they were content to remain conservative and protect the limited future assets they hold, knowing that they still have most of last year’s Cup-winning roster intact. However, staying conservative has never been McCrimmon’s style. So if the club is set to load up for the stretch run (apart from getting key players back in the lineup), then it will likely come at the cost of at least one of these five aforementioned trade chips.
