Much has been made of the Vegas Golden Knights’ salary cap management, with the team playing with fire ever since acquiring Jack Eichel. Now, with the team potentially in a bind if they don’t have enough room to activate healthy players off long-term injured reserve prior to the playoffs, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger suggests a post-Trade Deadline cap-clearing move could potentially be in play. The return dates of Alec Martinez and Mark Stone aren’t certain, and it’s possible both could be healthy before May. If that’s the case, the Golden Knights could potentially move a player after the deadline to a non-playoff team in order to become cap-compliant. There’s no rule preventing this, as the Trade Deadline is legally only relevant because players moved after that date aren’t eligible for playoff games. However, as Granger notes, this could likely significantly reduce the trade value of any player Vegas is looking to move out, considering they’d have no other option to become compliant.
Other rumblings from the Wild West:
- Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports that he’s hearing the Nashville Predators are “actively shopping” Filip Forsberg ahead of the deadline. While the team is a likely playoff lock in the Western Conference at this point, they’re likely not in the Stanley Cup conversation, and Forsberg is a free agent at season’s end. The NHL’s leader in even-strength goals would likely become the deadline’s biggest prize, and any Forsberg deal could reap considerable rewards for Nashville’s future and help replenish a prospect pool that, while it has some nice names, isn’t the strongest. He’s carrying an extremely reasonable $6MM cap hit that most contenders can stomach with some retention.
- According to Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus at The Athletic, if the Chicago Blackhawks and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury agree on a trade, it could potentially net the team a first-round pick. While they do say a second- or third-round selection is probably more realistic, some do believe teams will pay up for last year’s Vezina winner. The team does not have their first-round pick this year after including it in the Seth Jones trade.
What would a forsberg deal look like?
Forsberg for Matthew Katchuck
Whoever is the closest equivalent of Martin Erat
Got nervous there for a second thought you meant Matthew Tkachuk who’s arguably just as good if not better than Forsberg and an RFA at end of season.
@bigdaddyt – The big difference between those two is that Matthew T. is surrounded by plenty of complimentary pieces, whereas Forsberg looks to be the guy who is expected to do it all himself, with most of the rest of the forward group there as passengers on the train (except Jeannot). And, the idea suggested that GMDP does seem to build teams that are, generally, just good enough to make the playoffs, but not strong enough to go deep. Yes, there have been a couple of exceptions over the years, but those really look like aberrations.
Well said Mac J!
@Gbear – More props to you for nailing GMDP’s somewhat strange mentality on building his teams. It reminded me of a saying that I first heard on a professional bowling telecast – “The amateur practices until they succeed, but the professional practices until they can’t fail.” For as much as he has been through in his career, you’d have thought he would have made major course corrections over the years, yet sometimes he’ll do things like a rookie GM. Don’t build a team that is just “good enough”, but architect one that can dominate.
Crappy teams should never trade a first round pick.
Forsberg to NYR for Kaapo and Kravtsov!
Must be a Rangers fan
Hardly, they have the assets and the room.
They’re not trading an established star for 2 question marks. Neither look like anything special.
It’s Nashville
They take what they can get
See Nha Trang’s comment further down. NYR will not be able to retain Forsberg for next season with their increased cap issues next season. So, 2 “question marks” is a lot more to have if Forsberg is expected to go to FA!
The fact that Poile can’t get Forsberg locked up long term is a testament to Poile’s whole approach as a GM. His teams, save for one season, are never serious Cup contenders. It’s almost as if just making the playoffs is the end goal. Of course a player of Forsberg’s talent will look to go somewhere that he can legitimately win a Cup at.
Ummm… “are never serious Cup contenders”?? Cup finals vs. the Pens in 2017. Presidents’ Trophy 2018… #Facts
Did you even read my post? “Save for one season”. Yes, they had one Cup run. How did their President’s trophy season end?
Yeah, got to figure that the Kraken, or the Sabres, or the Senators would be real happy to take on an expiring contract and a second- or third-rounder for “future considerations.” Deadline or otherwise.
As far as Fleury goes, he’s (a) playing well, for (b) a lousy team, and (c) there are NO other #1 goalies on the trade market. Larger packages have been dealt for shakier rentals over recent seasons, and absolutely Chicago should hold out for a first-rounder.
I’m not convinced Forsberg gets traded at the deadline & that he doesn’t stay in Nashville, no matter what Strickland reports. Forsberg’s fiance is a country singer/songwriter and her work is in Nashville. Family always comes into play when you are signing a long term deal. His soon to be wife isn’t going to want to move away from the place where her career is.
Mm, but here’s the problem from Nashville’s end. He’s a free agent at season’s end. With his numbers this year — and that he’s had a pretty good career generally — it’s going to take $10 million to sign him, and he’s going to want some term.
Now factor in that at his age, he’s not going to be getting better: this is as good as it’s going to get, so anyone who DOES sign him will see it become an overpay within a couple of years, and a nasty one a couple years after that. Then you factor in that he hasn’t played a full season in five years. THEN you factor in that he’s shooting at nearly twice his career percentage this year, and he’s absolutely bound to revert.
So unless Forsberg offers to re-sign now, at a massive hometown discount, yeah, I can see them dealing him. Someone will give them at LEAST a 1st rounder, a good player and a prospect.
It doesn’t take $10 million a season to re-sign him. Tennessee has no state income tax. He can sign for $8-8.5 million a season & still be keeping more money than if he signed in LA or New York
And the same thing applies all the same: that $8+ million is going to be an overpay two years from now, and a millstone around a team’s throats two years after that. And you know what’s going to happen if he signs with Nashville: max term. Forsberg’s a fine player, but at his age I wouldn’t offer him north of $8 million for longer than three years. And he can and will get longer.
Maybe he would like to win the Cup. He’s gonna get paid regardless of where he signs.
It is also interesting that Poile was on Nashville radio the other day saying that he was confident that a deal would get done. Now, this report from Bally Sports Midwest.
Kings should go after Forsburg, but need an extension negotiated as a part of the deal.
I think any team would want a window to negotiate an extension first
Unless it’s a team like Colorado or Florida where they don’t need him long term and just need him for the playoff push
True enough, i should of said most teams. However i dont think any team needs him more then Edmonton and they should negotiate an extension of atleast 1yr, ideally 2 or 3. And pay whatever Chicago is asking in the process.
The issue is Forsberg hasn’t been willing to negotiate in season.