With the 4 Nations Face-Off now complete, the trade deadline looms large and is less than two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are sitting in a position that has become all too familiar as they approach the NHL Trade Deadline. They are once again atop the Pacific Division and will be one of the favorites to come out of the Western Conference as they try to get back to the Stanley Cup Final. Vegas is always in the mix to make a big move and has never shied away from doing everything possible to make a splash. The Golden Knights have stumbled as of late (4-4-2 in their last 10) but will no doubt push to find reinforcements for another deep playoff run. It will not be easy for them to make changes as they don’t have a first-round pick in the next two drafts and have very little room under the NHL salary cap.
Record
34-18-6, 1st in the Pacific Division
Deadline Status
Buyers
Deadline Cap Space
$2.422MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention spots used, 47/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2025: VGK 2nd, SJ 3rd, WASH 3rd, VGK 4th, VGK 5th, VGK 6th, WASH 6th,
2026: VGK 2nd, VGK 3rd, VGK 5th, VGK 6th, VGK 7th,
Trade Chips
This is going to be a struggle for Vegas, years of making massive trades have left them with a prospects pool that is quite thin and ranked 22nd in the NHL (according to Scott Wheeler’s rankings in The Athletic). That isn’t to say the Golden Knights don’t have some good prospects, they do have a few that could be used as trade pieces, but not many that are on the level that they could land a Mikko Rantanen-type player.
Trevor Connelly is their top prospect and was drafted 19th overall last year. The playmaking winger has a ton of skill and could be a central piece of a big trade if Vegas entertains that idea. Connelly possesses quick skating, a terrific shot, and a great set of hands. He is on the smaller side, but as he adds muscle and strength, it’s easy to imagine his all-around game rounding into form. Vegas may not be keen on trading their top prospect, but if they want to go all in, it might start with Connelly.
Outside of Connelly, Vegas does have a few other noteworthy prospects. Mathieu Cataford is the reigning QMJHL MVP and just played for the Canadian World Junior team. Cataford can play all three forward spots and has a good hockey IQ as he reads the game well and can play off of his teammates and their decisions in real time.
Goaltender Carl Lindbom looks like he will be an NHL netminder. The 21-year-old is having a solid first season in the AHL with Henderson, posting a 12-9-1 record with a .913 save percentage. Lindbom has thrived at every level thus far in his short career, winning HockeyAllsvenskan goalie of the year and rookie of the year a couple of seasons ago and eventually posting good numbers in the Swedish Hockey League last season. This year, as a rookie, Lindbom has outplayed the more experienced Akira Schmid, which has been a pleasant surprise for Vegas.
Outside of a handful of prospects, Vegas doesn’t have much on their current roster they could move out. The players with value they will want to keep, and the players who have struggled would be difficult to move until the summer. Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon could get creative with his draft picks, but he doesn’t exactly have a full slate of them. As mentioned earlier, Vegas doesn’t have a first-round pick until 2027, but they do have eight second and third-round picks combined between now and 2028.
Despite the limited assets, Vegas will still have options to improve its team. They still have a decent prospect pipeline for a team that has traded away so much of its future and they have a handful of draft picks that they can put in play.
Team Needs
1) Depth Goaltender – Vegas doesn’t have any glaring holes in their lineup, but one cause for concern could be their goaltending. Both Adin Hill and Ilya Samsonov had a tough stretch in January which led the Golden Knights to flip-flop back and forth on their starts. Both men have played better as of late, but outside of Hill and Samsonov, Vegas doesn’t have another option, which could be problematic if either man suffers an injury or goes into another slump. Schmid has posted brutal numbers in the AHL and doesn’t appear to be an option should an emergency arise in net. There are plenty of goaltenders who could be had, but many of them carry cap hits far too rich (and too long) for Vegas’ tastes. John Gibson and Tristan Jarry come to mind, but both players carry too much term and are too expensive. Anton Forsberg out of Ottawa might be an option, as could Alexandar Georgiev of the San Jose Sharks, with Forsberg likely being the better fit due to cap hit and play as of late. Vegas may take a look at the market and take their chances with what they have, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make a move.
2) A Top 9 Forward – It’s tough to envision Vegas making a splash here, but that’s likely what people said last year before McCrimmon swung a last-minute deal for Tomas Hertl. Vegas needs some help at forward, not a ton, but using Raphael Lavoie in the top nine as of late is less than ideal. If economics didn’t come into play, the Golden Knights would have interest in Brock Nelson or Brayden Schenn. But with price tags north of $6MM, it’s tough to imagine Vegas getting involved unless they move salary out. A more affordable option for Vegas could be a player like Anthony Beauvillier out of Pittsburgh or Ryan Donato of Chicago. Both players are on inexpensive cap hits and could slide into different places within Vegas’ current forward group. While the trade for a depth option is more likely, you almost have to expect the unexpected when it comes to Vegas.