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Golden Knights Notes: Salary Cap, Gusev, Gambling

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Trusted salary cap database CapFriendly has rolled over their site to the 2019-20 season already and one of the most eye-grabbing results is just how much trouble the Vegas Golden Knights are already in. Using a projected salary cap ceiling of $83MM, up $3.5MM from this season, at the top of the projected salary list is Vegas, who are already $125K over the cap with more than $83MM committed to just 19 players. A further inspection reveals that the Knights have just one goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, and six defensemen signed as of now, with no room to make any further additions. GM Kelly McCrimmon and company will have no choice but to shed salary this summer, at the very least just to re-sign restricted free agents like William Karlsson, Nikita Gusev, Jimmy Schuldt, and Malcolm Subban. Any free agent signings beyond that will require further sacrifice. Despite being just two years into their existence, Vegas has already accumulated an incredible amount of salary, mostly due to major contracts handed out to the likes of Mark Stone, Nate Schmidt, Alex Tuch, Shea Theodore, Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny, and Fleury, all signed since this time last year. Golden Knights fans should be prepared for some tough moves, as solving this problem won’t be as easy as simply placing David Clarkson on the injured reserve. Inaugural Knights like Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Cody Eakin, and Colin Miller are among the most likely casualties.

  • Even in the midst of his new team’s cap crunch, Nikita Gusev is expecting and hoping to re-sign with Vegas. Gusev, whose rights were acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, finally jumped to the NHL late this season after a decorated career in the KHL. The 26-year-old forward burned his one-year entry-level contract, despite not playing, and is now a restricted free agent. He tells Russian hockey source Sport-Express, as translated by The Sin Bin, that he likes Las Vegas and feels he owes it to the team to re-sign with them if made a reasonable offer. Gusev acknowledges that he will likely receive other offers, either from KHL clubs overseas or in the form of an NHL offer sheet, but he will wait for Vegas’ initial offer before making any decisions. What might it cost the Knights to retain their newfound weapon? The interviewer suggested to Gusev that a $4MM AAV could be the ballpark price and he did not disagree. He would only confirm that he expects a one-way deal, but did not talk specific finances. Overall, Gusev sounded very flexible about getting a deal done and even acknowledged that he would be open to playing in the AHL if that is what is asked of him. That seems like an unlikely route for Vegas to take, but Gusev’s attitude at least implies that this negotiation process and first full year in North America should go smoother than it did for Vadim Shipachyov. If (when) the Golden Knights are forced to sell off scoring this off-season, Gusev could be an ideal candidate to take on a major role next season.
  • Speaking at a conference today, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman projected the successful growth of betting on hockey by using the Golden Knights as an example, per TSN’s Rick Westhead. In Nevada, where sports gambling is legalized, hockey bets grew by 60% in Vegas’ inaugural season and again by 40% this season. While Nevada, and Las Vegas in particular, is the unofficial gambling capital of the United States, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Murphy v. NCAA last summer allows all states to decide for themselves whether or not to allow for legalized gambling. Many states already have sports books up and running and many more will soon follow. If the growth exhibited in Nevada in regards to betting on hockey is replicated by other states, it will be a key growth factor for the game and the NHL and one that Bettman will surely try to take advantage of as best he can.

Pacific Notes: Brodie, Haula, Nyquist

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With an early and somewhat shocking first-round exit in the playoffs, many feel that the Calgary Flames are likely to make some changes this season to continue building their team into a contender. With plenty of salary cap issues already upon the franchise, the Flames will likely have to move on or trade some of their players in order to free up some much-needed cap room.

In a roundtable discussion, Postmedia’s Danny Austin, Wes Gilbertson and Kristin Andersen suggested several of those players, with defenseman T.J. Brodie potentially being the top name on the list. The 28-year-old Brodie has been a solid defenseman in Calgary for years, but with the emergence of rookies Rasmus Anderson, Juuso Valimaki and Oliver Kylington, the team might be better served by trading Brodie for another top-six forward after the disastrous signing of James Neal.  Brodie, who will still has one year remaining on the five-year, $23.2MM contract he signed in 2014 at an AAV of $4.65MM, might garner quite a bit of interest from teams that need to upgrade their defense.

Other suggestions of players who likely won’t be back included 37-year-old UFA goaltender Mike Smith, who might be let go to give David Rittich a chance to become the starting goaltender next season, and forward Michael Frolik, who has had issues with the team due to his lack of playing time this season.

  • The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) profiles the injury of Vegas Golden Knights forward Erik Haula, who suffered a gruesome knee injury on Nov. 6 that saw his season come to an end after appearing in just 15 games. Interesting enough, he was close to returning to Vegas’ lineup during the playoffs had the team not been eliminated by San Jose in the first round. “He was probably a week to 10 days away from being able to practice with the team, and maybe three weeks away from playing,” Vegas general manager George McPhee said. However, Haula will scale back his aggressive rehab after the Golden Knights’ exit and now has four months to get close to 100% to begin next season. He is already penciled in to center the team’s third line next to wingers Alex Tuch and KHL star Nikita Gusev next season, which should be one of the strongest third lines in the league.
  • The San Jose Sharks were forced to play without one of their top players in Game 1 in Joe Pavelski. The veteran forward suffered an upper-body injury in Game 7 of their first-round series after he hit his head following being cross-checked by Vegas’ Cody Eakin. However, despite being without Pavelski against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1, head coach Peter DeBoer praised his replacement, Gustav Nyquist, who moved up to the team’s second line and scored a goal in the team’s 5-2 win over Colorado, according to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. “I thought he was really good,” said DeBoer. “We’ve been waiting for that kind of impact. The effort has been there, but we haven’t had the impact on the game like we got last night, which is something he needs to build on and bring some more of.” Nyquist will continue to play on the second line until Pavelski is ready to return. Pavelski is currently listed as day-to-day.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Nikita Gusev To One-Year Deal

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The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have officially signed KHL star Nikita Gusev to a one-year, entry-level deal. That one year deal will be burned this season, which should allow the team to sign him to a long-term extension next season when he’ll be a restricted free agent. The deal is for $925K, including a $92,500 signing bonus, according to CapFriendly.

Gusev is expected to join the Golden Knights in practice Monday and could possibly join the team for Game 4, although nothing has been decided about if/when he will play, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Head coach Gerard Gallant said that he’s comfortable with his current lineup and they don’t need Gusev in this series, but he’ll see where things go, according to Schoen.

Because he was on the team’s reserve list, Gusev is eligible to join the team for the playoffs, but whether Gusev will actually play for the team on such an already loaded roster when he lacks much experience playing on North American rinks is another questions. The Golden Knights are expected to have a press conference later today and will discuss their plans for him then.

Gusev, perhaps the best player in the KHL this past season and arguably the best player in the world outside of the NHL, is coming off a big year with SKA St. Petersburg where he scored 17 goals, but had a career-high 82 points in 62 games. He has scored 119 goals in the KHL over the course of his career and 337 points over nine seasons. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the seventh round back in the 2012 draft, but many felt that Gusev might never come to North America as he seemed content playing in the KHL. That led to Tampa Bay sending the now-26-year-old to the Vegas Golden Knights as part of an expansion draft trade in which the Golden Knights also took on the contract of veteran defenseman Jason Garrison.

Regardless, it’s a huge signing for the Golden Knights, who could conceivably match the highly skilled stickhandler and passer to their third line next to Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch. Even if he doesn’t play, the addition only give the Golden Knights even more depth for the franchise.

Pacific Notes: Gusev, McDavid, Utica Comets

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The Vegas Golden Knights continue to get closer and closer to signing the KHL’s best player, Nikita Gusev. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Gusev is expected to arrive in Las Vegas tonight and could sign his one-year, entry-level deal as soon as tomorrow and should be ready to play not long after that. The Golden Knights are then expected to sign the then-restricted free agent to a long-term deal this summer.

In fact, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) analyzes what kind of impact the 26-year-old might have on the Vegas lineup, especially considering the star winger has little experience playing on North American hockey rinks and considering Vegas’ depth, there is no guarantee that head coach Gerard Gallant would play him when every game is so critical. Gallant said as much:

“I don’t know much about him. George (McPhee) mentioned it today. There are some reports out there. If he can join us then we’ll see what’s going to happen, but I don’t know the player well enough. Hopefully he does join us and he gets some practice time in with us, but I have no idea if that’s going to happen. It was first mentioned this morning to me.”

Granger suggests that Gusev could find himself eventually on the Golden Knights’ third line alongside Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch, but even as the team knows it will bring the great KHLer aboard, there is still quite a mystery surrounding him.

  • The Edmonton Oilers got some good news on star center Connor McDavid who suffered what looked to be a significant injury in their final regular season game last week. While he did suffer a small PCL tear in his knee, the injury will not require surgery and the superstar is expected to be ready for training camp, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Sportsnet’s John Shannon added that the injury will require three months of rehabilitation. The 22-year-old still had a career-high in points as he finished with 116, second in the league.
  • Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre wonders whether the Vancouver Canucks might make some changes at the AHL level this offseason. The Utica Comets were considered to be a fascinating team to keep an eye on this season as the franchise was loaded in young talent. However, few of those young players actually showed any improvement and two of them found their way out of the organization as prospect Petrus Palmu opted to return home, while Jonathan Dahlen forced a trade to San Jose. Both were unhappy with the playing time under Utica head coach Trent Cull. In fact a number of prospects struggled under Cull, including 2017 second-rounders Kole Lind (three goals) and Jonah Gadjovich (four goals). That could force general manager Jim Benning to look into the situation in Utica a little closer.

Pacific Notes: Chychrun, Smith, Vlasic

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While Arizona Coyotes oft-injured defenseman Jakob Chychrun will be playing in his 30th game Sunday, the defenseman still isn’t 100 percent after offseason surgery on his right ACL. The 20-year-old is already in his third season in the NHL, but he hasn’t played more than 68 games in a season due to injuries. The most recent injury, he knows he’ll just have to play through, according to The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required).

“My knee can get a little sore still sometimes, which can be a little frustrating,” he said. “Last year, I didn’t really have that because last year was just a repair (left meniscus). This one they had to take another part of my body and make that into a new ACL. Taking that piece of patellar tendon, it can get really sore. It’s pretty up and down and it’s one thing I have been dealing with. It can feel great or it can feel terrible.”

Regardless, Chychrun has been making the most of his time as the defenseman has three goals and 10 points while averaging 20:12 in ATOI this season with 41 hits and 41 blocked shots. Arizona head coach Rick Tocchet has been impressed with Chychrun’s play despite his struggles with injury.

“He’s a 20-year-old kid that didn’t have a training camp and doesn’t have a ton of games under his belt and I’m playing him 20-plus minutes, playing him penalty kill, power play. We’re giving him a lot. My thing is to see how he reacts after bad games and they are fewer and farther between — you don’t get as many in a row and I think that’s a big step for him.”

  • When you think of the Vegas Golden Knights’ best player, you think of names such as Marc-Andre Fleury, William Karlsson, Jon Marchessault or Alex Tuch. However, when The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) went around the locker room and asked that question, he got a surprise answer — Reilly Smith. The forward has been out of the lineup with a leg injury since Jan. 6 and while there is talk that the Golden Knights missed defenseman Nate Schmidt desperately while he missed 20 games at the start of the season with a suspension, the players feel that Smith’s offense is missed even more. “It’s been big,” defenseman Shea Theodore said. “I think he’s by far one of the most underrated players in the league. He’s a great two-way player who wins a lot of battles in the defensive zone. He’s a big guy on the penalty kill as well. When you look at that, and look behind his numbers, I think it’s been a huge loss for us.”
  • Saturday’s matchup between the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning was played without star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who chose to sit out with a lower-body injury. Reports suggest that Karlsson might sit out the team’s final two games on Monday and Tuesday, to rest up until after the All-Star break. However, while that loss is significant to the team, fellow defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed his eighth game and The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that the team may not be missing Vlasic much at all. The team has outscored their opponents 24-15 with Vlasic out. That along with his minus-13 rating might suggest that the team might be better off using a more offensive-minded defenseman in his stead like Tim Heed.

Pacific Notes: Ekman-Larsson, Stastny, Roussel

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It’s been a wildly inconsistent year for the Arizona Coyotes who have seen losing streaks like when they went 2-6-2 during one stretch, but have also had a four and a five-game winning streak as well this season. One issue has been the play of defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. While his numbers have been similar to his yearly totals, coach Rick Tocchet wants to see more from his new captain, according to The Athletic’s Craig Morgan (subscription required).

Tocchet wants to see Ekman-Larsson be the best player on the ice every game, which hasn’t always been the case. In the past 11 games, Ekman-Larsson has just three assists, which just isn’t enough for a team that still remains short on fire power. Tocchet needs Ekman-Larson to take that next step in his development after the team gave him a six-year, $33MM extension last March and named him captain during the offseason.

“There’s no question I want him to take charge,” Tocchet said. “In a 2-2 game when he gets the puck, I want him to walk the blue line with that look like, ‘I’m going to make the play’ or ‘I’m going to shoot the puck.’ When you have those games – and we’ve all seen those games — where you walk off and say, ‘Wow, 23! What a game out there!’ It’s when he’s engaged.”

  • The Vegas Golden Knights could be ready to get back one of their injured players as center Paul Stastny, who has been seen getting some skating and practice times in, will join the team on their upcoming road trip which starts Wednesday in New York and may even get into the lineup at some point during the trip, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen.“Don’t be surprised if you see him early next week,” Vegas head coach Gerard Gallant said. Stastny has missed most of the season with a lower-body injury and has appeared in just three games so far this year. Stastny’s return should only add depth to a team that is still missing Erik Haula and has been forced to pair Max Pacioretty with third-liners Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch, although that line has fared quite well over the past few weeks.
  • While there was plenty of criticism during the offseason when the Vancouver Canucks signed forward Antoine Roussel to a four-year, $12MM deal, The Province’s Ben Kuzma writes that Roussel is proving his value as he has quickly taken over the role that Derek Dorsett once had with the team. The 29-year-old has produced a bit on the ice as well with three goals, 12 points and 67 penalty minutes and is on-pace to eclipse his career high of 29 points. “The one thing about Roussel is his engine always runs hot and he’s always competing, and that reminds me a little bit of Dorsett,” Vancouver head coach Travis Green said. “They care about their teammates and want to win desperately. That’s part of the culture we’re trying to create.”

Max Pacioretty, Victor Hedman Exit Game With Head Injuries

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UPDATE (10/27): Both teams have now issued updates statuses on the injured players. Despite the optics of each hit and the initial optimism from the Lightning, it seems that Hedman has likely suffered a worse injury than Pacioretty. Tampa Bay reports that their top defender will be re-evaluated in a week after an upper-body injury (while also noting that Ondrej Palat is day-to-day with a lower-body injury). Hedman will certainly miss the Bolts’ game against the Coyotes today and match-ups with New Jersey and Nashville later this week as well. His status for Tampa’s games against division rivals Montreal and Ottawa are in question. Meanwhile, Golden Knights head coach Gerard Gallant revealed that Pacioretty is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Given the time taken to update his condition, it is likely that Pacioretty was evaluated for a concussion but seemingly avoided one. Vegas also faces the Senators and Predators in upcoming games and the winger’s availability could be a game-time decision for each.

10/26: The Vegas Golden Knights are facing a possible absence from big off-season trade acquisition Max Pacioretty, while the Tampa Bay Lightning could be without defensive mainstay Victor Hedman. The veteran winger first left Friday night’s game between the two teams after suffering an apparent head injury. Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn was the culprit, as he delivered a high hit on Pacioretty just five minutes into the contest. (video) Hedman was then the victim of an awkward collision with Knights forward Ryan Reaves in the second period that sent him toppling into the boards. Hedman appeared to injure his head/neck area as he landed. (video)

As the video shows, Pacioretty was carrying the puck and Coburn was simply playing his man. As Pacioretty cuts to the right, Coburn lands a shoulder right to his face. Pacioretty did get right back up, but quickly skated off and looked uneasy. “Patch” did not return to the game and Vegas has not issued an update on his status. An update should be expected soon, with the Golden Knights set to host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday and potentially in need of a roster move.

In contrast, Tampa Bay was quick to rule out Hedman, as The Athletic’s Joe Smith received word before the end of the period. Reaves hit itself was not bad, but caught Hedman off balance. The superstar defenseman crashed into the boards and quickly skated off the ice once he was back on his feet. It was unclear whether his head injury was more of a concussion concern, like Pacioretty’s, or instead a possible neck issue as a result of an awkward landing.

If Pacioretty did indeed suffer a serious head injury that will sideline him for some time, Vegas will have to make up for his offense. The former Montreal Canadiens star has only two goals through nine games, but is a five-time 60+ point player. Between he and Paul Stastny, out with a lower-body injury, the Knights would be without their two major off-season additions and expected top-six core contributors. Fortunately, the team has Alex Tuch back from the injured reserve to help pick up the slack. Cody Eakin, who has four points in six games while dealing with injuries of his own, will also be expected to step up. A Hedman absence would be a major loss for the Bolts, but not one that would be impossible to overcome. Between Ryan McDonagh, Mikhail Sergachev, and Coburn, the Tampa lefties will be leaned upon more. Slater Koekkoek would also be likely to see some action, filling Hedman’s roster spot. With a game tomorrow at the Arizona Coyotes, it would be no surprise to see the reigning Norris Trophy winner sit at least one game. More information on the status of both players should be available soon.

Alex Tuch Activated Off Injured Reserve

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Fresh off inking his seven-year, $33.25MM contract extension, Alex Tuch is ready to make an impact for the Vegas Golden Knights. The team has activated him off injured reserve, and expects him to make his season debut tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. Tuch is an important piece of the Golden Knights offense, and with Paul Stastny still out the second line could use a boost. Deryk Engelland has been placed on IR to make room on the roster, as the big defenseman hasn’t played since suffering an injury on October 13th.

Tuch, 22, was given such a large contract recently despite his lack of experience because of his importance to the Golden Knights. His size and physicality is extremely useful in the offensive zone, and his puck skills are quite excellent for a player of his stature. The 6’4″, 222-lbs winger was picked 18th overall in 2014 by the Minnesota Wild, and came into his own with the Golden Knights last season, scoring 15 goals and 37 points in the regular season before adding another 10 points in the playoffs. Without players like Tuch and Stastny in the lineup to replace some of the outgoing offensive talent from last season like David Perron and James Neal, the Golden Knights have been relatively muted in the opponent’s end. The team has scored just 18 goals through their first eight games, and even in their wins have been relatively contained at even strength.

The team is on a three-game winning streak now however, and with three games left in their current homestand could jump right back into contention for the Central Division title. While it’s obviously incredibly early, falling behind the likes of San Jose in the first few weeks can make the entire season a struggle to catch up. Tuch’s first test will be to get on the ice and make it through a game without re-injury, before hopefully taking the next step in his development as a premiere power forward in the league.

Pacific Notes: Gibson, Tuch, Eriksson, Thornton

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The Anaheim Ducks know they can’t keep relying on the play of goaltender John Gibson, who has saved the team with his impressive play. Most recently Gibson sustained a 44-shot performance on Saturday (many of which were high-danger shots) against the Golden Knights, who walked away with a 3-1 win. Gibson wasn’t thrilled with the team’s inability to keep those shots down, according to The Athletic’s Josh Cooper (subscription required).

“I think we just need to be better. It’s getting old,” Gibson said with a little smirk after the 3-1 loss where he made 42 saves and his team managed just 18 shots on goal. “You see the game. You can see what we’re doing. It’s pretty self explanatory. We’re not playing to the level that I think we’re capable of playing and I think we’re just being too satisfied with just being average.”

Anaheim remains in first place in the Pacific Division at 5-2-1, but are dead last in the NHL in shots allowed as they have yielded an average of 37.0 shots per game. Gibson has been able to protect the team with his play as he boasts a .949 save percentage in his seven appearances and has a 1.91 GAA so far, but it’s unlikely he can keep that up.

“We’re not playing the right way,” coach Randy Carlyle said. “We’re loose in coverage and we’re not competitive enough and when you’re not competitive enough it means they’re starting with the puck and winning more of those battles and they have the puck more than you do.”

  • The Vegas Golden Knights finally got winger Alex Tuch back on the ice Sunday as the practiced with the team in a non-contact sweater, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Tuch, who just signed a seven-year, $33.25MM contract, hasn’t appeared in a game for Vegas this season. The 22-year-old has been out since Sept. 30 with an injury. With that new deal in hand, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (subscription required) wonders how good Tuch can actually be, considering the team only has his rookie season’s numbers of 15 goals and 37 points, which mostly had him on the team’s third line. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is great at getting into the corners and doing the dirty work and the scribe compares him to a young Milan Lucic, who also put up similar numbers as a rookie and eventually become a consistent 20-goal scorer for years. “We’re expecting him to get better every year, and we’re expecting big things from him this year and he should be back soon,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “He’s a good young player but he has to keep getting better. He’s not elite yet. He’s far from elite, and we want him to get to be elite someday.”
  • With no goals in eight games, there has been quite a bit of criticism that has been thrown at Vancouver Canucks winger Loui Eriksson, the team’s highest paid player at $6MM per year. Regardless head coach Travis Green vigorously defended his veteran forward on Saturday, according to TSN’s Jeff Patterson. “He’s second on our team in 5-on-5 points and second in plus-minus and it’s seven games, not 50,” said Green. “He’s on the second power-play unit and not the first. He has done some good things and it’s not just about goals with Loui. There a lots of guys I want more out of and if I say I want more out of Loui, everyone is up in arms about it. I thought he was playing good with Elias Pettersson. He was good defensively and does some subtle things that people don’t notice — nor does he get recognition for – and I’m not worried about Eriksson, I can tell you that.”
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that center Joe Thornton remains day-to-day after he was placed on injured reserve due to swelling in his surgically repaired knee. However, the 39-year-old is expected to travel with the team for their upcoming three-game road trip. “I don’t know if he’ll play or not,” said Sharks coach Peter DeBoer. Thornton, however, said he hopes to play this week.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Alex Tuch To Seven-Year Extension

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The Vegas Golden Knights have locked up another member of their core, signing Alex Tuch to a seven-year extension that carries an average annual value of $4.75MM. Tuch is currently working his way back from injury, and is in the final season of his entry-level contract. He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next offseason, but will not have to worry about negotiating with the Golden Knights for quite some time. The deal includes no signing bonuses, and will have just a five team no-trade clause during the last three seasons.

Tuch, 22, came to the Golden Knights through an expansion draft agreement with the Minnesota Wild, and flourished in his first year in the NHL. In 78 games last season he scored 15 goals and 37 points, while becoming a big body that the team could deploy in almost any situation. With excellent puck skills and creativity, Tuch is more than just a physical presence on the ice, but can likely thank Tom Wilson for at least some of this contract. The team obviously saw the value in having some size up front, and committed nearly as much money to Tuch as to Jonathan Marchessault, one of their offensive leaders.

That $4.75MM is a bit surprising for a player who has just 84 regular season games under his belt, but it’s not like Tuch came out of nowhere. Selected 18th overall in 2014, he starred at Boston College for two seasons before making a successful jump to the AHL’s Iowa Wild. Though the 6’4″ winger may not have incredible finishing skills in tight, he can routinely get the puck to the dangerous areas and create opportunities for himself and his linemates. That was no more apparent than during the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup Finals run, in which Tuch scored six goals including two game-winners in 20 games. His ten postseason points put him only behind Marchessault, Reilly Smith, William Karlsson and James Neal up front, showing just how important he is to the Vegas attack.

Still, there’s obviously risk involved here for the Golden Knights. Though the team started with a clean balance sheet and the entire salary cap to work with, they’ve now committed more than $60MM to next season on just 15 players and have huge contracts to negotiate with William Karlsson and Nate Schmidt. They’re by no means in trouble with numbers like that, but they also can’t really weaponize their cap space like they once did, and take on dead money like David Clarkson. In just a short period of time, the Golden Knights have put themselves in a situation just like most of the other teams in the league, with plenty of money committed long-term. Tuch becomes the eighth player signed at least through the 2021-22 season.

Betting on Tuch is another indication that the front office in Vegas believes that last year was no fluke. Though they’re off to a less than stellar start this season, they believe this core is still capable of taking the team to the playoffs and competing there for years to come. That’s why the team went out and signed Paul Stastny in the offseason to replace some of Neal’s outgoing offense, and then traded for and extended Max Pacioretty just before the beginning of the season. The expansion franchise is in win-now mode, while still having a huge pile of draft picks to select over the next few seasons.

Tuch will become the fourth-highest paid forward on the Golden Knights next season, though Karlsson is sure to push him down a spot with whatever deal he works out with the team. That’s because with a deal of this length he’s selling off three years of unrestricted free agency, and a chance to make even more money. The young forward wouldn’t have had arbitration rights in 2019, but now won’t even have to consider a long hard negotiation with the team. He’ll now have the certainty of playing in Vegas for a long time, and becoming one of the real faces of the new franchise.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to break news of the contract, while Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported details of the no-trade clause.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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