Vegas Golden Knights Should Pursue John Carlson In Free Agency

Signing a top flight defenseman like John Carlson is priority number one for the Vegas Golden Knights this offseason.

We all know how the Vegas Golden Knights season ended. The Golden Knights took game one of the Stanley Cup Final, then fell to the Washington Capitals four straight games. Losing in five came to a bit of a shock to me and a lot of the fans.

Sure, the Capitals were absolutely the better team in the Final. However, did the series deserve to go a little longer? Probably. After watching the entire series back, I came to a conclusion why this series ended as quickly as it did.

After keeping the fort together against the Kings, Sharks, and Jets, the offense the Capitals possessed outweighed the other three teams. Washington came with a bit of a buzz to their game and carried four forward lines that can score. Thus leading to the Golden Knights defense exposed on almost every single Capitals zone entry.

Even if the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup this year, we know they would’ve shored up their defensive game. But after seeing the blue line’s performance in the series against Washington, it’s even more likely general manager George McPhee works the phones hard. But who could the Golden Knights go after and target?

Erik Karlsson’s name came up in trade talks at the deadline. Although, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the trade fell through after the Golden Knights unwillingness to give up Cody Glass in any deal. Good for the Golden Knights and McPhee for holding back on trading Glass.

The groundwork has been laid for a Karlsson trade in the offseason. But I would be very reluctant about giving up assets on this team to acquire a player who’s going to reach unrestricted free agency in 2019. It’s no guarantee that Karlsson would remain a Golden Knight beyond 2019.

I think the better option for the Golden Knights is to go out on July 1st and sign John Carlson. Yes, it’s going to take a lot of money and term to get Carlson to play at T-Mobile Arena. But the sky is the limit when it comes to his potential upside as a number one defenseman.

The 28-year old had a career year scoring 15 goals, 53 assists and 68 points in 82 games played. And during Carlson’s Stanley Cup run with Washington, he notched five goals, 15 assists, and 20 points in 24 games. If there’s anyone that knows more about John Carlson, its McPhee.

McPhee selected the Natick, Massachusetts native 27th overall in the first round of the 2008 NHL entry draft when he was the general manager of the Caps. Carlson is a right-handed shot and brings a shutdown element to his game, two qualities the Golden Knights desperately need. He also has a heavy slap shot and moves the puck efficiently and quickly.

His 6’3, 218 lb stature is a big reason why he’s one of the most significant threats on the blue line. Carlson is not one of the most heralded defenseman out there, but he remains one the best all-around blueliners. Signing Carlson here and reuniting him with his buddy Nate Schmidt could provide wonders for the Golden Knights defense.

But what will it take to get this type of player here? Well if you look at Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s verbal agreement, it looks like Carlson will be getting a tick higher than the Coyotes defenseman. Whoever signs Carlson would probably have to give up around eight and a half to nine million dollars over seven or eight years.

Next: Vegas Golden Knights Sign 2018 Silver Medalist Brooks Macek

All in all, John Carlson would be the best fit for the Vegas Golden Knights. He knows just how it feels now to win the Stanley Cup at T-Mobile Arena. He could repeat that moment in future years if he signs with the team from Las Vegas.