3 budget free agents the Vegas Golden Knights should sign this offseason
You can’t rest on your laurels in professional sports and the same applies to the Vegas Golden Knights who are coming off their second consecutive postseason appearance.
However, unlike 2017-18 where they embarked on a deep run all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, it was a disappointing early exit for the Vegas Golden Knights who gave up a 3-1 series lead and four goals in five power play minutes to bow out of the Second Round to the San Jose Sharks.
As big a blow as that setback was though, it does give the tandem of General Manager Kelly McCrimmon and President of Hockey Operations George McPhee more time to fine-tune a roster that looks destined to lift a Stanley Cup sooner rather than later.
Every NHL franchise will enter the offseason with a shopping list when it comes to sprucing up their roster, be it full-scale changes or subtle little tweaks here and there.
It should be an exciting time for NHL fans too given some of the names primed to hit free agency, including Artemi Panarin, Erik Karlsson, Matt Duchene and Sergei Bobrovsky to name but just a handful.
The Golden Knights won’t be shopping in the elite section this summer, however, with their salary cap issues likely to force them to look in the bargain bucket unless the front office can pull a rabbit or two out of the hat when it comes to manipulating the cap.
That seems extremely unlikely though given that star center William Karlsson still needs a long-term contract and is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Four of his teammates will also be restricted free agents this offseason, while four other players including fans’ favourite and locker room leader, Deryk Engelland will be allowed to walk as an unrestricted free agent.
Vegas have some big decisions to make and they are already operating right under the NHL’s projected salary cap of $83 million for 2019-20, which doesn’t leave them with a lot left to play with when it comes to potentially dipping their toes into the free agent pool.
So, as a result, we have looked at three free agents (one forward, one defenseman, one goaltender) that can bring something to the table for the Vegas Golden Knights and won’t cost the earth.
Alex Chiasson, RW, 28
In truth, the Vegas Golden Knights don’t need to tinker much with their top six forward unit, which packs more than enough firepower to be able to sink a fleet of battleships.
However, it is the bottom of the order that could do with some attention and there are some holes that need filling in order to add more depth to this roster.
After all, you can’t win a championship unless you get contributions up and down the lineup and a potent third and fourth line can be the difference between ecstasy and agony.
Just look at the Washington Capitals in 2017-18. They got big-time contributions from third and fourth-line grinders like Lars Eller, Brett Connolly and Devante Smith-Pelly on their way to finally breaking their Stanley Cup drought.
Anyway, we digress but the Capitals reference leads us nicely into our point about why Alex Chiasson would be a perfect fit for the Golden Knights.
Chiasson had 18 points (nine goals, nine assists) in 61 games for the Stanley Cup winning Capitals last year, before earning a one-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers following a professional tryout.
And it was a gamble that paid off emphatically for the Oilers who got a boatload of production from the right-wing, who was often placed on a line with elite center Connor McDavid.
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Chiasson enjoyed a career year for Edmonton in 2018-19 with 22 goals and 16 assists for 38 points in 73 games, setting career highs in all three categories. He also contributed eight power play goals and 15 points overall on the man advantage, further underlying his offensive prowess this season.
There isn’t just one string to Chiasson’s bow, however. At 6’4″ and 208lb, the right shot boasts a hulking frame and can put that size advantage to good use in both the offensive and defensive zone. He can also play up and down the lineup depending on the team’s needs on a night-to-night basis.
Vegas needs secondary scoring and, although expecting 22 goals for a second straight year from Chiasson might be a tall order, he’s more than capable of registering between 25-30 points at least if paired on a third line with Erik Haula and Alex Tuch.
The likes of Cody Eakin, Ryan Carpenter, Tomas Nosek and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare could find themselves bidding a fond farewell to Sin City this offseason and, with a salary cap hit of just $650,000 in 18-19, Alex Chiasson would be a relatively cheap but reliable and productive forward to bring in and plug a gap on the roster. He likely wouldn’t demand too much of a rise in salary due to his advancing years, which would be an added bonus for the Golden Knights.
Ben Chiarot, D, 27
It is perhaps fair to suggest that the Golden Knights could do with a couple of fresh faces on the blueline this offseason, although they have a wealth of talent within their farm system that they can call upon.
However, to be successful in the NHL you need a couple of grizzled, hard-nosed stay-at-home defensemen and with Deryk Engelland an unrestricted free agent this offseason, the Golden Knights could do worse than explore the possibility of handing Ben Chiarot a deal should he be allowed to walk away from the Winnipeg Jets, who have salary cap issues of their own to contend with.
For starters, at 27-years-old Chiarot is a much younger upgrade on Engelland who is exactly ten years his senior. He also comes out on top in the size stakes, standing at 6’3″ and weighing in at 219 lb.
Chiarot relishes in the nitty gritty aspect of the game as the stats firmly back up. He hits like a train and laid on 171 hits in 2018-19 (a career high), he blocked 139 shots (also a career high) and he had 20 takeaways.
He did concede 65 giveaways and he also earned yet another career high, this time in penalty minutes with 62. However, he did put up a plus / minus rating of +2 in six postseason appearances for the Jets.
Chiarot was also impressive from a production point of view in 18-19, achieving career highs in goals (5), assists (15) and points (20). The fact that the left-shot is coming off one of the best years of his career and is reaching his peak should make him even more of a valuable commodity in free agency.
He is a huge upgrade on both Engelland and Nick Holden and his current yearly salary of $1,400,000 shouldn’t jump up too much. If you can sign Chiarot to a contract in the region of $2.5-3 million then you would be getting a solid NHL blueliner who can log big minutes and be a reliable performer night in and night out.
Curtis McElhinney, G, 35
Free agency will be the last thing on Curtis McElhinney’s mind right now as he prepares for an epic matchup against the Boston Bruins with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, McElhinney will become an unrestricted free agent this summer unless the Hurricanes decide to reward their dependable backup with a new deal, which is a high possibility given his heroics in the postseason.
But if the 35-year-old does hit the open market then he could be an intriguing option for the Vegas Golden Knights to explore, given that backup Malcolm Subban can walk away for nothing in 2020. If the Knights want to trade Subban this summer and get something back in return, then McElhinney would be a home run possibility as a number two for Marc-Andre Fleury.
The epitome of an NHL journeyman, McElhinney has jumped from team to team throughout his career but is a model pro and would be a tremendous addition to the Vegas locker room.
McElhinney started 33 games for Carolina during the regular season, posting a 2.58 goals against average and a .912 save percentage, and is a great insurance policy. He’s been captain clutch for the Hurricanes during the playoffs too, coming in as relief for the injured Petr Mrazek and helping his team sweep the New York Islanders in the Second Round.
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The 176th overall pick in the 2002 NHL Draft is a popular figure within the hockey world and he could well get the nod to start the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins following his displays between the pipes against the Islanders.
Currently earning $850,000 a year, McElhinney should expect to see an increase in salary in 2019-20 especially if he enters the offseason as a Stanley Cup Champion. However, his value isn’t likely to jump up by a great amount and he would certainly be a solid short-term option for the Golden Knights while they look for a long-term successor for Fleury if they do indeed decide to cut their ties with Subban.