3 bottom six free agents the Vegas Golden Knights should consider

Brian Boyle, C, 34

Should the Vegas Golden Knights lose both Cody Eakin and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare this offseason they would be losing two guys who excel in the faceoff circle, block shots at a rate of knots, provide secondary scoring and give their team an edge when it is needed.

Chuck Ryan Reaves into that equation too with the enforcer’s name also cropping up in talks around a potential trade in order to clear cap space.

Should the Golden Knights lose any of those three or, god forbid all three, then it would leave some very sizeable holes both on the ice and in the locker room.

The answer to that unthinkable scenario? Brian Boyle, who could be the answer even if that trio remain in Sin City for 2019-20.

Now, of course, we write this very much aware of the fact that Vegas will be very, very limited in terms of what they can do in free agency this summer with a new deal for star center William Karlsson the priority, as it should be.

But if the tandem of General Manager Kelly McCrimmon and President of Hockey Operations George McPhee can pull a rabbit out of the hat and somehow create some cap space for a couple of free agent signings, then Boyle should be at the top of the list.

Now the power forward isn’t flashy and at 34-years-old it is fair to say that his best hockey is behind him, but flashy isn’t what the Golden Knights are after. No, they’ve got enough extravagant weapons in place already, what they need is steady, solid soldiers who can make an impact lower down the lineup and help this team cross the finish line in their mission to win a Stanley Cup.

Boyle’s tremendous character is known and he would be a valuable and respected figure both on and off the ice, particularly for the franchise’s abundance of young studs currently in the farm system and also for players like William Karlsson and Alex Tuch who are still learning their craft.

He is a faceoff specialist having won over 50 percent of draws with both the New Jersey Devils and the Nashville Predators in 2018-19, he blocked 50 shots this year and can play both center and on the wing to offer some versatility.

One of Boyle’s biggest strengths at this stage of his career however is his size. Standing at 6’6″ and weighing in at 245 lb, the center is a hulking specimen who can hit like an absolute train and isn’t afraid to get to the dirty areas and drop the gloves in order to give his team a bolt of energy.

The offensive production is still there too importantly. Boyle had 18 goals and six assists for 24 points in 73 games this year, including nine points on the power play which would make him a valuable asset in all situations.

His salary cap hit for 2018-19 was $2,550,000 and that figure shouldn’t increase too dramatically. At this stage in his career Boyle would be a short-term fix rather than a long-term solution but it would all be worth it if he proved to be the final piece in a Stanley Cup puzzle.

Brett Connolly, RW, 27

There are plenty of affordable and quality options available in free agency this coming offseason and Washington Capitals forward Brett Connolly fits that bill perfectly.

He’s coming off a career year having set new highs in goals (22), assists (24) and points (46) and he tallied two points in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games for the Caps, who were unable to defend their title as Stanley Cup Champions.

A sixth overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft, Connolly has found his home on the third line for Washington and has consistently upped his production in each of the last three years.

He’ll get a raise on the $3 million extension he signed in 2017 and that could be just about doable for Vegas if they can shift some bodies off the roster first.

Whether it is achievable for the Capitals however remains to be seen given that they have their own salary cap issues to contend with, namely working out new deals with stars Braden Holtby and Nicklas Backstrom who will rightly take priority for that franchise.

Connolly, who ranks second in goals (52) and fourth in points (96) among all NHL players averaging less than 14 minutes per game in his three seasons with Washington, is likely to attract more than a few suitors in free agency given his career year and, at 27-years of age, he still has a few years of very good hockey ahead of him which would make a mid-term contract all the more appealing.

A third line of Alex Tuch-Erik Haula-Brett Connolly has the potential to be one of the most potent third lines in the NHL and Connolly has also proven that he can come up clutch in key situations, producing nine points (six goals, three assists) in 24 postseason games as the Caps lifted the Stanley Cup in 2018.

Patrick Maroon, LW, 31

When we look back at historic moments from the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs then Patrick Maroon’s dramatic double overtime winner against the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of the Second Round will no doubt be a memory we all recall fondly – apart from Stars fans of course.

With his son in tears in the stands after seeing his dad make himself a hometown hero, it was a moment that left all hockey fans wondering who was chopping up onions.

Maroon took a pay cut in order to return home to play for the Blues and be closer to his son, and it is a move that has paid off handsomely so far given that St. Louis are in reach of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Whatever happens in the coming weeks you get the sense that Maroon will be awarded the pay day he truly deserves, whether that is by St. Louis or another NHL contender looking to add that final piece or two.

The Blues brought Maroon home because they knew he could contribute to a team with ambitions of lifting the Stanley Cup sooner rather than later. Vegas are in the same boat and, although they would have to juggle a lot of moving pieces in order to be able to facilitate such a move, adding Maroon would push them that little bit closer to morphing into a true Stanley Cup contender.

For starters, and like Brian Boyle, Maroon would bring both a wealth of experience and an abundance of grit and brute force to the table for the Golden Knights. He’s dished out 32 hits in the 2018-19 playoffs so far and he could easily become a dependable third line winger, or slot in on the bottom line if Ryan Reaves is indeed traded.

He can also produce offensively too, as shown during his days with the Edmonton Oilers where he put up 72 points in two seasons while mostly playing alongside Connor McDavid.

Maroon tallied 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 74 regular season games in 2018-19 for the Blues, and was also a useful weapon on the power play with 11 tucks. He has contributed three goals and two assists for five points in the postseason so far, including two game winning goals.

Bringing Maroon aboard would shore up the bottom of the lineup for the Golden Knights and he would add another commanding voice to the locker room, which could prove crucial if the likes of Deryk Engelland and Cody Eakin depart this offseason.

Maroon would more than likely demand a big pay day, especially if he produces any more Stanley Cup heroics, but if it helps push the Vegas Golden Knights closer to weaving their own postseason magic then it would be a gamble worth paying.