3 free agent blueliners Vegas Golden Knights should sign
It is perhaps fair to suggest that 27 of the NHL’s 31 franchises will already be plotting how they can be better in 2018-19, including the Vegas Golden Knights who will be looking to mount a deep playoff run for the second time in three years.
While the San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes slug it out for two spots in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Vegas Golden Knights and the rest of the NHL have turned the page on 2018-19 and are instead looking ahead to next year.
For the Golden Knights the outlook looks more than kind with a shot at lifting a Stanley Cup seemingly on the horizon in the not too distant future.
With a loaded roster, a deep and talented farm system and a forward-thinking front office who have made all the right moves so far, Vegas are on an upward trend and are very much riding the crest of a wave following a hugely successful first two years as an NHL franchise both on and off the ice.
After defying expectations and shocking the hockey world in their inaugural season by steamrolling their way through to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Knights bolstered their roster this year with some big hitters in Paul Stastny, Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone.
And, although they ultimately fell short after suffering a crushing Game 7 defeat to the San Jose Sharks in the most heartbreaking of fashions, all the pieces are in place for the Vegas Golden Knights to remain a genuine Stanley Cup contender heading into 2019-20.
They will have a different look to them once training camp starts, however. Already pressing right up against the NHL’s projected salary cap of $83 million for next year, the Knights are going to have to shed some fat in order to trim up and add some muscle.
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That could mean bidding a fond farewell to the likes of fans’ favorites and locker room leaders Deryk Engelland and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare who are two of four players set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
William Karlsson headlines the five restricted free agents Vegas have on their books, and thrashing out a new deal with one of their biggest assets will without doubt be the main priority for the franchise.
Although loaded in talent and depth, the Golden Knights will also need to add to their ranks if they are to keep pace in an already ultra competitive Western Conference.
Their biggest need is arguably on the blueline with there being an alarming drop off in quality behind Shea Theodore and Nate Schmidt, the franchise’s best two defensemen. If Engelland is allowed to walk and Colin Miller is traded as is a possibility according to reports, then the Golden Knights are going to need reinforcements.
We’ve picked out three possible blueliners Vegas could turn to in free agency this offseason, taking into account the team’s needs and their salary cap issues.
Adam McQuaid, 32
Vegas are short on right-handed defensemen and they could be left empty-handed in that department if Deryk Engelland doesn’t return and Collin Miller finds himself traded elsewhere.
The Golden Knights could also do with someone who adds some grit, tenacity and good old snarl to the blueline
Adam McQuaid ticks all of those boxes and the NHL veteran of 580 games, including postseason appearances, will find himself on the open market this summer after finishing the year with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He was traded to Columbus at the trade deadline as a rental by the New York Rangers, where he played a valuable leadership role on a rebuilding team that laid claim to having one of the youngest rosters in the NHL in 2018-19.
The 32-year-old logged monster minutes for the Blueshirts with an average of 17:28 per game, where he achieved a plus / minus rating of 3 and was a calming influence on Brady Skjei with the Rangers defenseman enjoying one of his best stretches of the year alongside the veteran.
McQuaid, at 6’4″ and 212 lb offers a physical presence and he isn’t afraid to use his hulking frame to good effect, as proven by the 99 hits he dished out for the Rangers in 36 games. He also blocked 76 shots and had ten takeaways during that stretch, further underlying his status as a true stay-at-home defenseman.
Another factor to consider here is McQuaid’s leadership abilities. He’s a highly respected figure both on and off the ice and he knows what it takes to win having lifted a Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011, in addition to reaching the Finals again in 2013.
With the likes of Nic Hague, Zach Whitecloud and Jimmy Schuldt likely to be given a chance to win a roster spot in training camp, who better to pair with one of those young studs on a bottom line pairing than someone like McQuaid who has been there, done that and certainly has the battle scars as proof.
He would be the ideal candidate to help nurture and develop one of the above young defensemen and, with a cap hit of $2,750,000 in 2018-19, McQuaid wouldn’t be too much of a risk as a short-term plug on a team with aspirations of winning a championship or two within the next few years.
2. Tyler Myers, 29
There is lots of speculation flying around Tyler Myers at the moment and he seems destined to be a man in demand once free agency opens on July, 1.
You can see why when you take a look at his stats from the past couple of years. He’s achieved 30 or more points in each of his last two seasons, including 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 2018-19.
He had three game winning goals this year too, which is hugely impressive for a defenseman, in addition to seven points on the power play after putting up three goals and 14 assists on the man advantage in 2017-18.
A right shot, Myers could be the perfect foil for Shea Theodore or Nate Schmidt on either the first or second line, and he would add another useful weapon to the Golden Knights’ power play unit.
Vegas are in need of another offensive defenseman and Myers would significantly bolster production from the blueline.
He’s durable too having only missed two games in the last two years and he can be relied upon to shoulder plenty of responsibility having logged an average of 20:21 minutes per game for the Jets this year.
The only downside to signing Myers is the fact that he’s prone to the odd error in his own zone at times, as highlighted by his 63 giveaways in 2018-19. He’s a huge specimen at 6’8″ and 229 lb, however, and isn’t afraid to use that to his and his team’s advantage with 97 hits and 99 blocked shots this season.
There is another potential stumbling block too. With a hit of $5,500,000 against the cap in 2018-19, Myers is likely to win a big payday in free agency and that could force Vegas out of the running giving their financial constraints. However, if they can pull a rabbit out of the hat and make some room then they would be getting a top four blueliner who has all the skills in his locker to be able to help take a Stanley Cup contender to the next level.
Jake Gardiner, 28
Let’s get this out of the way now. Jake Gardiner, for all of his many detractors, is in line for a big payday this offseason and he could well be way out of the Golden Knight’s price range.
However, the Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner is a valuable talent despite the wrinkles in his game and he would be the top four defenseman Vegas craves.
Gardiner’s biggest strength is his smooth-skating ability coupled with the way he can dish the puck, enabling his team to transition into the offensive zone both smoothly and quickly.
He’s a typical offensive blueliner and he ranks 23rd in defensemen over the last three seasons in points with 125, and he registered 30 points (three goals, 27 assists) in 63 regular season games for the Leafs in 2018-19.
Despite missing chunks of action in each of the last two years due to injury, Gardiner is usually durable having only missed eight games in five years prior to this season.
And whatever some Toronto fans may say about Gardiner, and it is usually negative, the Maple Leafs actually suffered without one of their biggest assets on the ice this year.
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During a 12 game stretch when Gardiner was in the press box with back spasms, Toronto allowed 45 goals and were averaging 3.75 goals against per game so, put it simply, the Leafs were actually better when the 28-year-old was on the ice.
Of course, like all players Gardiner has his flaws and he’s prone to imploding in the defensive zone and giving up costly turnovers that too often lead to goals for the other team – he had 53 giveaways in 18-19. No one will easily forget that performance in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in 2017-18 where Gardiner was minus-five and simply melted on the biggest stage.
However, Gardiner is a proven commodity and his 245 points in 551 career games (not including playoffs) make him an offensive weapon on the blueline. Likely to demand a yearly salary in the region of $6 million once he hits free agency, the question is whether or not the Vegas Golden Knights would be able to pull off a salary cap miracle and lure Jake Gardiner to Sin City.
If they can then they would without doubt have one of the strongest top four units on the blueline in the NHL in 2019-20 in Gardiner, Shea Theodore, Nate Schmidt and one other, which could be one of the franchise’s many young studs.