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.