We’re into the deep underbelly of the offseason now and those Vegas Golden Knights cravings are really starting to kick in.
The dog days of the summer are well and truly here and the Vegas Golden Knights are staring out onto the strip waiting for winter to arrive. In truth, they are probably far too busy to be sat staring at anything given that there is still a lot to be done before puck drops on Oct, 2.
Nikita Gusev’s new deal is of course top of that list and we are still none the wiser as to whether or not the Russian stud will re-sign with the Golden Knights or be traded elsewhere. There are reportedly a ton of suitors lining up for one of the most productive scorers in KHL history, but it will all hinge on whether or not the Knights can clear enough cap space to accommodate the 27-year-old.
If they can’t then they will have to pull the trigger on a trade while hoping to get the best possible return of picks and prospects. Other than that, however, the next month or so should be quiet with both Deryk Engelland and Jimmy Schuldt expected to re-sign before the start of training camp.
With little to no room under the $81.5 million salary cap left, and it will literally be none if Gusev does indeed re-sign, you shouldn’t expect Vegas to make any more moves via trade or free agency when it comes to bolstering this roster. And they don’t need to because the Golden Knights, who are getting ready for their third year in the NHL, are able to boast one of the most loaded and talented teams in the league.
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They have a future Hall of Fame goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury who, on his day is still one of the most effective netminders in the NHL, and they possess a solid and reliable blueline led by elite defenseman Shea Theodore who is currently at the peak of his powers.
That leads us on to the forwards and what is there left to say about a unit that possesses enough firepower to sink a small fleet of battle ships? They are stacked from top to bottom and have a strong bottom six unit that provide grit, tenacity and a whole lot of toughness to go with a dash of secondary scoring.
Then you have one of the most formidable top six units in the entire NHL with the top line of Reilly Smith-William Karlsson-Jonathan Marchessault now backed up by a just as dominant second line consisting of Max Pacioretty-Paul Stastny-Mark Stone.
And when you consider that Gusev, along with rookie phenom Cody Glass could both be added to that forward unit in the coming weeks, it almost makes you want to feel sorry for the rest of the NHL.
Locking William Karlsson down to a team-friendly eight-year deal with an average annual value of $5.9 million was without doubt the success story of the summer so far for the Knights, who have done a grand job of fine-tuning what they already have. It sets the tone that this franchise continues to mean business and they are committed to becoming the fastest-ever expansion team to win a Stanley Cup.
It was just one big box ticked on a lengthy to-do list that included the front office tandem of General Manager Kelly McCrimmon and President of Hockey Operations George McPhee navigating a hugely successful 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The organization significantly bolstered their farm system with eight picks while adding a potential high-end forward in Peyton Krebs, who could well be ready to make the leap to the NHL within the next couple of years.
For all of the success, though, this offseason has, at times, felt like a slog mainly due to all the salary cap talk and calculations we’ve all been forced to manoeuvre. It was never going to be a summer filled with big free agent signings and crazy trades, which may have contributed to the last few weeks dragging.
There is bound to be more of that in the coming weeks, of course, as the Golden Knights continue to face up to the reality of living in a salary cap world. But, the one thing this offseason has taught us is that this franchise is trending in the right direction.
With smart executives running the front office and hockey ops, a farm system that now has some tantalising talent in abundance and an NHL roster that is as strong as they come, the Golden Knights have all the tools at their disposal to be able to compete for a Stanley Cup for the next few years at least.
For now, we will have to settle for some Baseball and the odd trade here and there, but in our heads we will be counting down until puck drop in October and what will hopefully be another memorable and maybe championship-winning year for the Vegas Golden Knights.