Trades are going down all over the NHL landscape and the Vegas Golden Knights are set to get in on the fun.
The 2020 NHL Trade Deadline is on Monday but a bevy of deals went down on Tuesday, and another significant trade could happen today with the Vegas Golden Knights on the cusp of acquiring LA Kings defenseman Alec Martinez.
It was reported by Bob McKenzie of TSN on Tuesday that the Knights are close to trading for Martinez, with the expected asking price from the Kings a pair of second-round picks.
Now, the Golden Knights do boast two second-round picks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and a further three in 2021, so they do have significant capital at their disposal.
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However, two second-round picks for a 32-year defenseman that has been on the decline is a steep price to pay and it is hardly a move-the-needle type trade either.
That is the price of doing business though and the Golden Knights will be the victims of both the current market and their own mistakes.
Firstly, we have seen this week alone just how crazy the market is and the trades that have taken place already will set the tone for what selling teams will try and get back between now and Feb. 24.
For instance, the Tampa Bay Lightning sent a massive haul featuring high-end prospect Nolan Foote and a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft to the New Jersey Devils for forward Blake Coleman.
Then, the Vancouver Canucks, facing a considerable period of time without young stud Brock Boeser, sent Tim Schaller, a 2020 second-round pick, a conditional selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and prospect Tyler Madden to the LA Kings in exchange for forward Tyler Toffoli.
As a result, the market price has now been cranked up and buyers will have to face the reality that they will now need to stump up a hell of a lot if they want to improve their team.
Granted, the Washington Capitals only had to send a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and a conditional third-round selection in 2021 for San Jose Sharks defenseman Brenden Dillon, while the Winnipeg Jets acquired blueliner Dylan DeMelo from the Ottawa Senators for a third-round pick in 2020.
Both Dillon and DeMelo would have been incredibly good pickups for the Golden Knights, particularly Dillon, while not costing the earth.
However, Vegas will now have to pay the price for mistakes made back in the off-season when they traded defenseman Colin Miller to the Buffalo Sabres in addition to other valuable role players in order to claw their way out of salary cap hell.
As a result, the Knights have been a disaster on the blueline this year with Shea Theodore the only Vegas defenseman worthy of any real credit, while Nate Schmidt is enduring a down year.
So the Golden Knights had no choice but to beef up their defense at the Trade Deadline but, with a number of other defensemen off the market, they will have to pay above market value in order to strengthen their roster.
And, if two second-round picks are indeed the price for Martinez, it will be a severe overpayment for the Golden Knights to make, especially when they have limited cap space and won’t be able to do a lot else between now and Monday.
Martinez is a solid defenseman who has two Stanley Cup rings – he scored the game-winner in Game 5 of the 2014 Stanley Cup Final against the New York Rangers that clinched the championship for the LA Kings – but he is having a down year in a number of aspects.
Through 41 games Martinez has one goal and seven assists for eight points with a -9 rating, while he ranks low in a number of defensive metrics and his shot suppression numbers leave a lot to be desired.
Plus, with a cap hit of $4,000,000 both this year and in 2020-21, the Golden Knights will be committed to another expensive contract and it is unlikely that Martinez will be anything more than a bottom-four defenseman.
Maybe a change of scenery and the chance to play on a contender again will revitalize Martinez, who isn’t a terrible addition by any stretch and has been attracting admiring glances from the Knights front office for a considerable amount of time.
But, again, while the Vegas Golden Knights will be addressing a need, they will also be the victims of the buyers market and they will have to accept overpaying in order to trade for the veteran blueliner.