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Vegas Golden Knights: 2020 NHL Trade Deadline Primer

By Andrew Steele-Davis

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 25: Alec Martinez #27 of the Los Angeles Kings passes the puck as Evander Kane #9 of the San Jose Sharks defends during the first period at Staples Center on November 25, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 25: Alec Martinez #27 of the Los Angeles Kings passes the puck as Evander Kane #9 of the San Jose Sharks defends during the first period at Staples Center on November 25, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images) /
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We are now days away from the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline and it should be a busy and potentially defining period for the Vegas Golden Knights.

All eyes will be on the NHL between now and 3:00 p.m. ET on Feb. 24, and the Vegas Golden Knights will be buyers.

They have wasted no time in getting in on the fun after trading for veteran defenseman Alec Martinez today, sending two second-round draft picks to the LA Kings for the two-time Stanley Cup Champion.

The Knights will need to move one or two contracts in order to clear cap space, while they could also make a move for another defenseman or a depth forward.

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And there will be plenty of action to digest from around the NHL, too, with a number of big pieces still in play.

So, on that note, we decided to get you in the mood for the NHL Trade Deadline with our handy guide…

When

The 2020 NHL Trade Deadline takes place on Monday, Feb. 24, and will end at 3:00 p.m. ET for all teams.

We at Vegas Hockey Knight will have full coverage, reaction and analysis relating to any deals done by the Vegas Golden Knights, in addition to reaction to some of the big trades elsewhere in the league.

Storylines

One of the biggest chips in play is New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider, who will likely command a ransom if he is indeed moved.

Ottawa Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau will attract a lot of attention too, as will Kyle Palmieri if the New Jersey Devils decide to sell off another piece.

We’ve already seen a bevy of trades this week and it could be that by the time we get to Monday most of the business is wrapped up.

However, there are a lot of teams out there looking to add that missing piece ahead of the postseason, and there could be an unexpected twist in the tail somewhere along the line.

We saw the Trade market truly break open on Tuesday and defensemen in particular seem to be really driving the market.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 31: Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers celebrates his second period goal against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden on January 31, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 31: Chris Kreider #20 of the New York Rangers celebrates his second period goal against the Detroit Red Wings at Madison Square Garden on January 31, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The Pacific Division

It is well documented that the Pacific Division has been historically bad this year, with five teams all in with a shout of finishing in first.

And, as such, expect all five teams to be aggressive buyers between now and Monday.

The Vancouver Canucks started the ball rolling by sending a hefty package over to the LA Kings for forward Tyler Toffoli, while the Vegas Golden Knights also ransacked the Kings for veteran defenseman Alec Martinez.

The Edmonton Oilers, who are without superstar Connor McDavid for a few more weeks, are currently top of the Pacific and it would be incredibly surprising if they didn’t trade for some help for McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Both the Calgary Flames and the Arizona Coyotes should be buyers too, so the next few days could be defining in terms of how much the Trade Deadline could change the current landscape of the Pacific Division.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – FEBRUARY 15: Jonathan Quick #32, Alec Martinez #27 and Matt Roy #3 of the Los Angeles Kings celebrate their win against the Colorado Avalanche during the 2020 NHL Stadium Series game at Falcon Stadium on February 15, 2020 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – FEBRUARY 15: Jonathan Quick #32, Alec Martinez #27 and Matt Roy #3 of the Los Angeles Kings celebrate their win against the Colorado Avalanche during the 2020 NHL Stadium Series game at Falcon Stadium on February 15, 2020 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Plan of action for the Knights

The Golden Knights were always going to be buyers at the Trade Deadline, and that started today when they sent two second-round picks to the LA Kings for Alec Martinez.

Martinez carries a $4,000,000 cap hit this year and in 2020-21 so the Knights will need to move a contract or two in order to remain cap compliant, while they will still be in the market for more bodies.

It is no secret that Vegas desperately needs secondary scoring, while it wouldn’t surprise me if they also went after a puck-moving defenseman in the ilk of Sami Vatanen or Jeff Petry.

As such, expect plenty more movement over the next few days as the Golden Knights continue to bolster this roster.

They are in win-now mode and it is clear that they are willing to give up pieces of their future in order to obtain NHL-proven stars that can push them over the top in their ultimate pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

Next. Golden Knights beef up defense with proven winner in Martinez. dark

How To Follow

We at Vegas Hockey Knight will have you covered between now and Monday with everything you need to know about the Trade Deadline from a Vegas Golden Knights perspective.

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