Vegas Golden Knights: Grading the Cody Eakin Trade

It is that time of year where trades go down left, right and center, and the Vegas Golden Knights pulled the trigger on another one on Friday.

A couple of days removed from sending two second-round picks to the LA Kings for veteran defenseman Alec Martinez, the Vegas Golden Knights traded forward Cody Eakin to the Winnipeg Jets.

The Golden Knights got back a conditional fourth-round pick in 2021 from the Jets, which could morph into a third-round selection if Eakin either re-signs in Winnipeg or if the Jets make the postseason.

Given that the Winnipeg Jets currently occupy a Wild Card spot and are buyers at the Trade Deadline, it seems likely that the Knights could well end up with a third-round pick in return for an expiring contract.

It was a fantastic return for the Golden Knights and we decided to look at the trade from all angles before giving it a final grade.

First and foremost, this was a fantastic trade by General Manager Kelly McCrimmon who addressed a number of needs in one foul swoop.

Most important of all was the cap space the Vegas Golden Knights created by shifting Cody Eakin’s $3,850,000 contract off the books.

With that albatross of a contract now shifted, the Golden Knights have given themselves some flexibility to go out and make another move before the Trade Deadline on Feb. 24.

It has been reported by Jesse Granger of The Athletic that Erik Gustafsson of the Chicago Blackhawks is a target, and Gustafsson hasn’t made the trip to Dallas with the Hawks which suggests that a trade could be close.

The Knights also need some secondary scoring help and they are projected to have just under $5 million in cap space at the Deadline, factoring in Alex Tuch‘s return from the LTIR.

That was the main positive of the trade but another huge plus was the fact that Vegas got back a fourth-round selection, that could turn into a third-round pick if Eakin re-signs in Winnipeg or if the Jets stamp their playoff ticket this year.

Whether a fourth or a third the Knights have just bolstered their draft capital in 2021, although a third would be nice given that they currently don’t own one in 2021.

The return was somewhat stunning though, given that Eakin is a UFA in the summer and his play has been on a rapid decline this year.

Through 41 games the forward has just 10 points (four goals, six assists) with a -9 rating and an average Corsi of 49.5.

Eakin has also won only 47.4 of his draws in the faceoff circle, while the Center has a goals below replacement share of 2.2, fourth worst on the Knights.

He has struggled in all aspects this year, too, and the time had come for Cody Eakin and the Vegas Golden Knights to part company.

Plus, with Nicolas Roy having impressed, the Knights could afford to trade Eakin knowing that they had a young center ready to step into a bottom-six role.

Grade: A

This was a home run of a trade by the Vegas Golden Knights who gave themselves some flexibility to make another move to bolster this roster at the Trade Deadline.

They shifted Cody Eakin’s $3,850,000 cap hit off the books without having to retain any salary or send anything back in return.

The Golden Knights also managed to get a conditional fourth-round pick back for an expiring contract, and one that could turn into a third-round pick in 2021.

With Eakin having shown clear signs of regression this year too, there was one clear winner in this trade and that was the Vegas Golden Knights.