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Vegas Golden Knights: Return of compliance buyouts not good news for Stastny

By Andrew Steele-Davis

CALGARY, AB - MARCH 8: Paul Stastny #26 of the Vegas Golden Knights in action against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on March 8, 2020 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
CALGARY, AB - MARCH 8: Paul Stastny #26 of the Vegas Golden Knights in action against the Calgary Flames during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on March 8, 2020 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /
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Paul Stastny of the Vegas Golden Knights takes a break during a stop in play in the second period of a game against the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena on March 1, 2020.
Paul Stastny of the Vegas Golden Knights takes a break during a stop in play in the second period of a game against the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena on March 1, 2020. /

Paul Stastny, F, $6,500,000 Cap Hit

Fresh of a stunning and magical run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural year, the Golden Knights felt they were in their win-now window despite being an expansion team.

As a result, they vowed to be aggressive during the off-season and they followed through on that promise, signing free-agent veteran center Paul Stastny to a three-year, $19,500,000 contract before pulling the trigger on a blockbuster trade for Montreal Canadiens Captain Max Pacioretty.

Those two moves signalled the Golden Knights’ intentions that they were serious about winning a Stanley Cup, and they would also shock the hockey world by trading for elite two-way wing Mark Stone at the Trade Deadline.

While Stastny helped Vegas to stamp their playoff ticket for the second consecutive year, before meshing perfectly with Stone and Pacioretty in the postseason, the center struggled at times this year and bounced up and down the lineup.

Putting up 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points in 71 games with a +6 rating, the 34-year-old was solid if not spectacular.

And there are a bevy of reasons why the veteran would be the main candidate for a Compliance Buyout for the Golden Knights.

For starters, he will be 35-years-old by the time the 2021 All-Star Break rolls around, and he has already shown some signs of regression in his game.

Plus, with a year left carrying a hefty $6,500,000 cap hit, Stastny is a luxury the Golden Knights might not be able to afford in 2020-21.

Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars battles Paul Stastny of the Vegas Golden Knights for the puck in the first period at American Airlines Center on December 13, 2019.
Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars battles Paul Stastny of the Vegas Golden Knights for the puck in the first period at American Airlines Center on December 13, 2019. /

Inconsistent as a second-line center this year and too expensive to become a full-time third-line pivot, the Knights could use the money saved by buying out Stastny to fill out their roster and also re-sign of their pending RFA’s in Nicolas Roy, Chandler Stephens and Nick Cousins.

Let’s not forget either, the Golden Knights do have some depth at the center-ice position starting with Cody Glass.

Although his rookie year was ravaged by injury, the forward did show flashes of his elite potential and he was excellent when leading a second line between Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, while the trio meshed perfectly together on the power play.

Boasting high-end vision and elite playmaking skills, Glass would inject some youth and speed into the second line, while there is chemistry with Pacioretty and Stone already there.

There is also a wild card option in Peyton Krebs, the 17th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Golden Knights.

Having recovered from a slight torn Achilles, Krebs returned in style by putting up 60 points (12 goals, 48 assists) in just 38 games while wearing the ‘C’ on his chest for the Winnipeg Ice in the WHL this year.

Both Glass and Krebs are a year into their three-year Entry-Level contracts, both of which carry cap hits of less than $1 million.

As a result, both players would be cheaper options with higher ceilings for the second-line center role, thus making Stastny expendable.

Although still a solid player in the NHL, Stastny’s hefty cap hit will act as an albatross around the neck of the Golden Knights if the salary cap remains at $81.5 million for the 2020-21 season, especially when you consider that they also have eight pending free agents to deal with.

So, if Compliance Buyouts do get re-introduced next season, then Paul Stastny could find himself looking for a new team with the cost of the buyout not counting against the cap for the Golden Knights.

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