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Jaroslav Halak could be perfect stop-gap for Vegas Golden Knights

By Andrew Steele-Davis

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - NOVEMBER 04: Jaroslav Halak #41 of the Boston Bruins stands for the national anthem prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden on November 04, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - NOVEMBER 04: Jaroslav Halak #41 of the Boston Bruins stands for the national anthem prior to the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at TD Garden on November 04, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
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Jaroslav Halak of the Boston Bruins tends goal against the Nashville Predators at TD Garden on December 21, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Jaroslav Halak of the Boston Bruins tends goal against the Nashville Predators at TD Garden on December 21, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. /

Cons

As with everything in life, money talks and it will play a major role in any potential deal for Jaroslav Halak.

Currently carrying a cap hit of $2,750,000, Halak is worth every penny given that he is more of a 1B than a traditional backup in the sense that he can be relied upon to make 30 plus starts a year.

Plus, at 34 years of age, there may well only be one more kick of the can left for Halak so he could be targeting one last payday.

If that’s the case then it could be difficult for the Golden Knights to make an attractive pitch to Halak.

After all, the lack of money is the major reason why Robin Lehner is likely to part company with the Golden Knights after just three games when he becomes a UFA in the summer.

The salary cap for 2020-21 is likely to remain at $81.5 million in the best case scenario in the wake of COVID-19.

As a result, the Knights would have around $11 million in cap space available in which to deal with eight pending free agents.

Milan Lucic of the Calgary Flames takes a shot on Jaroslav Halak of the Boston Bruins during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on February 21, 2020.
Milan Lucic of the Calgary Flames takes a shot on Jaroslav Halak of the Boston Bruins during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on February 21, 2020. /

That pool includes fourth-line battering ram Ryan Reaves and pending RFA forwards Chandler Stephenson, Nicolas Roy and Nick Cousins, so Vegas won’t have a treasure chest of cap space in which to splurge on a backup.

Now, the slight positive at play is the fact that the Boston Bruins will also be restricted given that they have to try and re-sign stud defenseman Torey Krug and seven other pending free agents, including Halak.

So, if an offer wasn’t on the table from the Bruins, then Halak could be tempted into taking a pay cut in order to join the Golden Knights and chase the Stanley Cup, a championship that has so far proved elusive in the veteran’s career.

However, if there are a bevy of teams lining up for Halak’s services then the Golden Knights could be priced out of the bidding war early.

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