2020 Free Agency: Nosek back with Vegas Golden Knights in surprise twist
Tomas Nosek is here to stay with the Vegas Golden Knights.
On what has been a quiet opening to Free Agency for the Vegas Golden Knights so far, they have made one signing after running it back with Nosek.
First reported by Darren Dreger of TSN, Nosek has signed a one-year, $1,250,000 deal with the Golden Knights.
It is a slight raise for the forward on his previous cap hit of $1 million, but it is also somewhat of a surprise given that it appeared destined Nosek would sign elsewhere in Free Agency.
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However, after Paul Stastny was dealt to the Winning Jets to clear cap space and Nick Cousins signed with the Nashville Predators, the Golden Knights were lacking center depth so bringing Nosek back does make sense.
He loves playing in Vegas, he’s respected in the room, he’s a high-end specialist on the PK, he knows the system and he can slot in on the wing too so it is kind of a no-brainer when you think about it.
Nosek was a valuable role player for the Golden Knights in 2019-20, as he has been for the duration of his career in Sin City, putting up eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 67 games.
He had three points (2 G, 1 A) in eight games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while he has 47 points (23 G, 24 A) in 202 career regular season games for the Knights.
Overall, Nosek will provide the Golden Knights with another reliable depth option down the middle and his low cap hit ensures that he’s a cost effective player to bring back.
And there was some other news too with Vegas General Manager Kelly McCrimmon telling the media on a Conference Call that veteran defenseman Deryk Engelland is unlikely to return to the Golden Knights this year with there being no opportunity to play.
It isn’t really surprising and it is an outcome we all expected given the Knights’ cap constraints and the fact that Engelland played just 49 games in 2019-20, but it will be interesting to see what the veteran does now.
He could sign with another team in Free Agency but it is more likely that he retires and takes up some kind of coaching or front office role with the Golden Knights.
Finally, Kelly McCrimmon confirmed to the media that the $570,000 in bonus overages from this past season will be split over the next two seasons.
Next. Merrill and Cousins on the move. dark
That’s your lot in terms of Free Agency news for now but we’ll continue to keep you updated on the latest when it comes to the pursuit of elite defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.