The Benefits of Trading Robin Lehner at the Deadline
By Evan Mead
Digging Into the Golden Knights Cap Space
I did some math regarding the Vegas Golden Knights cap hit next season, and they are really not in a good position.
The Golden Knights currently have three players listed as unrestricted free agents. Those players are Reilly Smith, Mattias Janmark, and Ben Hutton. Additionally, they also have five players listed as restricted free agents. Those players include Brett Howden, Adam Brooks, Nicolas Roy, Keegan Kolesar, and Nicolas Hague. Now, there is nothing wrong with that until you realize that the Golden Knights currently, as it stands, have $2,050,000 to re-sign any of those players.
I personally can’t imagine them wanting to let Brett Howden, Nicolas Roy, and Nicolas Hague walk in free agency. The Knights have stressed how much they like Brett Howden and how he has grown as a player over the year and I agree with them. Similarly, they also seem to really like Nicolas Roy and I once again agree with them.
As it comes to Nicolas Hague, the defenseman has the talent to become a top defenseman for the Golden Knights and letting him walk in free agency would potentially be a big mistake. Which, that brings me back too what I was saying. They are going to be so tight with the cap as it sits that they have to do something. That brings me to why they should trade Robin Lehner.