Goaltender situation can improve with trade
The Golden Knights are in a bit of a pickle when it comes to the goaltending situation with Laurent Brossoit going back on to the injured reserved list. With the trade deadline coming up and the Golden Knights already making one trade that resulting in Ivan Barbashev coming over from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospect Zach Dean, general manager Kelly McCrimmon may not be done making his deals.
Goaltender situation must be addressed in trade deadline
Turning the focus into the goaltending situation, it is quite clear after the 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday evening, the Golden Knights cannot be a serious contender or make a serious run at the Stanley Cup with the net situation as is. With Robin Lehner not available until after the season and All-Star rookie Logan Thompson sitting hurt until further notice, you would think that is where the doctor’s office log would end.
Both Laurent Broissoit and Adin Hill are also having issues staying healthy which leads to the Golden Knights using Michael Hutchinson, who is fifth on the goaltender pecking order as the back up on a game to game basis. Rotating Hutchinson in between Vegas and Henderson is not really the ideal situation as the Golden Knights should avoid the situation as much as possible.
With the deadline coming up, having a solid goaltender that can do some leg work is better safe than sorry for the playoff push. Who are the top trade targets for the Vegas Golden Knights and what will be the affect on the team’s depth chart?
Cam Talbot, Ottawa Senators
Talbot is in the final year of a three-year deal with the Senators and a cap hit of $3.67 million on the Ottawa salary cap. The big thing with Talbot is that he does have playoff experience with the New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild. Having a veteran such as Talbot completely changes the dynamic of the the Golden Knights goaltending situation.
Sure, he is a rental and will be a free agent at the end of the year. The price for Talbot might not be as much as we would think. Giving up a second or third round pick this year or next year could be a fair trade off to obtain the services of the 35-year old. In 30 games this season with the Senators he has a record of 13-14-1 with a save percentage of .905 and a 2,87 goals against average.
Considering Ottawa is slowly starting to see it’s playoff chances diminish, the Senators might want to get some future value out of Talbot while they have the chance.
Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are clearly in rebuild mode, with the recent trades they have already made in the past week, but they may or may not be done just yet. The question now is whether they will be looking to offload a goaltender and shed some salary. The best option for Vegas could come with Juuse Saros. At age 27, he is under contract with the Predators through the 2024-25 season and has a cap hit of $5 million in each of his remaining seasons.
The Predators will likely want another goaltender in return or a couple more picks in their arsenal. Like they need more. So what could Vegas do? Trade away Adin Hill or Laurent Brossoit in a sign and trade deal with a mid-round pick? It could definitely work out. Having control of Saros for a couple of years while Thompson and Hutchinson gain more experience could be a very big get for the Golden Knights and he has had some playoff experience with the Preds.
In full disclosure, Joonas Korpisalo was originally in this spot before the Los Angeles Kings acquired him in a deal involving Jonathan Quick.
#LAKings have traded Jonathan Quick to #CBJ. He is part of a deal that will send back Joonas Korpisalo.@DailyFaceoff
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 1, 2023
Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are having a rough go of it and yes, Carter Hart is considered the franchise goaltender for the Broad Street Bullies, but hear me out before you Flyers fans get your peas tied up in a knot. Yes, he is only 24 years old and he is considered as one of the better goaltenders of this generation coming through the league as we speak. Do the Flyers cut their losses and try to rebuild from the ground up? If they do, Hart may be the place they may want to start and it would be not only a big statement for the the Flyers but also for the Golden Knights.
After this season, Hart will be a restricted free agent, which means if the Golden Knights go after him, the price will be high and might involve a player on the current roster and either a first or second round pick. If they want to pursue Hart, they will have to be very creative, which is what McCrimmon and company have been masters at for some time now.
Having Hart in the goaltending picture for the playoffs and possibly as a competitor to that of Logan Thompson may give the Golden Knights the opportunity to offload Lehner and/or Hutchinson and make Thompson and Hart a 1-2 goalie tandem in net for the foreseeable future. This creates a situation that every team in the NHL would be jealous of having.
The price will be high but the rewards would be golden and it gives Hart a chance to shine in a playoff atmosphere.
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