The Nicolas Hague trade market is one that's similar to the stock market. One day, you're all in on "da gainz lol" and reaping the rewards. The next, it cools off and you're questioning whether you should continue with your "diamond handz".
It was never meant to be easy, especially with the Vegas Golden Knights defenseman due for a sizable payday. He's a restricted free agent this offseason and could fetch a deal north of $4 million AAV. That's problematic for Kelly McCrimmon and company in many ways. How, you ask?
For starters, you must worry about paying Pavel Dorofeyev and Jack Eichel. Both players led the team in goals (Dorofeyev scored 35 goals this past season) and assists (Eichel had 66). After 2026, these players will come with a hefty price tag, complicating matters.
Are you going to hand out a big deal to Hague, even with uncertainty surrounding Alex Pietrangelo? Probably not, considering you must think of the future. That's what makes this whole situation complicated. You can't just keep him on board without thinking of the long-term consequences.
With that, let's come up with three packages that would get the most from the defenseman. To some, they might not be perfect for a player like Hague. However, it's better than getting nothing (or coal, since nobody likes that). Here are three dream packages (that probably won't happen) if his price is too high.
1.) Detroit Red Wings
Let's face it. It's likely McCrimmon just gets one draft pick in a Nicolas Hague. He's mainly a defenseman who's a big body, making life miserable for incoming attackers. That's it. Yeah, it can be a cruel world out there.
But what if Kelly McCrimmon could pull off two picks in one trade? Mind you, he's not necessarily looking for a first-round pick since he'll just give that up anyway. Detroit has 23 picks in the next three drafts, making for a prime opportunity for the Golden Knights to strike.
After all, Hague was a second-round pick when selected. You want to get more for your pick, which is what McCrimmon gets here. He has two picks to replenish his farm system or ammo for a trade. Ultimately, it's a win-win for the Golden Knights as they make future salary cap space.
2.) Montreal Canadiens
Now, the Canadiens have 28 picks in the next three drafts, giving them more ammunition than the Red Wings. They're also a team that broke through into the Stanley Cup playoffs. They could use a 6'6" defenseman who can hit hard and clog passing lanes.
This is more of a "pie in the sky" trade compared to the Detroit deal. However, this gives Vegas better ammo to build a viable team in the future. McCrimmon can even find Hague's replacement in this year's draft (think of Carter Amico).
3.) Pittsburgh Penguins
What if you could combine the cap space of Detroit and the draft picks of Montreal to create the ultimate destination for Nicolas Hague? Well, you're in the right place. The Pittsburgh Penguins have both attributes, boasting $23,725,237 in cap space and 30 draft picks in the next three seasons.
Therefore, we must go beyond that pie in the sky. We must reach for the depths beyond the sky and into outer space. Granted, this will never happen, given that the Penguins wouldn't dare give up that much.
But wouldn't it be nice to get better prospects and make the farm system respectable on a skater level? That would give McCrimmon even more ammunition to work with while clearing up future cap space, making the Golden Knights a long-lasting threat.
Three better draft picks? Sign me up!