Whenever one looks at a Picasso painting, they see art distorted in numerous ways. What are these odd shapes and where are these lines going? It leaves so much to the imagination, adding a new visual to the minds of its viewers. Perhaps it's the ecstasy kicking in. Who knows?
Speaking of which, it should shock nobody that the Vegas Golden Knights are the hottest ticket in Las Vegas again. They're tied atop the Pacific Division (72 points) before the start of the 4 Nations Face-Off. On top of that, they're a top-five team in the NHL. Now that's a piece of beautiful art. The critics and skeptics might've said that...
"ThIs IsN't A pLaYoFf TeAm! ThEy LoSt ThE fReNcH mAn!"
Well, dear critic. That French-Canadian is playing for a Nashville Predators team far from the playoff picture. Who knows? There could be three players from his former team that join him in a nationwide tour with Jelly Roll (it's not to say Jelly Roll is bad. He's actually an awesome musician).
But let's get back to the work of art for a second. These three players are the anti-thesis of art, where they could be heading out the door by the trade deadline. Could it be Brendan Brisson? Perhaps a move for John Gibson could bump a goaltender out. Here are three players that should be packing their bags and counting their days.
Brendan Brisson
Let's be honest. It hasn't been an inspiring start for Brendan Brisson in 2024-25. Dating back to the preseason, he was called for bad penalties that included a tripping call on Macklin Celebrini... in the first game. It hasn't been much better for the former first-round pick down in Henderson, either.
The 24-year-old only has five goals and 10 assists with the Silver Knights this season. That comes in 36 games, which is even more alarming considering how promising he looked in 15 games last season with the Vegas Golden Knights (two goals, six assists in 15 games). Talk about a fall from grace.
But there are some saving graces for him. First, he's still got plenty of time to develop, albeit it's running out quickly. The native of Manhattan Beach, California, has also shown flashes of brilliance in clutch situations, such as his game-winning goal on January 20, 2024. But that play better show up before he's sent to Buffalo for Alex Tuch.
Alexander Holtz
Like Brisson, Alexander Holtz has been severely underwhelming with the Golden Knights this season. He only has three goals and eight assists in 49 games in 2024-25. That comes with a Corsi of 49%, a Fenwick of 50%, and a shooting percentage on unblocked shots of 3%. It's gotten to the point where he's caught between being recalled to the main roster and being relegated to Henderson.
The same situation applies to the 22-year-old as his American counterpart. He has time to get his game right and make key adjustments. But he also has a short leash with Bruce Cassidy, meaning he could also be a part of an outgoing deal.
Zach Whitecloud
Originally, this was going to be Ilya Samsonov getting the boot. It still might considering he has a save percentage of .897 and a GAA of 2.72. Still, his goals save above expected (2.8) and save percentage on unblocked shots (.953) are decent. Therefore, he's likely to stick around should there be an emergency with Adin Hill.
Instead, let's pivot to Zach Whitecloud, who's been subjected to trade rumors for the past couple of seasons. The 28-year-old could fetch a passable return considering he's a pure defenseman. He has 69 blocked shots and 67 hits, all with a $2.75 million cap hit. While the hang-up is the length, that cap hit will be small enough for teams to not even think about.