The Vegas Golden Knights don’t have an abundance of cap space, with just $1,949,170 left of house money to play with. However, the season is long, even longer this year with 84 games, meaning at some point the club will face adversity and need reinforcements. Throughout their 10-year history, the Golden Knights have never shied away from making a trade or two, which means at some point General Manager Kelly McCrimmon will be on the phone with someone.
Although Vegas fans would love to acquire superstar players like Connor Hellebuyck, Quinn Hughes, or even future unrestricted free agent Nikita Kucherov, it’s not going to happen. Even with the salary cap going up, captain Mark Stone and William Karlsson will be up for new deals at the end of 2026-27, and they are priorities. Moreover, the team’s top four defensemen are locked up long term, so who should McCrimmon target in the trade market?
Today, we look at players who will be UFA’s next summer and are working on the last year of their current deals. Financially, the numbers don’t make sense in September, but as I mentioned, the season is long, and money usually becomes available when the calendar flips.
3 Intriguing trade targets for the Golden Knights
Blake Coleman - Minnesota Wild
Blake Coleman is the oldest of the bunch on this list, going into next season at 35. However, he is playing out the final year of a six-year pact he signed with the Calgary Flames in 2021 with a modest $4.9 million AAV. Coleman is a veteran leader who won two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning at the beginning of the decade and would prove an invaluable asset in the Golden Knights’ bottom six. Moreover, he could sign a cheaper deal to skate with a contender in the twilight of his career. In 10 seasons, Coleman has 170 goals and 325 points in 693 games with 65 games of playoff experience.
Drake Batherson - Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators may find themselves in a tough spot this year, with things only getting worse if they don’t qualify for the playoffs. One of their young stars, Drake Batherson, is coming off a 33-goal campaign and makes just $4.975 million. He’s due for a significant pay increase, since he’s tallied 109 goals in the past four seasons. As a four-time 20-goal scorer, Batherson will command big dollars in free agency next summer, but not to the same level Pavel Dorofeyev did when he left Vegas for New York. At just 28, it appears he’s hitting his stride in the NHL and could be a big contributor on a contending team at a salary well under $10 million. As we said, the math doesn’t add up right now, but next summer could mark a significant turning point in franchise history, and new blood could come via a trade.
Jason Robertson - Dallas Stars
In potentially one of the wildest moves of all-time, the Golden Knights should try to acquire Jason Robertson, the Dallas Stars’ best player in more than a decade. It’s no secret that he wants to play in a contending market, having previously turned down a big contract offer from the Seattle Kraken. As a multi-time 40-goal scorer, Robertson could switch divisions and remain in the Western Conference, where he’s played his entire career. Considering the Golden Knights already have Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden to anchor their top lines on the left wing, the club would need to move at least one of them. At just 27, Robertson is in his prime and wants to sign one mega seven-year deal and win the Stanley Cup. He could do both of those in Vegas and would be worth pursuing, even if it meant sacrificing an Original Misfit or a player on a long-term contract.
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