Last summer, Kelly McCrimmon struck gold in the free agent market. The general manager signed two low-risk players on prove-it deals to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The first? Victor Olofsson, who signed a one-year, $1.075 million deal. He scored 15 goals and 14 assists with the Golden Knights, with six goals on the power play.
The other? Tanner Pearson, who converted his PTO into a one-year, $775,000 deal. The former first-round draft pick scored 12 goals and 15 assists, experiencing a renaissance in his hockey career.
These two bargain finds proved that the Golden Knights are excellent at getting the most bang for their buck. One key power play contributor was signed for barely over $1 million, while a solid fourth-line scoring winger made less than that. Gee, it's like he knows what he's doing.
But that brings us back to the bargain bin, an overlooked place where general managers go dumpster-diving for the next big steal. Expect McCrimmon to do some diving this offseason as he works on giving Jack Eichel his long-awaited contract extension.
Still, let's look at three players who could be an absolute bargain for Vegas. These players have plenty to prove, having been overlooked after having productive seasons in prior years (Projections from ScotiaStats).
1.) Kasperi Kapanen
Vegas Golden Knights fans remember when Kasperi Kapanen was causing chaos and trouble in the second round. The Finnish forward scored the game-winning goal in Game 5 that ended the series.
This season, he's been relatively quiet offensively. Kapanen scored five goals and eight assists with the Edmonton Oilers. However, he's shown signs of life before with a stellar 2018-19 campaign with the Toronto Maple Leafs (20 goals and 24 assists). Mix in a gritty style and he'd be perfect for the Golden Knights.
On top of that, he's 28 years old. A projected two-year deal worth $1.5 million AAV sounds reasonable as a prove-it deal of sorts. McCrimmon has issued similar contracts to players like Victor Olofsson, watching them return to form.
2.) Christian Fischer
You know, I was looking at Christian Fischer's profile on Hockey Reference. Did you know that his nickname is "Stinky?" Seriously. Look it up. The man must smell like a pro wrestling convention.
Anyway, McCrimmon could use a man like "Stinky." Like Kapanen, Fischer can make the most from a prove-it deal. He only had one goal and six assists with both the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets in 2024-25. However, the 28-year-old has also had productive seasons.
Just look at his 2017-18 campaign with the Arizona Coyotes (R.I.P.). You can also point to the season after that (11 goals and seven assists), along with his 2022-23 year with the Coyotes (13 goals and 14 assists) and last season with the Detroit Red Wings (five goals and 14 assists).
Fischer is slated to get a one-year deal worth roughly $1 million. The Chicago native would add winger depth and benefit from playing on a line alongside William Karlsson.
3.) Tanner Jeannot
Now, Tanner Jeannot might be slightly more expensive. He's projected to get a three-year deal worth around $2.2 million. However, he did have a solid 2021-22 campaign with the Nashville Predators (24 goals and 17 assists).
Jeannot is also a physical player, amassing 211 hits last season. His 2021-22 campaign also saw him make 318 hits, putting him in the Calder Trophy conversation.
Let's face it. The Golden Knights play more of a finesse game than in years past. Sure, they might've accumulated 199 hits during the second round. However, Keegan Kolesar would benefit greatly from having an opposing winger with a similar style. Luckily, Jeannot would provide some toughness for Vegas.