Let's play a game, dear reader. It's called "Don't Name Mitch Marner As A Dream Signing." The objective? Simple: don't name Mitch Marner as a dream signing.
Sounds challenging, doesn't it?
Everyone and their grandmothers would love to have the 28-year-old winger on their team. He'd be the ultimate top-line forward, complementing every player imaginable. It doesn't matter if it's Jack Eichel, Nathan MacKinnon, or Matthew Tkachuk.
However, four other dream signings come to mind for the Vegas Golden Knights in free agency. These players can make an impressive impact on the team, bolstering their top-six forward group.
Of course, it's a tall order to ask for these players to be signed, whether it's the cap hit or the positional need. Still, let's get our sleeping masks and relaxing music on and doze off into the night, shall we?
1.) Brock Boeser
If the Vegas Golden Knights don't get Mitch Marner in free agency, Brock Boeser would be an excellent fallback option. He scored 40 goals in 2023-24 with 16 coming on the power play.
He's the type of top-six winger the Golden Knights desperately need. Boeser possesses quick feet and excellent puck-handling. He also can spot defensive breakdowns and attack accordingly, making him the ultimate weapon.
In fact, he's likely to be a better fit for Vegas than Marner would. Boeser plays more like a goal-scorer who uses his hard shot whenever possible. Marner acts more like a distributor who forechecks. But, hey. That could change with a new philosophy. Speaking of Brocks...
2.) Brock Nelson
Now, it's likely that this Brock will be sticking around with the Colorado Avalanche. Both sides share a mutual interest in getting a contract extension going during the summer.
But let's think how fun he would be as a short-term addition. For one, he scored 26 goals and 30 assists this season with the New York Islanders and the Colorado Avalanche. The cherry on top? He's hit the double-digit mark in goals in every season of his career.
On that note, he's a reliable 20+ goal-scorer, hitting the mark in the past four seasons. If the Golden Knights are looking to shoot the puck more, getting a guy with 2,111 career shots isn't a bad idea.
3.) Sam Bennett
The Golden Knights don't necessarily need any more centers. Having a team consisting of Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, and William Karlsson is more than enough to get you by.
Besides, trading away Roy just to tack on a bigger salary cap hit would be redundant. It would be the most uncharacteristic move that Kelly McCrimmon has ever done. Thus, this signing is merely a dream (like life on a boat).
But scoring 25 goals this season sounds like a noticeable upgrade. On that note, he's scored 20 or more goals in three of the past four seasons. Crazier things have happened in life, you know!
4.) Nikolaj Ehlers
It's been mentioned plenty of times on here. Still, it bears repeating.
This would be another solid top-six signing for Kelly McCrimmon to consider if Mitch Marner signs elsewhere. For one, he scored 24 goals and 39 assists with the Winnipeg Jets this season.
Being 29 years old also helps, especially since the Golden Knights need a free agent who's under 30. Consider the fact that the Danish forward has totaled double digits in goals in each season and it's a dream signing.
Of course, he does have an injury history. But it would be a great signing for Kelly McCrimmon if the Marner plan falls apart. After all, you're getting atop-six forward at a reasonable price, as mentioned (Ehlers is projected to make $8 million, according to ScotiaStats).