When the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, it signaled that the team was ready to go all-in on its Stanley Cup window. Of course, you could say that when Kelly McCrimmon acquired names like, I don't know, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, or Tomas Hertl, to name a few.
Take your pick from the names that McCrimmon went all-in on to sacrifice some first-round picks to the hockey gods. Whatever the case, the general manager is serious about bringing as many Stanley Cups to Las Vegas as possible. Oh sure, there are some haters that don't like the Golden Knights for that reason. But when have these people ever stopped Vegas from achieving its dream?
Therefore, it shouldn't surprise people that the Golden Knights are still in on big names. They were mentioned in the Artemi Panarin rumors before he eventually wound up in Los Angeles. In fact, you can make the case that they're in on literally anybody because of McCrimmon.
That leaves us with the big question: are there any more moves for McCrimmon to make before the trade deadline? Or is he tapped out and resting his laurels for the rest of the season? Let's lay out the terms and see where the Golden Knights stand. That way, we can determine if there's anything else that the team can do.
Laying out the scenario for the Vegas Golden Knights before the trade deadline
Let's start with the salary cap space for the Golden Knights. They have $3,808,376 in deadline cap space as of Friday, giving them some leeway to make another move or two (according to PuckPedia). There are also looming questions surrounding certain players and their return dates.
Therefore, there are plenty of variables to look at here. But let's also look at the picks for this year's NHL Draft and beyond. Here's where Vegas stands for the next three draft iterations, should they explore another trade.
Year | Total Picks | First-Round Draft Pick? |
|---|---|---|
2026 | 5 | No |
2027 | 6 | No |
2028 | 6 | Yes |
The pick situation, combined with the prospect pool, leaves Vegas with little wiggle room to operate on the future expendables front. McCrimmon would have to move mountains to make a sizable move if he wanted to add more at this season's trade deadline.
For these reasons, it doesn't seem likely that they'll budge on making another move. That becomes less likely should the goaltending pick up its play. Adin Hill showed that he still has it in Thursday's 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings and Akira Schmid has been serviceable for the Golden Knights. If the situation turns around, that's one less move that Vegas should make.
Hockey fans should never count out Kelly McCrimmon, even if it means sacrificing certain players on the roster
Over the years, Kelly McCrimmon hasn't been one to shy away from making subtle roster changes. He's traded away key players like Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud to form a roster filled with superstars. Of course, that has also come with top picks like Peyton Krebs and David Edstrom being sent away.
That's what makes this situation particularly interesting. McCrimmon isn't one to stop adding if there are improvements to be made. Just look at the 2024 trade deadline, where he added Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl. Lo and behold, they've become part of the Golden Knights' Stanley Cup picture.
The cards might say that the general manager appears to be done—for now. They got their big name in Rasmus Andersson and gave away a sizable haul for his services. However, creative general managers like McCrimmon can pull off blockbuster deals without breaking a sweat, leaving experts and rival front offices on their toes.
That's the beauty of being the Golden Knights, too. The sheer unpredictability makes them the frontrunners for anybody when the situation calls for it. Don't sleep on Vegas's front office in the coming months!