It's good to be a Vegas Golden Knights fan. You're spoiled with an aggressive front office that goes hard for every superstar imaginable, along with an ownership group that cares deeply about the fans. You know what Mel Brooks once said.
"It's good to be the king."
Well, guess what, dear reader? Bleacher Report came up with a trade proposal that appears... a little controversial on the surface. It involves Olympic gold medalist Connor Hellebuyck going to the Vegas Golden Knights. The outgoing package? Adin Hill, a 2028 first-round draft pick, and... Braeden Bowman.
Admittedly, the author concedes that the offer isn't the best. But there's an interesting reason why Bowman is included in this deal. He's young and could offer Winnipeg a youth injection for its rebuild. Plus, he's coming off an impressive rookie season, where he scored eight goals and 18 assists last season.
However, Bowman is getting paid $912,500 this season, leaving the Golden Knights a little short of matching Hellebuyck's salary (barring retention, of course). That means that another player would go in a potential deal.
Regardless, the proposed trade does have its pros and cons. Are fans willing to let go of Braeden Bowman to truly go all-in on the Stanley Cup window? What about parting with a couple of high draft picks?
The pros of the Vegas Golden Knights acquiring Connor Hellebuyck
Let's be honest for a second. Kelly McCrimmon has never shied away from trading anybody to get what he wants. It doesn't matter if it's Alex Tuch going East or Keegan Kolesar being dealt for more cap space. The general manager will work the salary cap to get whoever he desires.
That includes Hellebuyck, who's been a proven NHL commodity. He's won the Hart Memorial Trophy, an Olympic gold medal, and Vezina Trophies galore. These accomplishments alone will make him enticing for the Golden Knights to consider.
Plus, Adin Hill's been rumored to be on the trade block for some time. Throw in Bowman's contract, which doesn't have a no-trade clause, and things get interesting. Although an additional player could be needed for a deal, barring retention, it's still possible to do so because of McCrimmon's prior work.
The problem with the proposed Connor Hellebuyck trade to the Golden Knights
The news surrounding Connor Hellebuyck in recent weeks has been that the trade offers have been, well, lackluster. Not a single team came up with a sufficient trade offer to land the Hart Memorial Trophy winner, leaving him stuck in Winnipeg. That goes for this deal, which won't whet the appetite of the Jets.
Perhaps an additional high draft pick can help the Golden Knights here. Maybe another first-round pick can go to the Jets in return, specifically since Hellebuyck comes with a massive price tag. Either way, Vegas might not have the assets to pull off a trade. Plus, how can you move off Hill if it was hard to trade him during the summer, specifically with his 10-team no-trade list?
Still, that hasn't stopped Kelly McCrimmon from making such trades in the past. He dealt Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and a couple of high draft picks to the Buffalo Sabres for Jack Eichel. Of course, a third-round draft pick in the 2023 NHL Draft came back to Vegas. But the point is still that McCrimmon will do whatever it takes to pull off an enticing offer.
That includes Hellebuyck, who can be the ideal upgrade in net for Vegas. Yes, some concerns about his age persist that will give fans pause. But the same thing was said about Marc-Andre Fleury and he did fine for the most part.
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