Did you hear about the Original Misfit who had sudden buyer's remorse? No, it isn't William Carrier, nor is it Alex Tuch. The two former Vegas Golden Knights are happy in their new homes, competing for a Stanley Cup. Instead, we're talking about Jonathan Marchessault here.
It seems that there was some dissatisfaction with being on a non-Stanley Cup contender. Frank Seravalli appeared on the Halford & Baugh podcast and said that the former Conn Smythe winner has some regrets over being in Nashville. In fact, it's even gotten to the point where he's tried to escape for over a year.
"Jonathan Marchessault has been trying to get out of Nashville for more than a calendar year now."Frank Seravalli
It's rather easy to see why that's the case. The winger only has 32 goals and 45 assists in his two seasons with the Predators. He scored more goals in 2023-24 (42) than in those two seasons combined and nearly notched as many points in 2017-18 (75). I guess 11 goals and 10 assists aren't paying for your son's pee-wee hockey lessons, eh?
Marchessault is currently locked into a five-year deal worth $27.5 million. The deal carries an AAV of $5.5 million and has a full no-movement clause that modifies for the last season. Imagine trying to move that deal to somebody and selling them on an aging player.
The Golden Knights would be wise to not entertain an offer for Jonathan Marchessault
If you remember the contract negotiations between Kelly McCrimmon and the Conn Smythe winner, you'll remember that he wanted to remain a Golden Knight for the rest of his career. That sounds great and all, especially since he's one of the most successful Original Misfits in franchise history.
However, there were a couple of caveats with this. First, he stands at 5'9", which has many problems upon itself. You're more limited in what you can do, especially on the defensive end. Eventually, those offensive skills will deteriorate, which leads to point No. 2: his age.
Marchessault is 35 years old, which would create all sorts of problems for the Golden Knights. They're the NHL's third-oldest team, with an average age of 29.70. Adding another player over the age of 30 with Tomas Hertl and William Karlsson isn't ideal, even if it's to sell more tickets for nostalgia.
Therefore, it would be wise for the Golden Knights to move on. They're already all-in with their current Stanley Cup contender window and don't need any more older players. McCrimmon knew all of these things when negotiating with him and balked at a long-term deal as a result.
Fans have already seen some problems arise with the team having a veteran-heavy team for the season. They've seen players like Mark Stone slow down on the ice, leading them closer to breaking down. Why take on another older player that already has shown signs of regression? That's why a Golden Knights reunion straight out of Honky-Tonk land doesn't make sense.