3 Golden Knights prospects who could be traded this offseason

Death, taxes, and the Vegas Golden Knights trading away prospects and picks. It's been the norm for the franchise since its inception, with the team capitalizing on their instant success. After all, you can't be a Stanley Cup champion without acquiring a few big names, right? That means parting with younger players to make it happen.

That includes prospects such as Zach Dean and Peyton Krebs. These names brought in players like Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, stars who helped the Golden Knights win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Without these superstars, Vegas has no stable top line and would still be searching for a hard-hitting winger. Luckily, that's not the real world and the Golden Knights have their championship.

Now, the Golden Knights are in the middle of a salary cap crunch, only having $1,360,017 in cap space (LTIR included) to work with. Therefore, it's expected that they'll hold off on making a league-breaking move... for now. However, it's tough for opposing general managers to read Kelly McCrimmon and his next move. The opposite could also be true for the Golden Knights, for they could look into acquiring a Patrik Laine or Mitch Marner.

Whatever the case, a laundry list of names could be on the trading block should Vegas choose the latter. Want a defenseman? Perhaps Dysin Mayo and Lukas Cormier are up to your liking. What about a young winger? There are names like Trevor Connelly and Matyas Sapovaliv that could be dealt. Here are three players that could be swapped for a bigger name.

Lukas Cormier

Now, there's a good chance Cormier could stay with the Golden Knights. Both Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb are free agents after this season, leaving a third of the starting six defensemen gone. That means prospects like Kaeden Korczak and Lukas Cormier could fill those slots. There's an argument to be made that the Vegas Golden Knights keep him, especially since he's a younger, cheaper alternative.

However, there's also the case that the Golden Knights could deal him in a trade involving Mitch Marner or Patrik Laine. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets are looking for a good haul, meaning reputable names would be traded to acquire their star player's services. Enter Lukas Cormier, who's becoming a reputable prospect in Vegas's farm system.

He's scored 14 goals and 41 assists in two seasons with the Henderson Silver Knights, making him one of the better offensively-minded defensemen. Therefore, he'll be a name brought up in trade talks. While it doesn't seem like he'll be dealt for a big name on the surface, this is the Golden Knights we're talking about here. If Kelly McCrimmon wants to make a big trade, he'll work one, prospects be damned.

Trevor Connelly

When the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks in March, they moved David Edstrom as one of the pieces. Mind you, Edstrom was a first-round draft pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, giving him little time to settle into the Golden Knights organization. With that stipulation, it makes trading this prospect more plausible: Trevor Connelly.

There are plenty of reasons why a deal won't happen. For one, he has tremendous offensive upside and can dictate the play. Considering the Golden Knights are lacking in their farm system, it would make sense to hold onto him and develop him into a top-six forward. Plus, his off-ice issues could repel teams from biting on a deal. Add in a tight salary cap and a deal probably won't happen.

Still, if the Golden Knights wanted a player like Mitch Marner, Connelly would be a name that'd pop up. It would reduce the outgoing parts on Vegas's parts, where they could potentially avoid dealing future draft picks. It also goes back to their trade-happy nature, where they're cashing in on their Stanley Cup contention window. McCrimmon didn't care that David Edstrom was a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. He acquired Hertl for him anyway, hoping to boost their offensive output.