Remember when the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens worked a trade on September 10, 2018? Vegas sent Tomas Tatar, a 2019 second-round NHL Draft pick, and Nick Suzuki to Montreal, getting Max Pacioretty in return. At the time, it made sense given the reigning Western Conference champions wanted a Stanley Cup. Why not get a solid winger who scores goals from anywhere?
However, the trade favors the Canadiens now, with Suzuki becoming a key contributor alongside Cole Caufield. They're also accompanied by stars like Jake Evans, who give the team a scoring edge. As for Pacioretty? He burned his bridges with the Golden Knights and is signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on a PTO.
However, that doesn't stop the organization from rearranging and going all-in on its current contention window. That's why the Mitch Marner rumors are rampant, even as the regular season gets closer. Pundits describe the potential trade as a perfect fit, where the Leafs winger would work well with Jack Eichel.
Still, Kelly McCrimmon isn't going to trade for anybody. First, older stars sound nice. However, they must be a special talent (i.e. Steven Stamkos) for the general manager to consider them. Also, they must fit a certain role on the team or be flexible. The Golden Knights have plenty of center and defensive talent, meaning they don't need anything regarding this position... for now.
That leaves us with three more trade targets for Vegas. McCrimmon will see what these players can do and how they'll fit within the lineup. For example, you can't expect Marner, Kirill Marchenko, or Frank Vatrano to be fourth-line players. Let's look into the crystal ball and see who could be in Las Vegas soon (assuming Vegas is contending come March).
Jake Evans
The Vegas Golden Knights could use a winger for more depth. When you lose a superstar in Jonathan Marchessault and lower-line talent such as Michael Amadio, you're hoping to replace that production with quality talent. That's where Jake Evans comes in, for he's a versatile forward who can play center and right wing.
Last season with the Montreal Canadiens, he scored 21 assists and had a faceoff winning percentage of 52.2%. Fans can also expect him to block shots, for he had 65 in 2024-25. The cherry on top is he's excellent at killing penalties, where he uses his speed to move quickly. Think of him as a Teddy Blueger-type player, where he plays on the lower lines and acts as a special teams player.
The forward would be good as a depth piece for the Golden Knights. The best part is Evans only carries a small cap hit of $1.7 million, which is a reasonable price for Kelly McCrimmon. Granted, he's not a solid option like Frank Vatrano. But given that he's only 28 years old and is a nice special teams player, it's within the general manager's wheelhouse for acquisitions.