Nick Robertson's summer was a wild ride. He expressed a burning desire to be traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs after each passing day without a new deal. That led to countless suitors being linked to the young forward, including the Vegas Golden Knights. Why wouldn't Kelly McCrimmon pass up the opportunity to scoop up another youthful winger? Imagine having Robertson AND Alexander Holtz on your team for the future.
Unfortunately, Golden Knights fans won't see that reality happen. At least, for now. Robertson signed a one-year, $875,000 deal to stay with the Maple Leafs, ending a summer-long standoff between the two sides. While it remains to be seen where both parties will stand in the upcoming months, a 23-year-old forward comes off the board. It seems like there's only one player left in the rumor mill for Vegas.
But could they still chase that dream and turn it into a reality? Do they stand a chance at re-entering if Toronto can't lock up Robertson long-term? Could Vegas have pulled off a team-friendly deal within their LTIR-included salary cap? Believe it or not, there could still be hope for the Golden Knights to pursue the young winger. But the bigger question is if it's worth it.
Is it still worth chasing Nick Robertson now if you're the Vegas Golden Knights?
The Toronto Maple Leafs have $400,333 in salary cap space after the Nick Robertson deal, meaning they're pinching pennies now. As for the winger, he'll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. He'll have some leverage for the next deal, leaving Toronto in a tighter position.
That's especially true with Mitch Marner needing a new deal himself. Like Robertson, he's been the subject of plenty of rumors throughout the summer. That's especially true with the Vegas Golden Knights, who seek a running mate alongside Jack Eichel. It could be a winning situation for Kelly McCrimmon if he plays his cards right...
...Or not. That could mean sacrificing a big contract for a certain franchise player. Winning means everything in today's NHL, where getting your big-name center means everything. In the case of Marner, it'll likely be too much money for getting the big fish. However, if Robertson's traded on his current deal, it could be more plausible to fit him in the lineup where he's not worth $11 million annually.
Why nothing will happen in the end with Kelly McCrimmon standing pat
Let's be honest. Getting Nick Robertson over to Vegas on his new deal sounds enticing, specifically with the notion he'll still be traded even with it. However, it seems like Kelly McCrimmon will stand pat and see how the lineup does during the regular season. The Golden Knights don't have much cap space like the Toronto Maple Leafs ($1,360,017 in LTIR-included cap space), leaving them stuck in a hard place.
Besides, Vegas already has plenty of upside with the wing position. The players are young and capable of putting up 20-30 goals in a season. Pavel Dorofeyev is making tremendous strides in his career (13 goals in 47 games last season), while Alexander Holtz still has something to prove (16 goals last season with New Jersey and is 22 years old). As for Brendan Brisson? He was impressive in his limited time with the team, showing how well he gels in the lineup.
As it stands, this would be one extra move that McCrimmon doesn't need to make unless he wants to be even cheaper and younger. The team also has notable size, which is lacking on Robertson's part. Sure, getting the youthful version of Jonathan Marchessault sounds nice on paper. But it doesn't fit the team's current philosophy of physical, two-way hockey.
Sometimes, it's best to let sleeping dogs lie in life. Some things aren't meant to be tinkered with too much. A perfect example of this is the Seattle Mariners, who are run by trade-happy Jerry DiPoto. The side effect of these trades has been stalled chemistry and missing postseason baseball. McCrimmon would be wise to avoid turning the Golden Knights into the Mariners, whether it's Robertson or Mitch Marner.