Making sense of the Golden Knights trades with New Jersey and Washington
The Vegas Golden Knights remodeled their roster, trading Paul Cotter and Loan Thompson. What did they get in return?
The city of Las Vegas was the epicenter of a busy hockey weekend, with the NHL Draft taking center stage at the Sphere. While interested teams were swooping picks up, a couple of major deals involving the hometown team, the Vegas Golden Knights, happened. They traded Paul Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick to the New Jersey Devils for goaltender Akira Schmid and forward Alexander Holtz.
The Golden Knights traded goaltender Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals for a 2024 third-round pick (spent on Belarusian goaltender, Pavel Moysevich) and a 2025 third-round pick. Overall, it was a productive weekend for Kelly McCrimmon, who secured younger talent while paving the way for big paydays.
With the looming expiring contracts of beloved stars such as Jack Eichel (two years left on his current deal), it makes sense that Vegas would move off Thompson's contract. The goaltender should fetch a sizable deal in the future, which would've restricted the franchise further. So why not avoid that deal and send him to a place where he can thrive?
As for Cotter, well, he had some growing to do. Sure, he was a fourth-line forward who delivered plenty of hits (233 hits in 2023-24). However, his play away from the puck left plenty to be desired. Therefore, McCrimmon went younger (somehow) and acquired Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid.
So who are the pieces acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights? Let's get to know these new players, along with the draft pick used in this year's draft. That way, Golden Knights fans can see what the team traded Logan Thompson and Paul Cotter for.
Pavel Moysevich, goaltender selected with the 83rd overall pick of the NHL Draft
With Thompson heading out of Las Vegas and into the nation's capital comes a third-round draft pick to replace him. Pavel Moysevich, formerly of SKA St. Petersburg fame, has a big frame. He stands at 6'5" and had a spectacular season with the franchise.
FWIW, Pavel Moysevich, who was just taken with one of the LT picks, had the highest save percentage and the lowest GAA in the KHL last season.
— Jack Manning (@NHLJackManning) June 29, 2024
At 19.
He's under contract until May 1, 2027.#VegasBorn
Having a GAA of 1.25 and a save percentage of .942 in 13 games is an impressive feat. If he can put up those numbers in a professional league like the KHL, he should have no problem translating to the NHL. It also makes the goaltending situation much more visible, with Thompson and Hill in the last year of their current deals.
His style is also simple: Shallow depth and short, sensible routes around the crease. Combined with his big frame, that makes him a tough matchup. It's enough to warrant attention from interested NHL teams, which drew the Vegas Golden Knights in. Add some nice goaltending prospects at the lower levels and Vegas should be set at net in the future.
It's hard letting go of a good, young goaltender like Logan Thompson. However, it was something he requested, for he wanted a better opportunity elsewhere. This deal has some upside with Moysevich alone with another third-round pick coming next year.
Alexander Holtz, Swedish forward
While the Logan Thompson trade doesn't look so appealing, the trade with the New Jersey Devils does. The Vegas Golden Knights traded a fourth-line player and a third-round pick next year to New Jersey for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid. So what does the 22-year-old Swedish forward bring to the table?
For one, he's proficient in the slot, specifically in high-danger situations (71% more productive). His knack for finishing the play and playing from the wing makes him desirable. The former first-round pick is also quick, coming with immaculate skating ability. He moves great laterally and can easily burst past defenders.
However, he isn't the best defensive player and must be more physical. That means winning more puck battles, which can be fixed with Bruce Cassidy as his head coach. Still, he's a budding goal scorer with 16 goals and 28 points in 2023-24. That's promising for a 22-year-old star whose ceiling is high.
Akira Schmid, goaltender acquired for Paul Cotter
The other piece to the Paul Cotter deal is none other than Akira Schmid, who's a restricted free agent this offseason. He has arbitration rights that grant him negotiating power for his next contract. The Swiss goaltender is also 24 years old, making him three years younger than Logan Thompson.
In 2023-24, Schmid was 5-9-1 with a GAA of 3.15 and a save percentage of .895 in 19 games. Although he had a down year from his previous campaign (9-5-2 with a GAA of 2.13 and a save percentage of .922 in 18 games), he's still a young No. 3 goaltender for Vegas behind Adin Hill.
The Vegas Golden Knights acquired a big goaltender in the Cotter trade, with Akira Schmid standing at 6'5". He still needs to develop his game and use his frame more. That starts with controlling his rebounds better and having more fluid movements.
However, this could also make Vegas's goaltender room strong again, along with being younger. With Jacob Markstrom heading to New Jersey, it made sense to spare another team a goaltender. That happened to be the Swiss goalie, who's heading to Las Vegas to play at T-Mobile Arena.
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