The Three Biggest Home Run Signings in Golden Knights History

The Vegas Golden Knights are a unique team in that they acquire many players via trade. That's how Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Noah Hanifin came on board, after all. When general manager Kelly McCrimmon wants a player, he'll swing a deal.

But there have also been "home run" signings in Golden Knights history. Whether it's a lockdown defenseman or a goal-scoring forward, Vegas knows how to "hit it out of the park." Granted, there are some signings that the Golden Knights "strike out" on. However, the Golden Knights are masters at "batting 1.000" in the free agency market.

In case you're wondering why these baseball terms are being used, it's because Opening Day is a couple of days away. With the Oakland A's on their way to Las Vegas (supposedly), it's time to see where the Vegas Golden Knights hit their home runs. Now, let's play ball!

1. Alex Pietrangelo

In 2020, the Vegas Golden Knights signed Alex Pietrangelo to a seven-year, $61.6 million deal. The former St. Louis Blue was the best defenseman on the market, giving the Golden Knights the opportunity to make a splash.

The defenseman has made the Vegas Golden Knights blue line exceptional, turning the unit into one of the NHL's finest. The Canadian star uses every part of himself defensively, whether it's blocking shots (576 in four seasons) or taking the puck away (222 takeaways in four seasons).

He's also been an incredible offensive force, notching 118 assists in four seasons with the Golden Knights. That extends to the power play, where Pietrangelo has 35 power play assists in his Golden Knights career.

2. Logan Thompson

From a value standpoint, this is a fantastic deal for the Vegas Golden Knights. After spending time in the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings, Logan Thompson went undrafted. Eventually, the Golden Knights signed the Calgary native to a two-year, $1.6 million deal in 2020.

The result? 96 games with the Golden Knights, where he has a GAA of 2.68, a save percentage of .912, and an adjusted GAA of 2.74. The goaltender has been an underrated signing for the Golden Knights, giving themselves netminding help.

3. Paul Stastny

A lesser-known signing for the Vegas Golden Knights has been Paul Stastny. The native of Quebec City provided center depth, adding some defensive acumen to the Golden Knights along the way.

In his two seasons with the Golden Knights, Stastny scored 30 goals and 50 assists. While he was eventually traded to the Winnipeg Jets, the three-year deal worth $19.5 million he signed in 2018 gave the Golden Knights an offensive boost.