The Vegas Golden Knights don't have much of a prospect pool, aside from a few names. First, their goaltending group is decent, starting with Carl Lindbom. The Swedish netminder had a GAA of 2.65 and a save percentage of .912 in his first season with the Henderson Silver Knights. Not bad, eh?
However, one name has slipped under the radar and people haven't noticed yet. In fact, he had a decent rookie year with the Golden Knights, scoring 10 assists in 40 games. His name? Kaeden Korczak.
Scouts can't stop raving about Korczak's potential as a top-six defenseman. For one, he plays similar to Brayden McNabb. He's constantly using his body to block shots or disrupt the play, making him a nightmare for opposing forwards.
Such engaging play also comes with solid complementary offense, where his fresh legs can skate up and down with the attack. It's no wonder he got double-digits in the assist category in his first campaign.
However, there's a growing belief that he's capable of much more. I know what you're thinking, dear reader.
"What are you implying with that, Jacob? You can't possibly say he'll get a spot in the starting six."
Well, dear reader. That's EXACTLY what I'm saying. There's only one problem, though. The blue line is crowded with people who can start for the Golden Knights. Oh, what's a general manager like Kelly McCrimmon to do?
It's high time for Kelly McCrimmon to make a move and trade a defenseman
When you have eight viable blue liners who can start for an NHL team, it's tough moving pieces around. Sure, the depth's nice and all, especially when the injury bug kicks in. However, you can only have so many mouths to feed unless you want to do an 11-7 format.
Even with that, it's tough to fit everyone on board. The Golden Knights' defensive situation is even more complex.
Defenseman #1 | Defenseman #2 |
|---|---|
Alex Pietrangelo (35) | Noah Hanifin (28) |
Brayden McNabb (34) | Shea Theodore (29) |
Zach Whitecloud (28) | Nicolas Hague (26) |
Add Ben Hutton (32 years old) and a young Korczak (24) to the mix, and things get messy. The good news for the native of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, is that he's the youngest of the bunch. He also carries the lightest cap hit of the eight defensemen at $825,000.
Fans know that Kelly McCrimmon loves to make cost-cutting moves when necessary. Locking in Keegan Kolesar ($2.5 million AAV in his next contract) and Brett Howden ($2.5 million AAV in his next contract) is a great starting point for a team looking to save on the salary cap.
That's why fans are eyeing the defenseman group as the next spot for a move. Plenty of names will pop up in the trade market, whether by old age, an incoming contract, or sheer necessity.
Two defensemen come to mind for making room
When looking at the defenseman group, one name sticks out for his age. Alex Pietrangelo is 35 years old and has seen his production drop since the 2022-23 season.
Season | Goals | Assists | Blocked Shots | Hits | Takeaways | Giveaways |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | 11 | 43 | 177 | 65 | 56 | 52 |
2023-24 | 4 | 29 | 160 | 46 | 50 | 40 |
2024-25 | 4 | 29 | 139 | 41 | 25 | 106 |
However, he also carries an $8.8 million cap hit until 2028, taking him out of the equation. The same can be said for Noah Hanifin and his $7.35 million cap hit until 2032. Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore got new deals that'll keep them around, which takes them out, too.
That leaves us with Nicolas Hague and Zach Whitecloud. Now, Whitecloud's a free agent after 2027-28. However, he also carries a $2.75 million cap hit and doesn't have a no-move clause. As for Hague? He's due for more money and arbitration rights as a restricted free agent.
It's more likely Hague gets moved based on his upcoming deal eating a chunk of the salary cap (offer sheet, anyone?). However, it's not out of the question that Whitecloud will get moved himself. His cap hit is friendly and he hasn't shown much on offense.
Regardless, Kaeden Korczak should be a full-time defenseman next season. He has everything needed from a defensive defenseman and can replace one of the two current starters. Don't be surprised if you see the Henderson Silver Knights alum skating around T-Mobile Arena next season! Huzzah!