You know, waking up to seeing the Vegas Golden Knights acquire Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals is something. Days after they picked up Cole Smith from the Nashville Predators, it appears that Kelly McCrimmon isn't done making moves yet. Out goes goaltending prospect Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third-round NHL Draft pick, and a 2029 second-round NHL Draft pick.
Like Smith, Dowd has been relatively quiet on the offensive end, scoring four goals and 12 points. But that's not what he's known for. Instead, it's his penalty killing, where he ranks 10th out of all forwards in shorthanded time per game (2:40).
🔄 OFFICIAL: The Golden Knights have acquired forward Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals in exchange for Jesper Vikman, a 2027 third-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) March 5, 2026
More details: https://t.co/polugq6uFq#VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/gJz0QxoLEo
And guess what? Kelly McCrimmon also gets another physical player, with Dowd amassing 113 hits. The Huntsville, Alabama native brings a $3 million cap hit and will be around until 2027, bringing more lower-line scoring to the Golden Knights.
Dowd brings some lower-line defense in McCrimmon's pursuit to bolster the structure surrounding the netminders. Dowd is essentially used like Colton Sissons, taking defensive zone face-offs. But he's also great at shutting down the biggest stars, whether that's Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, or Nathan MacKinnon. Gotta keep MacKinnon hot-headed as always, you know?
He also does a terrific job drawing penalties. Last season, he drew 18 penalties with the Capitals, making him Washington's version of Cole Reinhardt. Add 1,189 career hits with 276 career takeaways and you have a great defensive mind.
But what about Vikman? Let's be honest for a second. There was no way he was making the main roster with the prospect logjam (I know that sounds funny to say). Carl Lindbom and Cameron Whitehead have done wonders for the Golden Knights in recent years, making them the de facto future of Vegas's netminding. Therefore, he had to be offloaded.
Still, fans can appreciate McCrimmon's approach to fixing the Golden Knights' goaltending issues. Perhaps it takes adding more defensive-minded players to the mix instead of getting a goaltender worse than Adin Hill. Who knows? It might spark a turnaround in Las Vegas.