It also gives the Golden Knights room to sign a superstar
It's a longshot to happen, given Edmonton and Vegas will want to give their franchise faces contract extensions. But there's actually some room for Kelly McCrimmon to have both Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid on the Vegas Golden Knights. There could be $8.8 million for the general manager to work with when it's all said and done, giving the NHL more reasons to break down like their team missed a game-winning field goal.
Of course, this is also dependent on what happens the offseason prior, where getting players like Hague on board will help the team in the future. Don't forget there are other players on the last year of their current deals looking for an extension. Still, it's a fun possibility to think about, especially when 31 other fanbases are melting down because of it.
But McDavid's is most likely going to be out of the picture. Why not turn to other names such as Thatcher Demko, who becomes a free agent in 2026? Maybe Kyle Connor or Kirill Kaprizov are worth a look during the 2027 summer if they hit the market. Whatever the case, McCrimmon can strike on another superstar if the price and terms are right.
Whatever the case, that increase gives him an advantage in negotiating deals for the Golden Knights. Say you're McDavid (or any megastar, for that matter) and you're choosing between Edmonton and Las Vegas. Where would you go? Would you rather go to Canada, where you pay a tax rate of 33%? Or are you heading to Nevada and no state income tax? The choice would be obvious, even if some hockey fans want to complain about it.