Ladies and gentlemen, it seems like the Vegas Golden Knights are truly going after Mitch Marner.
Much to the chagrin of the rest of the NHL, Kelly McCrimmon has felt the salty tears of Maple Leafs fans in Toronto and decided to anger the hockey world. Already dealing with bitter Canadian hockey fans who complain non-stop about state income taxes (since their teams can't win a Stanley Cup in the new millenium), the Golden Knights are preparing to become the new "Evil Empire."
Of course, it's not without some sort of sacrifice. Tomas Hertl's name has already been thrown out in the trade rumor mill. Will that change before July 1st, when his no-trade clause gets cut to only a handful of teams? Stay tuned.
But Hertl isn't the only player involved in said rumors. Sportnet's Nick Kyperos is already speculating about the possibility of William Karlsson being traded. Coupled with Alex Pietrangelo's $8.8 million cap hit potentially hitting LTIR, that could clear more than enough cap space for the Golden Knights.
However, we've had this discussion before. Trading Karlsson would be akin to cutting off your nose to spite your face. He's a solid player who's beloved in the organization and the community. Surely, they wouldn't trade Karlsson to another team like Toronto... right?
Why the Golden Knights should trade Ivan Barbashev over William Karlsson
Let's be honest. Barbashev was supposed to be the top-line option that Jack Eichel needed to get to the next level. While Eichel has soared to new heights by setting the franchise record for single-season assists (66) and points (94), the Russian winger has stalled.
He's averaging 16 goals and 21 assists in three seasons with Vegas. Barbashev is also averaging 111 hits per season with the Golden Knights, providing an underwhelming performance for a top-liner.
Sure, you can compare William Karlsson's 2024-25 season and say Barbashev is the winner. You can also point to the 29-year-old coming to Las Vegas during the 2022-23 season. However, a three-season comparison shows one player being more reliable for Vegas (Golden Knights stats are applied for both players).
Player | Goals | Assists | Takeaways | Giveaways |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ivan Barbashev | 48 | 64 | 61 | 127 |
William Karlsson | 53 | 89 | 100 | 118 |
Who scores more goals? Karlsson.
Who's a better facilitator? Karlsson.
Who's a better forechecker? Karlsson.
Who handles the puck better? Karlsson.
Don't forget that both players carry similar cap hits (Barbashev has a $5 million cap hit, while Karlsson carries a $5.9 million cap hit). The Original Misfit's cap hit also comes off the books after the 2026-27 season, while the Russian winger will be off the books after the 2027-28 season. Add in Barbashev's eight-team no-trade list compared to Karlsson's 10-team list and the choice is clear.
In the long term, it makes more sense to let the Swedish center's cap hit run off the books. The salary cap will increase by that time, giving Kelly McCrimmon and company more wiggle room. You know what that means...
As for trading the Misfit? You can't just give someone up when they serve a purpose. How are you giving up a special teams player that adds scoring depth to your team? Hopefully, the talking heads in hockey learn this and look at another alternative. Wouldn't that be great for the rest of us?