When Jonathan Marchessault left the Vegas Golden Knights to sing alongside Dolly Parton in the summer of 2024, fans were shocked. They couldn't believe that the fan favorite, who scored 42 goals in 2023-24, picked up shop and went elsewhere.
Suddenly, the torches and pitchforks were out for Kelly McCrimmon. Fans couldn't believe that a beloved figure could suddenly leave town.
"How could you do this, McCrimmon?! You were the chosen one!"
"Fire McCrimmon! RIGHT NOW!"
The general manager heard it all and his seat was getting hot. He needed a response and he needed it fast. Lo and behold, the Golden Knights won the Pacific Division and got 50 wins and 110 points.
Not only that, but a new superstar emerged. His name? Pavel Dorofeyev. He led the team in goals scored (35) and had 13 power play goals. Mind you, Marchessault never touched double-digits in the power play category.
But rumors have popped up, stating that Nashville might trade the Original Misfit since he's open to it. He's not the happiest camper in "Honky Tonk Land" and he's underwhelmed with the system. Of course, that comes with a caveat: Nashville will only move him if they're blown away by an impressive deal, per David Pagnotta. Therefore, it's expected that nothing will happen with his no-move clause and a trade.
Teams have spoken to Nashville about Jonathan Marchessault, but there have been no discussions between the Preds & Marchessault’s camp about waiving his NMC. Maybe that changes but as of now, Preds do not expect to explore a trade involving the veteran winger.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 12, 2025
Could we see a reunion with an Original Misfit in the future?
Ironically, the discourse surrounding Reilly Smith never returning swirled around until this year. People were skeptical that Kelly McCrimmon would ever bring in a 34-year-old player to reunite with William Karlsson.
Yet here we are. What's more is that he's done well alongside Karlsson, evoking memories of old. The Misfit scored a shorthanded goal this postseason and scored three goals and eight assists in 21 games in his return.
Could that be the same for Marchessault? Well, it's complicated.
For one, the 34-year-old Marchessault scored 21 goals this past season. While that's a far cry from the 42 goals he scored the season prior, it's still worthy of consideration. The Conn Smythe winner could provide that for the Golden Knights in the future.
There's also the rising salary cap that makes this more palatable. He carries a cap hit of $5.5 million annually until 2029, which can be absorbed in a league with an increase to $113.5 million by 2027-28.
But there are some problems with the Golden Knights bringing back Jonathan Marchessault
First, there's the age problem itself. Marchessault, being 34 years old with a deteriorated defensive game, doesn't help matters. Combine that with scoring just half the goals from 2023-24 this past season and that makes it worse. Remember, hockey is a business first. The main objective is winning a Stanley Cup, not having a bunch of reunion tours.
Also, don't think that Kelly McCrimmon forgot about the fiasco that happened last summer. The "he said, he said" drama surrounding the Misfit and the general manager is something that'll live on until the Nashville Predators winger retires.
When looking at Smith and Marchessault, one major difference stands out. The Toronto native is willing to do whatever it takes to return to the Golden Knights. The other? He cared more about his son's peewee hockey lessons.
This isn't a Marc-Andre Fleury situation, where the relationship with his goaltender-backstabbing head coach got frosty. This was a guy who wanted more than McCrimmon could provide, causing an impasse between both sides.
Therefore, I don't foresee a final reunion unless it involves a final contract to retire as a Golden Knight. The two sides' fractured relationship, combined with the winger's age and size (5'9", 185 pounds), doesn't help matters.
Of course, they said this about LeBron James and Cleveland while he was partying in South Beach. Lo and behold, he returns to his native city and wins a championship. That could be the same thing with the Original Misfit and Las Vegas. Just don't expect Marchessault to dunk a basketball any time soon.