The Vegas Golden Knights officially have a ton of cap space to work with at the 2023 Trade Deadline as captain Mark Stone will not be returning to action before the playoffs. That means $9.5 million is freed up to do with what the team wishes. By the way Vegas has always been managed, that likely means going all out and adding the best possible players they can.
The Golden Knights have been linked to the top players on the market like Patrick Kane and Timo Meier, but they may not have the inside track. What they could pull off is a massive trade with the St. Louis Blues as they aren’t yet done selling and retooling their roster. Ivan Barbashev is their final pending UFA with good value that the team will be moving while the Blues are also looking to move at least one of their $6.5 million AAV defencemen. One of them has been linked to Vegas – Torey Krug.
Torey Krug’s Value
Though Krug’s $6.5 million per year isn’t exactly ideal, he’s still a good defenceman. He has reached the 40-point mark in seven of his nine NHL seasons and has five goals and 22 points in 40 games. He would reach the 40-point mark again if it weren’t for some games he missed. Krug may not be one of the very top offensive defencemen in the NHL, but the team knows what they will get from the 31-year-old. He can run a power play and is a solid top-four defenceman.
Related: St. Louis Blues’ Chances at Acquiring Timo Meier From Sharks
Why it will be a bit tricky to move Krug is due to the four years remaining on his deal and his no-trade clause that doesn’t switch over to a modified no-trade clause until 2025-26. He would have to accept a deal to Vegas, which would be probable considering the contender status they have each season, but also keep in the back of his mind he may not play out his full contract with the Golden Knights either.
In terms of Vegas’ interest, Elliotte Friedman linked them and Krug together. Acquiring someone like Krug would definitely bolster the defensive unit this season and force a move in the offseason at the latest. The Golden Knights have Alec Martinez, Brayden McNabb, and Nicolas Hague on the left side, Shea Theodore on the first power play, and Alex Pietrangelo on the second power-play unit. They could possibly run with seven defencemen and shift to using two defencemen on the power play with Stone out as the best way to fit Krug in without disrupting too much. He would definitely garner at least a first round pick and a prospect, but could be more with some salary retention.
Barbashev Heavily Linked to Vegas
It is well known that the Golden Knights are one of the leading contenders to land Barbashev at the trade deadline, especially with the injury to Stone. Barbashev has a playoff-style to his game and has lots of playoff experience with a Stanley Cup to his name already. He just so happens to have a low cap hit and is on an expiring contract.
Barbashev has a $2.25 million cap hit and can play any of the three forward positions. The Golden Knights have spread out their talent up front and attempted to give themselves more depth, so the Blues’ power forward can realistically slide in anywhere in the top-nine and make it better. His value is listed as a second round pick and a prospect, partly due to his low cap hit.
The Golden Knights would have to give up a fair amount, but the Western Conference is wide open and they have the opportunity to utilize the LTIR to their major advantage. If there was a year they should go for it, it would be this one.
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