Speculation: 2018-19 roster

[LadyStanley]

NHL Trade Big Board: 20 players who could be on the move...

Athletic looks at 20 (familiar names) that might move. Some have been discussed in this thread. Knights are NOT specifically mentioned as a destination for any. (Article mainly looks at who might leave moreso than who might acquire players.)

(Paywall)

 

[Monsieur Miz]

You don't win cups with players like David Perron.

 

[mundyc3]

Really think people are too hard on Perron. He dealt with an injury going into the playoffs and high fever during. The guy just got disoriented out there by never getting back to his old comfortable self between the ailments

 

[razor ray]

 

[Hal 9000]

Guess Perron is ready to return.

Golden Knights, David Perron appear to have mutual interest in contract extension

Although he had a dismal playoffs, I like Perron. The problem is Tuch. Tuch has earned and proven that he should be a second line player, that leaves Perron for the third line, which I'm not wild about. I guess it depends on what his expectations are. It's the defence that obviously needs the most attention.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Really think people are too hard on Perron. He dealt with an injury going into the playoffs and high fever during. The guy just got disoriented out there by never getting back to his old comfortable self between the ailments

I mean, everybody deals with stuff in the playoffs and this isn't the first time he's struggled like this during the playoffs. He's like 30, there's enough prior evidence to think this is a fairly good measure of what to expect from him.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Perron has 4 playoff goals in nearly 60 playoff games.

The regular season is important, though. Letting both Perron and Neal walk without replacement has the potential to really hurt, if the top line doesn't play like an elite 1st line again next season.

Neal is going to get paid for his grit and goals. I'm not sure about Perron. He had the big season, but is the league going to pay him for a career year a decade in? I like the chances of finding the happy medium between AAV and term with Perron more so than Neal.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Perron has 4 playoff goals in nearly 60 playoff games.

The regular season is important, though. Letting both Perron and Neal walk without replacement has the potential to really hurt, if the top line doesn't play like an elite 1st line again next season.

Neal is going to get paid for his grit and goals. I'm not sure about Perron. He had the big season, but is the league going to pay him for a career year a decade in? I like the chances of finding the happy medium between AAV and term with Perron more so than Neal.

I think I agree with this assessment. It might also depend on which player took to the city better also, with regards to who might be likelier to take a smaller deal to stay if they liked it better. Right now, that seems like Perron too.

 

[The Duck Knight]

I'd give either Perron or Neal a similar offer of 3 years 5 per. If that isn't good enough then so be it.

 

[Vegan Knight]

I'd give either Perron or Neal a similar offer of 3 years 5 per. If that isn't good enough then so be it.

I would possibly go 4 or 5 years, since neither would probably take less, if it was structured in a way so those last two years had a way of us escaping relatively cleanly cap hit wise.

Like structured with no NTC in the final two years and less real money owed the last two years so maybe we could dump it with 1 million retained on a team after the third year for a nothing pick.

The cap will be higher in three years so even if either one turned into only a low 30-something point forward by that point, 4 million a year for two years, with less real money owed, would probably be doable for some GM around the league.

 

[BattleBorn]

Got to time the NTC/NMCs for Seattle. Even though the Knights are exempt, I'm guessing GMGM will want to make some moves depending on how things are going.

 

[LadyStanley]

FWIW, if signing guys to deals longer than two seasons, be aware that while VGK won't have to worry about probable expansion draft, there is a potential lockout to handle.

(That also might mean that VGK might be doing some trading of acquiring guys that other teams might have to expose.)

 

[Pirate Deadpool]

It seems like everyone wants to return, but how much of a home discount will they give? I think the amount of money can be less because of no state taxes, but term and asking for a no trade clause could be road blocks. If Perron and Neal can be signed while adding players like Tavares and Karlsson/Ryan this team will be deep for years to come. The caps killed us with 3rd and 4th line players. If we can hold on to Glass and Brannstrom while trading Theodore, Suzuki, and picks for EK, that's some great depth and a nice window for cup contention.

I would envision the wild Bill, Smith, and Marchy line to be the new 2nd line with Tavares, Tuch, and Tatar (I'm not hot on him but believe if he's on a line with Tavares he becomes real dangerous) being the top line we'll be good. Better yet would be a Haula, Perron, and Neal 3rd line. That would be 3 serious scoring lines and all would be balanced. Maybe the wild Bill line could swap Marchy for Tuch or Neal for more grit.

Or we keep all of our picks and go after Carlson or Green. Maybe there's another top line dman that we can acquire for less than EK too. There's tons of rumors of teams that might trade a top pairing dman because they are having cap issues. I know that everyone wants EK, but there's other players like Noah Hanifin that could help bring the team to the finals and hopefully win it this time that would be a little cheaper to acquire.

 

[LadyStanley]

31 Thoughts: Is Vegas thinking about re-visiting Erik Karlsson deal? - Sportsnet.ca

Friedman looking at potential EK65 acquisition by VGK

Edit....
And this interesting tidbit

Speaking of lucky (or unlucky) bounces, the NHL has tracked posts hit since 2010. The Vegas Golden Knights pinged three in both Games 3 and 4. That ties the most in any Cup Final game.

 

[Blue Goose]

Something to remember: McPhee specifically said that the reason he gave up what he did to get Tatar was because he had three more years on his contract and that the move was made with the future in mind. This season, Tatar got dropped into an overcrowded roster with established chemistry and didn't fit in (especially on a line being centered by Eakin). I imagine the plan the whole time was for Tatar to slot into the Top-6 next year to replace one of Perron/Neal, which is one of the main reasons why I don't see him being dealt and why I don't see both Perron/Neal coming back. If Tuch gets bumped to the Top-6, then that group is set.

It seems like everyone wants to return, but how much of a home discount will they give? I think the amount of money can be less because of no state taxes, but term and asking for a no trade clause could be road blocks. If Perron and Neal can be signed while adding players like Tavares and Karlsson/Ryan this team will be deep for years to come. The caps killed us with 3rd and 4th line players. If we can hold on to Glass and Brannstrom while trading Theodore, Suzuki, and picks for EK, that's some great depth and a nice window for cup contention.

I would envision the wild Bill, Smith, and Marchy line to be the new 2nd line with Tavares, Tuch, and Tatar (I'm not hot on him but believe if he's on a line with Tavares he becomes real dangerous) being the top line we'll be good. Better yet would be a Haula, Perron, and Neal 3rd line. That would be 3 serious scoring lines and all would be balanced. Maybe the wild Bill line could swap Marchy for Tuch or Neal for more grit.

I'll be honest, I'm starting to come around on the idea of signing Tavares - one of the expected problems coming out of the expansion draft was that we wouldn't have a #1C. Getting an elite #1C at age 28 wouldn't hamper our cap necessarily, but it would definitely rule out re-signing Perron AND Neal. The best part of a Tavares signing is that it would slot our centers into their natural spot: Bill did great in the #1C spot, but I'm not sure it can be replicated - I think he'd be a fantastic #2C. Likewise, Haula was a solid #2C but he'd be a dynamite #3C. The only issue with bringing in Tavares is what do you do with Eakin? Not sure he has much trade value, and his $3.85M cap hit isn't helping matters. If we don't get Tavares, then we run with the same centers for another year, with Eakin serving a place-holder while we wait for Cody Glass.

Assuming the 4th line stays intact and we let Reaves walk (which is my hope), the only question marks would be the 3rd line:

Marchy - Wild Bill - Reilly (the "Wildcat" line)
Tatar - Haula - Tuch
Lindberg / Hyka / Eakin / Carpenter
Carrier - Bellemare - Nosek

I know Hyka has one more year of waiver eligibility and can be sent down, but re-signing both Perron and Neal not only affects our cap long-term, but also banishes Lindberg and Carpenter to the press box indefinitely. It seems like the teams who win the Cup in this league do so with cheap depth forwards to complement their star players, so I would think one of Lindberg/Carpenter will have a roster spot on opening night. Plus, I don't see Perron getting less than $5M or Neal getting less than $6M on their next deals - signing them really puts us in a cap crunch next summer, since we need to give new deals to: Wild Bill, Tuch, Miller, Theodore (if he isn't traded), Schmidt, Fleury and potentially Erik Karlsson.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Something to remember: McPhee specifically said that the reason he gave up what he did to get Tatar was because he had three more years on his contract and that the move was made with the future in mind. This season, Tatar got dropped into an overcrowded roster with established chemistry and didn't fit in (especially on a line being centered by Eakin). I imagine the plan the whole time was for Tatar to slot into the Top-6 next year to replace one of Perron/Neal, which is one of the main reasons why I don't see him being dealt and why I don't see both Perron/Neal coming back. If Tuch gets bumped to the Top-6, then that group is set.



I'll be honest, I'm starting to come around on the idea of signing Tavares - one of the expected problems coming out of the expansion draft was that we wouldn't have a #1C. Getting an elite #1C at age 28 wouldn't hamper our cap necessarily, but it would definitely rule out re-signing Perron AND Neal. The best part of a Tavares signing is that it would slot our centers into their natural spot: Bill did great in the #1C spot, but I'm not sure it can be replicated - I think he'd be a fantastic #2C. Likewise, Haula was a solid #2C but he'd be a dynamite #3C. The only issue with bringing in Tavares is what do you do with Eakin? Not sure he has much trade value, and his $3.85M cap hit isn't helping matters. If we don't get Tavares, then we run with the same centers for another year, with Eakin serving a place-holder while we wait for Cody Glass.

Assuming the 4th line stays intact and we let Reaves walk (which is my hope), the only question marks would be the 3rd line:

Marchy - Wild Bill - Reilly (the "Wildcat" line)
Tatar - Haula - Tuch
Lindberg / Hyka / Eakin / Carpenter
Carrier - Bellemare - Nosek

I know Hyka has one more year of waiver eligibility and can be sent down, but re-signing both Perron and Neal not only affects our cap long-term, but also banishes Lindberg and Carpenter to the press box indefinitely. It seems like the teams who win the Cup in this league do so with cheap depth forwards to complement their star players, so I would think one of Lindberg/Carpenter will have a roster spot on opening night. Plus, I don't see Perron getting less than $5M or Neal getting less than $6M on their next deals - signing them really puts us in a cap crunch next summer, since we need to give new deals to: Wild Bill, Tuch, Miller, Theodore (if he isn't traded), Schmidt, Fleury and potentially Erik Karlsson.

A few of those guys are RFA's so we have some leverage there.

Fleury should be taking less to come back. He's going to be 33/34 at the end of the contract and been well paid already for a goalie in this league. With our tax environment in NV, and the inherent danger in giving term to someone that age, if he really wants to finish his career here I would hope we get him for less than his current contract.

 

[Blue Goose]

A few of those guys are RFA's so we have some leverage there.

Fleury should be taking less to come back. He's going to be 33/34 at the end of the contract and been well paid already for a goalie in this league. With our tax environment in NV, and the inherent danger in giving term to someone that age, if he really wants to finish his career here I would hope we get him for less than his current contract.

No doubt. But my hope is that Fleury will take less $$ if we give him extra term. I know goalies can play until they're 40ish if they can stay healthy, and Fleury would be turning 35 just after the next contract starts. Maybe three years at $4M per. If he truly doesn't want to leave Vegas, then perhaps McPhee could use that in his negotiating favor.

I still believe Schmidt gets an extension this summer with a cap hit in the $6M range. Hopefully Miller comes in around $4M or less. I'm just very curious to see what Bill gets. I know a lot of people want to lock him up right now, but I'm not too keen on it just yet. Give him a 2-year bridge deal and extend him next summer if he has another great year. Marchessault and Smith will have $5M cap hits, so why not offer Bill a 2-year deal: $4M in the 1st year and $6M in second year. Gives him a matching $5M cap hit, and sets the stage for his next contract.

 

[LadyStanley]

Scratch one potential acquisition

 

[Vegan Knight]

No doubt. But my hope is that Fleury will take less $$ if we give him extra term. I know goalies can play until they're 40ish if they can stay healthy, and Fleury would be turning 35 just after the next contract starts. Maybe three years at $4M per. If he truly doesn't want to leave Vegas, then perhaps McPhee could use that in his negotiating favor.

I still believe Schmidt gets an extension this summer with a cap hit in the $6M range. Hopefully Miller comes in around $4M or less. I'm just very curious to see what Bill gets. I know a lot of people want to lock him up right now, but I'm not too keen on it just yet. Give him a 2-year bridge deal and extend him next summer if he has another great year. Marchessault and Smith will have $5M cap hits, so why not offer Bill a 2-year deal: $4M in the 1st year and $6M in second year. Gives him a matching $5M cap hit, and sets the stage for his next contract.

I would feel comfortable giving Wild Bill long term at 6-6.5. I think he can put 60 points and together with the rest of his game the contract wouldn't be terrible or unmovable if needed.

Another point on Fleury is that I get the feeling he would be willing to take less money to build a better team around him in his later seasons to pad his resume for the HHOF.

I think he wants four more seasons as a starter to try to get well over 500 career wins and hopefully another Cup and maybe a personal award to seal his HHOF status.

 

[Vegas Mac]

I think the players that work for Turk and this team are the high effort types over and above all else. I just don't think a high end FA would be a fit from that perspective.

For me, the way forward is to continue growing this team through the draft and development side. We had everything align to allow for a great first season. But the other side has not changed, where drafting and developing is going to be what creates that window of contention long term.

I would sign Wild Bill. He is young and was exceptional for his first playoff run as a top line centerman. He is going to get paid, and rightly so. Way too many of you dudes are way too hard on this kid. Letting him walk would be an enormous mistake the like of which McPhee has hopefully learned from. Truth is George struggled with his vet acquisitions, and was much better with his unproven type additions throughout the course of his career thus far. His quote in that SI article says it all IMO: "The best trades I made were the ones where I knew the players," he said Wednesday. "The worst were the ones where I didn't."

Wild Bill is the devil he knows, he fits this coach and scheme, is young and on the upswing, and had a strong first playoff series. It's a no-brainer. Now Perron? I do think they're going to let him cash in on the market, barring him being "affordable" to stick around. But I'd say he's probably gone.

 

[Vegas Mac]

I agree about Brannstrom/Glass being the closest, but I disagree about them both being on the Knights next year. I'd rather let their ELC's slide another year, and let them play for their respective countries in the WJC. Brannstrom could also still use the extra time getting acclimated to the smaller NA ice surface. I understand your skepticism about Suzuki, but I believe he'll be better suited to play Wing in the NHL rather than center.

Brannstrom is the only one of the three who might be ready, to my eye at least. He brings things this team needs on the blueline, and is going to get a long look and some good coaching this offseason. I really think he might stick.

Glass? Not ready. He looked really good at times, and I think George hit on the pick. But he's going to need seasoning so I think the 2019 season is more likely. Suzuki same, neither of those guys are ready for the grind at this level just yet.

 

[Blue Goose]

Scratch one potential acquisition

He wasn't going anywhere - as Vegas fans, we should be happy that our fellow desert-dwellers are keeping their cornerstone player. I'd hate to have to deal with the vultures from other teams circling around us wanting to pick off our players the way the Coyotes fans have.

 

[Blue Goose]

For me, the way forward is to continue growing this team through the draft and development side. We had everything align to allow for a great first season. But the other side has not changed, where drafting and developing is going to be what creates that window of contention long term.

Brannstrom is the only one of the three who might be ready, to my eye at least. He brings things this team needs on the blueline, and is going to get a long look and some good coaching this offseason. I really think he might stick.

You and I agree quite often on this site, but I have to be honest - these two statements seem to contradict each other. If we are going to continue on the draft/develop model, I don't agree with throwing our youngest prospect into the NHL ranks so soon. The Vegas blueline is crowded enough, so I'd rather he gets as much time as possible to play in Chicago.

Wild Bill is the devil he knows, he fits this coach and scheme, is young and on the upswing, and had a strong first playoff series.

McPhee came to Vegas from the Islanders organization - Tavares might be another devil he knows...

 

[Vegan Knight]

NYI insider apparently reporting we are expected to make a bid for Tavares. No surprise there. Mentions we might be mighty tempting to him if we get EK65 before July 1.

Getting either one puts us even more definitively in win now mode for the next five or six years.

 

[Pirate Deadpool]

If we miss on signing JT, what about a trade for ROR? He'd be a solid 2nd line center. I believe that playing in Buffalo has dragged his stats down. He'd be incredible on the pk or when we absolutely need to win a faceoff.