Which Stanley Cup champion will play for the Vegas Golden Knights next year?

By Jesse Granger

Published Sunday, June 11, 2017 | 8:30 p.m.

Updated Monday, June 12, 2017 | 11:39 a.m.

Editor's note: This story was published Sunday night before reports of Marc Andre-Fleury waving his no movement clause began to spread. The goalie now appears destined to become the Golden Knights' pick off of the Penguins.

Their names will soon be freshly engraved on the Stanley Cup after Sunday night’s 2-0 win over the Nashville Predators.

The Pittsburgh Penguins finished off back-to-back championships in Nashville when Patric Hornqvist broke a scoreless tie with 1:35 left in the third period. The Penguins added an empty net goal in the final seconds to clinch their fifth Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.

In the coming 100 days the team will pass the Stanley Cup around — each player getting to spend one day with the cup. On June 21, the Golden Knights will select one of those players in the expansion draft.

Which freshly crowned champion could be bringing the cup on a trip to Las Vegas?

It’s no secret the Penguins are stacked with talent on the offensive and defensive side of the puck, but they will be protecting most of their firepower. Pittsburgh will likely choose to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender.

That means Hornqvist will join Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Carl Hagelin, Bryan Rust, Josh Archibald, Kris Letang, Olli Maata, Justin Schultz and Matt Murray as players highly unlikely to be available to Vegas.

But here are some possible Penguins that could wind up on the Golden Knights.

Brian Dumoulin (Defenseman)

Dumoulin would have to be the betting favorite for which Stanley Cup champion winds up with his name stitched into a Golden Knights' jersey.

The 25 year old has established himself as one of the most dependable young defensemen in the league.

Dumoulin, who led the Penguins in ice time this postseason with nearly 22 minutes per game, registered one goal and four assists during the playoffs. At 6-foot-4, 207 pounds, Dumoulin is a physical presence that would fit well on a likely defensive-minded Vegas team.

If Golden Knights general manager George McPhee goes with Dumoulin, he will certainly be a top-4 defenseman for the Golden Knights, if not a top-line defenseman.

The downside to Dumoulin is, the one goal he scored in the playoffs matches his prior career total. With only two goals and 31 assists in 163 career games, the Maine native isn’t much of an offensive threat.

Derrick Pouliot (Defenseman)

If McPhee wants more offensive production from his defensemen, Pouliot could be the choice over Dumoulin. The 23 year old isn’t as established in the NHL, but his offensive potential is much higher.

Pouliot played in only 13 games this season for the Penguins, spending most of his time developing in the American Hockey League with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He scored seven goals there, adding 16 assists in 46 games.

The raw talent that made Pouliot the eighth overall pick in the 2012 draft could seduce the Golden Knights, but they will need to reassess his potential first. Pouliot’s NHL appearances have decreased in each of the last three years.

Marc-Andre Fleury (Goaltender)

Fleury has been the most discussed player in the entire league when it comes to the upcoming expansion draft, but it’s hard to believe the 32-year-old goalie ends up in Las Vegas.

First of all, Fleury would only become a Golden Knight if he desired. His contract contains a no movement clause, so he can only leave Pittsburgh on his own volition. The problem for the Penguins is, they can only protect one goalie and they won’t let Vegas get a hold of phenom Matt Murray.

If Fleury waives his no movement clause, the Penguins would probably trade him for minor compensation. It’s not ideal, but getting some return in a trade is better than losing him to Vegas for nothing.

If Fleury refuses to waive his no movement clause, the Penguins will likely be left with no choice other than to buy out his contract. That would leave Fleury as a free agent and able to pick his next team.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion is highly respected and would make for an early face of the franchise for the Golden Knights, but it’s unlikely he ends up here.

Scott Wilson (Left Wing)

Wilson seems to have fallen out of favor with the Penguins, and played sparingly as the postseason progressed. He was a healthy scratch in game 4 in favor of the faster Josh Archibald, and saw less than 14 minutes of ice time in game 5.

The 5-foot-11 winger isn’t spectacular, but he did have three goals and three assists in the playoffs for the Penguins. At only 25 years old, he has time to grow and could be a productive forward for the Golden Knights.

He’s not as likely to end up in Las Vegas as the two young defensemen above, but he’s another option for McPhee to ponder.

Frank Corrado (Defenseman)

If it comes to this, Pittsburgh has done a masterful job preparing for the expansion draft. The Penguins could end up making last-minute moves to get something for the players listed above instead of losing them for nothing to Vegas. If they do, Corrado may become an option for McPhee and the Golden Knights.

He played in only two games this year for the Penguins and didn’t dress at all during the postseason. They acquired him midseason in a trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he is seen around the league as a defenseman with high offensive potential. He hasn’t shown it yet, but he could be a longer-term project for the Golden Knights.

Jesse Granger can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Jesse on Twitter at twitter.com/JesseGranger_.