Abbie Parr / AP
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill skates with the Stanley Cup after the Knights defeated the Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in Las Vegas. The Knights won the series 4-1.
Tuesday, June 27, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Golden Knights reset after Stanley Cup
There’s the grandeur that comes with winning the Stanley Cup, followed by the reality that it’s time to get back to work.
The Vegas Golden Knights are about to face the latter.
Roster decisions loom for the Stanley Cup champions with the NHL Draft set for Wednesday followed by free agency starting Saturday. The Golden Knights will have to address six unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents who played a part in their championship run.
The RFAs shouldn’t come with much difficulty. The Golden Knights hold the signing rights between Brett Howden — who will earn a deserving raise from the one-year, $1.5 million deal he signed last season — and Pavel Dorofeyev and Brayden Pachal.
Dorofeyev had seven goals in 18 games in his first extended stint with Vegas, while Pachal — the captain of AHL Henderson — should be brought back on a two-way deal.
The situation seemed tricky with the Golden Knights’ UFAs, but there seems to be clarity now with goalie Adin Hill close to a multiyear extension to stay in Vegas.
“There are things we’ll have to manage, but I think we’ll have a significant core of this team return,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said.
The Golden Knights have $3.46 million in cap space to work with following the $1 million rise in the NHL’s salary cap to $83.5 million. That money is currently allocated to 11 forwards, eight defensemen and two goalies, according to the website CapFriendly. The cap space figure does not account for Hill’s extension, which has not yet been made official.
One of those goalies is Robin Lehner. The 31-year-old netminder, who missed all of last season after surgery on both hips and a shoulder, has two years remaining at $5 million average annual value (AAV) on a five-year extension he signed in October 2020.
If Lehner is ready for training camp, that may settle the goalie discussion immediately. But McCrimmon has been vague regarding Lehner’s status. As recently as prior to the Western Conference Final, he said it was unclear where the former Vezina Trophy finalist was in his rehab.
McCrimmon said Lehner will soon meet with the team’s medical staff about how to proceed.
Should Lehner go on long-term injured reserve again, that would give the team $5 million in salary relief. That would provide more wiggle room for Vegas to operate, since teams can exceed the salary cap by 10% during the offseason.
A look at how the Golden Knights’ offseason could look in the coming weeks:
Adin Hill
Once the Stanley Cup was won, the realization for the Golden Knights was that they would have to address the goaltending situation yet again.
But it looks like Vegas has made up its mind. Sportsnet reported that the Golden Knights and Hill are closing in on a two-year extension to keep the 27-year-old netminder in Vegas with an average annual value of $4.9 million.
The Golden Knights acquired Hill from the San Jose Sharks as insurance due to offseason surgeries on Lehner and Laurent Brossoit. All it cost was a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft to take on the final year of his contract valued at $2.175 million.
Hill is going to get a raise after filling in for the injured Brossoit in Game 3 of the second round against the Edmonton Oilers and providing stellar play throughout the rest of the postseason.
Both sides seemed determined to keep the partnership going. One source claimed prior to Game 6 of the Western Conference Final in Dallas that Hill had found a home, both in terms of city and the locker room, in Vegas. There were talks of an extension prior to the end of the regular season, according to a source.
“Everyone is just so close with each other,” Hill said prior to the start of the Stanley Cup Final. “We all come in, everybody’s making fun of each other, laughing with each other. It makes coming to the rink that much fun.”
Hill has been a backup for the bulk of his career; the 27 games he appeared in during the regular season and 16 wins were career bests. He also bounced back after missing the final month of the regular season due to a lower-body injury.
This is an indication that the Golden Knights are moving forward with Hill and Logan Thompson in goal, but there is a massive shift in who the starter might be this time around. Thompson earned the right last season and was an All-Star for his efforts.
It might be difficult to pry the No. 1 job away from Hill after his work in the playoffs, but it’s also a risk given he’s about to make double his last contract.
Ivan Barbashev
There is growing belief that Barbashev won’t return to the Golden Knights. Now with Hill’s reported extension, the door might be shut.
Vegas’ prized trade deadline acquisition played like one with 16 points in 23 regular-season games, then followed with 18 points in 22 playoff games as a top-line forward skating with Jack Eichel and Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault.
Barbashev, 27, had career best in goals (26), assists (34) and points (60) with St. Louis in 2021-22. He followed with 45 points (16 goals, 29 assists) for the Blues and Vegas last season. His asking price skyrocketed to the point where teams could break the bank for Barbashev.
Sportsnet reported there are talks of a sign-and-trade where the Golden Knights could sign Barbashev to an eight-year contract and flip him to another team. The Chicago Blackhawks were suggested in that discussion. Unrestricted free agents can only sign eight-year contracts with their current teams.
“He was exactly what we expected ... We felt he was going to fill a key role for us,” McCrimmon said.
ESPN also reported there have been no active talks between both sides. The Golden Knights’ cap situation has put them in a bind, and Barbashev could see offers as high as $6 million AAV, maybe more.
Phil Kessel, Teddy Blueger, Jonathan Quick
A change of scenery for all three players is expected.
Kessel, who this season broke the NHL’s ironman streak for most consecutive games played, did not play in the final three rounds of the playoffs but was a vital locker room presence. Kessel had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with Vegas last summer. He turns 36 in October.
Another deadline acquisition, Blueger was brought in from the Pittsburgh Penguins as a defensive-minded center. The 28-year-old had six points in 18 regular-season games and appeared in six playoff games. But the Golden Knights’ center depth may not make it feasible to bring him back as a 13th forward.
Now a three-time Stanley Cup champion, Quick, 37, still wants to play. He was credited with being a mentor to Hill and was one of five goalies to earn a win for the Golden Knights this season. But the crowd in the crease looking for playing time will make it tough to warrant a return.
Trade market
It wouldn’t be the Golden Knights if they weren’t linked to a trade in some capacity.
That appears to be the case again. The Ottawa Sun reported that they could be linked to one of the biggest RFAs available, Ottawa forward Alex DeBrincat.
The Senators acquired DeBrincat, 25, last summer from Chicago for what seemed like a steal — last year’s first- and second-round picks, and a 2024 third-round pick — after DeBrincat tied a career high with 41 goals.
But despite massive improvements and falling six points out of the final wild card spot in the East, the Senators don’t appear to be in DeBrincat’s future. He was fourth on the team with 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists) and Ottawa has elected to take him to arbitration.
According to the Ottawa Sun, the Golden Knights are one of five teams expected to be on DeBrincat’s trade wish list along with Dallas, Nashville, Florida and his hometown Detroit.
The return price for a player of DeBrincat’s caliber — and given where Ottawa finished in the standings — could be a mix of NHL-ready talent and draft picks. The Senators traded away this year’s first-round pick to acquire defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes.
Should the Golden Knights not re-sign Barbashev, getting DeBrincat would be a big move, albeit at a price. It would require moving more salary off the books — maybe Alec Martinez entering the final year of his contract ($5.25 million) — but adding a durable young veteran who needs only 13 goals to reach200 for his career on a long-term deal would certainly be enticing.
[email protected] / 702-259-8814 / @DannyWebster21
