NHL Rumor Mill – April 12, 2024
Do the Golden Knights have enough cap room to re-sign Jonathan Marchessault? Could the Bruins pursue Patrick Kane this summer? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
CAN THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS AFFORD JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT?
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Danny Webster reports the Golden Knights have approximately $7.59 million in salary-cap space for 2024-25 after signing Noah Hanifin to a contract extension yesterday. That’s assuming goaltender Robin Lehner remains on long-term injury reserve.
That doesn’t leave much room for the Golden Knights to bring back some of their free agents, the most notable being winger Jonathan Marchessault. The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner has 41 goals in his contract year.
Their other unrestricted free agents include center Chandler Stephenson, wingers William Carrier, Anthony Mantha and Michael Amadio and defenseman Alec Martinez. Hanifin’s signing suggests Martinez might not be back while their acquisition last month of Tomas Hertl could mean Stephenson is on his way out.
Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hanifin and Hertl are on expensive long-term contracts and will play key roles as core players for the Golden Knights. Their additions almost certainly mean Martinez and Stephenson won’t be back.
VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Kevin Allen also wondered what the future holds for Marchessault. The 33-year-old winger can’t expect a long-term deal at this stage but he’s a durable player who’s netted 99 goals (and counting) over the past three seasons.
Marchessault is coming off a contract with an annual cap hit of $5 million. Allen speculates a contender seeking a scorer could pay a bigger number on a short-term deal.
The Golden Knights must shed a salary or two if they intend to re-sign Marchessault.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights aren’t a team that allows sentimentality to enter the equation when maintaining their roster. Popular players such as Marc-Andre Fleury and Reilly Smith have been shipped out to make room for other talent. They could let Marchessault walk on July 1 rather than re-sign him.
If they intend to keep him, they’ll have no choice but to make a cost-cutting trade or two. That could mean peddling 31-year-old forward William Karlsson, who has three more years remaining with an AAV of $5.9 million and a 10-team no-trade clause.
COULD THE BRUINS PURSUE PATRICK KANE THIS SUMMER?
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy wondered if the Bruins might attempt to sign Patrick Kane if the 34-year-old Detroit Red Wings forward hits the open market on July 1.
Murphy claims there were rumors last summer that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney was interested in signing Kane. “If he doesn’t come to terms on a new contract with winger Jake DeBrusk, could Sweeney look to the more experienced three-time Stanley Cup champion?”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I think Sweeney is more interested in someone younger such as Vancouver Canucks two-way center Elias Lindholm.
Sweeny was also said to be interested in Noah Hanifin but that’s not possible after his re-signing with the Golden Knights. He could shift his focus toward Brady Skjei or Brett Pesce. Both Carolina Hurricanes blueliners are slated to become UFAs on July 1.
Hard pass for Bruins acquiring Kane unless on some cheap deal. Go get Taffoli to replace debrusk
Mr4B, agree no thanks, pass on Kane. Could take a closer look at Chandler Stevenson and Anthony Mantha.
Let Lohrei develop he can be the puck moving dman required has good skating and size. Need to play better defensively.
Could try to add Brenden Dillon on d
Lindholm is not worth the $9M AAV he seeks. If Boston passes on him maybe they go for Stephenson in FA or better yet, trade for W. Karlsson. A 2nd round pick and a prospect might get Wild Bill, and then have plenty to sign another stud D or Kane or ……….
Elias Lindholm doesn’t seem to have been doing exactly EVERYTHING he can to maximize his life’s potentially biggest contract. That suggesting he has already worked out a deal with, say Boston and eight million? Let’s wait and see what I can do with Marchand and Pasta! Officially he seeks nine million just to keep it calm.
You do realize Lindholm’s been dealing with an upper-body injury for over a month?
Watching the Isles Habs game with my son at UBS Arena last night, I think the Isles might be a good fit for Marchessault on a two or three year deal. They’re a veteran team as it is and he’d add some necessary scoring punch and a lot of character. I don’t see him returning to Vegas.
Re;
Do the Golden Knights have enough cap room to re-sign Jonathan Marchessault?…………No
they have $14.M in Cap Space
1 RFA playing on the 3rd line winger 23yr old with 12 goals Pavel Dorofeyev
and
4 UFA position to replace, thats Not inculding UFA 41 goal scorer this year Jonathan Marchessault
1/Alec Martinez $5.25M
2/Anthony Mantha $$6.5M
3/Chandler Stephenson $2.75M
4/Michael Amadio’s $775,000
&
Jonathan Marchessault $5.M
He is from Quebec I can see the Sen’s & Habs Both going After him @$5.M PA on a 4 year deal, for the LW/RW Marchessault
is just what the Sen’s need…👌
Just because Marchessault is from Quebec doesn’t mean he wants to sign with the Canadiens or with the Senators. I also don’t see either of those rebuilding teams spending big bucks on an aging winger whose best seasons will be behind him once they’re ready to become playoff contenders within the next two or three years.
Agreed Lyle. Whether he wants to play for the Habs or not, he is not a good fit at this time. I like him, he’s a solid and dependable player but he’s the last guy the Habs need right now.
Agreed on the Sens front. Ottawa’s problem isn’t scoring, it’s keeping the puck out of their net.
Ottawa needs to put their cap space towards a top 4 RD, a high end third line player for depth (Stephenson would be great, but likely too expensive) and, hopefully, a solid veteran back-up to pair with Korpisalo. The Sens need a bounce back from Korpisalo as they’re stuck with that contract for the foreseeable future. They could trade/waive Forsberg this summer, which is manageable with one more year on his contract.
Hey Lyle,
The Sens need some one Older up from to help all the young Sen’s like Marchessault for there Top Six, he can play LW & RW
The Sens need a Starter in net, try for Boston Ullmark… or for the Preds Staros,??
Boston need to fill Both these positions, top 4 LD/man now that Noah Hanifin has signed in L.V……❓🤔 and a first line Centre
Sen’s could trade with Boston LD/man Chabott or
to fill Boston’s 1st line Centre with Joss Norris to the bruins ❓
Or
deal with the Preds a simillar deal d/man Chabot Or
Centre Norris for there re-build.. and then send Anton Forsberg the other way to give them a back up for 1 year…..🤔
and would you look at that… the annual Mark Stone health miracle has occurred!
He had a lacerated spleen.
That’s automatic LTIR
He’s also within the time-frame of what doctors said recovery/return would be.
Surreptitious gain yes.
We can hate the gain, but can’t challenge a lacerated spleen.
it’s all still SUS to me. especially from a frequent flyer like Stone. It’s just weird.
I know it’s legal… but it’s still a ridiculous loophole.
It is a loophole , no challenge on that.
But all 32 clubs are under same CBA
I have zero doubts re his injury being real
Vegas was not the first team to gain from having a high profile/high cap player injured and using the available cap space; and they won’t be the last.
We’ll see come next CBA if it remains
Suspect until it happens on the team you cheer for…
Stone is battle worn. You think he and/or the team want him injured just to stash him on LTIR? Yeah, suspect (insert eye rolling emoji here).
Knights 24/25
Lehner on LTIR, Stone back in is 10-7-2 (F-D-G) under contract with $6.5 M in space
Dorofeyev gets bridged for $1.5 M, $5 M left; 11-7-2
Two Henderson promos and/or league min contracts; 13-7-2; $3.4 M left
Note :
—March Cap hit is $5 M but he actually only earned $3.5 M this year AND last
—No state tax
—Already raising family there
—He’s loving LV, LV fans love him
—Best he could realistically ever get elsewhere is 3 @ $7 M ; and that will not have the Vegas tax advantages, and he would have to uproot family
Give him :
24/25 $8 M SB, $775 K Sal, NMC
25/26 $4 M SB, $775 K Sal, NMC
26/27 $4 M SB, $775 K Sal,NMC
27/28 $2 M SB, $775 K Sal,NMC
28/29 through 31/32, just $775 K Sal…NO trade protection
He’ll retire after 27/28; get a huge raise over current for next 3 years; earn an AAV of $5.3 M (again no state tax) in those 4 years before retiring; will stay with team; won’t uproot family; but Cap hit just $3M
Knights under Cap, and at 14-7-2 (full roster)
Nope, he is not signing for las than $7M x 6. You don’t work that hard to settle for the corporation’s glory, unless you get PAID!
Hi JZ
I can’t see any team giving $7 M for 6 (taking him to 40); and they definitely won’t give him 4 years of NMC
That said, if those teams are in Canada, take home of $7 M (gross) is same as $5M (gross) take home in Las Vegas.
I do think he stays but I don’t know if MCCrimmon will use the creative solution above
Ok, I thought he just had his 33rd……so 5 x$7M is more logical. Jut think of your favorite Pen players’ contracts like Malkin and Letang……….
8787, that contract circumvents the cap rules.
Min Cap Hit year must be at least x% of the max.
I think x is 60.
Signing bonuses count.
Cap Hit for a given year = Signing Bonus + Base Salary