Golden Knights getting calls on extra defensemen
Rival teams are willing to bet on a blue-liner from the Vegas Golden Knights.
"I've just started returning calls to clubs yesterday that expressed some interest in obtaining a defenseman," general manager George McPhee told Hockey Central at Noon. "I wanted to take some time - four games - to get to know them a little bit better, and we've got another three games to evaluate."
The Golden Knights have impressed through the exhibition schedule, coming up with three wins in four games. But as the regular season draws closer, McPhee realizes he will need to unload at least one of his excess defensemen.
"We're starting to have those discussions and there is interest in moving probably one defenseman at this point," McPhee added.
When a deal could occur remains unknown, but sooner rather than later seems to be a safe bet with the Golden Knights' final 23-man roster due Oct. 3.
Vegas currently has 11 defensemen signed through this season, according to CapFriendly:
| Defenseman | Shoots | Age | Cap Hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Garrison | L | 32 | $4.6M |
| Luca Sbisa | L | 27 | $3.6M |
| Clayton Stoner | L | 32 | $3.25M |
| Nate Schmidt | L | 26 | $2.225M |
| Brayden McNabb | L | 26 | $1.7M |
| Jon Merrill | L | 25 | $1.138M |
| Colin Miller | R | 24 | $1M |
| Deryk Engelland | R | 35 | $1M |
| Shea Theodore | L | 22 | $863K |
| Griffin Reinhart | L | 23 | $800K |
| Brad Hunt | L | 29 | $650K |
Dealing a defenseman would mark the Golden Knights' fifth trade involving a blue-liner since the expansion draft, after the team sent David Schlemko to the Montreal Canadiens, Trevor van Riemsdyk to the Carolina Hurricanes, Marc Methot to the Dallas Stars, and Alexei Emelin to the Nashville Predators.