"Las Vegas, after winning the cup in 2023, has had some particularly bad luck in the playoffs as of late, no matter how much top talent they continue to acquire and assimilate into their system. But this year might be different, as the Knights started their offseason off with a bang in which they acquired another potential franchise player in Mitch Marner."
"The Golden Knights tried acquiring him last year during the 2024 free agency deadline but were rebuked, only to acquire him this year in exchange for Nick Roy and proceed to sign him to an 8-year deal with a $12 million AAV. Marner is projected to start alongside Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev, a rookie who broke out last year with 35 goals and 17 assists for 52 points in his first NHL season."
"To maintain stability on their defense, especially considering Alex Pietrangelo's likely retirement from the NHL, Vegas extended defensemen Dylan Coughlan (who will likely serve as the team's seventh defenseman) and Kaedan Korczak to a four-year deal to maintain his role on the third pairing. Lastly, to provide some insurance for the bottom six, the Golden Knights extended right-wing forward Cole Schwindt to serve as the team's thirteenth forward."
Edmonton dominated the Pacific Division but has regressed after back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses. Several Pacific teams made offseason moves aimed at dethroning Edmonton, producing potential surprise contenders and possible postseason disappointments. Las Vegas, hampered by recent playoff misfortune despite top talent acquisitions, traded for Mitch Marner and signed him to an eight-year, $12 million AAV contract to play alongside Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev. The Golden Knights extended starting goaltender Aidan Hill for six years at $6.25 million AAV and re-signed Dylan Coughlan, Kaedan Korczak, and Cole Schwindt to multi-year deals to preserve defensive depth and bottom-six insurance.
Read at Puck Prose
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]