3 Vegas Golden Knights that should've been dealt at the trade deadline

The 2025 trade deadline has passed, with Kelly McCrimmon keeping his word to Vegas Golden Knights fans. He said that he was focusing on "minor moves" through the weeks, acquiring players like Reilly Smith (welcome home, "Original Misfit!"). Considering he made a couple of big moves the season prior, it shouldn't come as a shock.

Getting Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin for offensive purposes, particularly on the power play, was his main objective. Have two bigger bodies in the long term and you ease the burden until next season. It's a genius plan that has the Golden Knights atop the Pacific Division entering Friday (80 points).

With a returning Smith endearing the home crowd, the team is set for the home stretch. Of course, that doesn't come with other shockers. The Dallas Stars acquired Mikko Rantanen and signed him to an eight-year, $12 million AAV extension. The Colorado Avalanche acquired Brock Nelson and his gray hairs from the New York Islanders. That's right. The Western Conference is a gauntlet.

It makes you wonder who could've been traded in a blockbuster trade. Who would've been ideal as a trade chip for a bigger deal if McCrimmon backed off his word? Could you imagine these three players going in a big trade to offset part of the salary cap? It would've been fun to think about, that's for sure. Here are three names that come to mind.

Nicolas Roy

Surprisingly, Nicolas Roy has heard his name mentioned among numerous trade rumors. He carries a cap hit of $3 million and is signed through 2026-27. He would've been a suitable piece for a Mikko Rantanen trade IF Kelly McCrimmon wanted to fully consider the Finnish forward.

The fact that he's 28 years old and is in a center logjam and the trade makes sense. Roy can spread his wings with another team and flourish as a bottom-six forward. He does have seven goals and 14 assists this season, adding some offensive bite to the Vegas Golden Knights. But he's not the only Nicolas on this list...

Nicolas Hague

Nicolas Roy might've been mentioned in numerous trade rumors during the deadline period. However, he has some company in the "Nicolas" department. Nicolas Hague has also been mentioned in various aspects. There's good reason for that, starting with defenseman depth.

While the Golden Knights are down Shea Theodore on a week-to-week basis, they've seen Kaeden Korczak fit in nicely. Hague is also a restricted free agent after this season and is 26 years old. Many teams would be willing to take on his $2.3 million (roughly) cap hit, getting a physical defenseman who uses his body everywhere. He's not the only defenseman on this list, though...

Zach Whitecloud

Like Nicolas Hague, Zach Whitecloud has also been mentioned as a potential trade target. He doesn't have a no-move clause in his contract and carries a $2.75 million cap hit through 2028. Granted, he might be older than his fellow defenseman (Hague is 26 while Whitecloud is 28). But the Bemidji State alum is good as a pure defenseman.

But back to the cap hit, though. A common theme with this list is each player has a hit of $3 million or less. It would've made matters easier to acquire the heavier cap hits in the market, i.e Alex Tuch. For the 28-year-old, it's no different where he could carry the lightest hit in the coming years.