Barbashev And Hague Latest VGK Players Rumored To Be On The Move

It’s no surprise that the wheels are beginning to spin behind the scenes. Yesterday, Sportsnet delivered a message that Golden Knights restricted free agent defenseman Nic Hague could become available to teams across the league. Some clubs that reportedly have interest in the 26-year-old defenseman are the Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs and even some Pacific Division teams. Let’s be honest, most teams are in the market for an enormous and physical Stanley Cup winning defenseman. No matter what his asking price is, Hague will likely get close to it with a new club.

An RFA with arbitration rights and just one year away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency, 26-year-old defenseman Nic Hague is looking for big money on his next deal. Since Vegas has already committed a lot of money to Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin on the back end, Hague appears to be the odd man out at this time. – Nick Kypreos, former NHL’er and Sportsnet analyst

Losing Hague would be a big loss for VGK’s blueline but sometimes business comes first. As Golden Knights fans have witnessed since the 2018 offseason, players come, and players leave. Plus, Vegas has three defensemen earning more than $7M annually. In this current cap economy, it would be difficult to sign another d-man to an expensive extension. Additionally, if Vegas could sign-and-trade Hague they could potentially max out their return bounty for him. With the abundance of interest, it won’t be difficult for VGK’s front office to negotiate the right exchange.

Nic Hague is having the time of his life. pic.twitter.com/bGz1mh1Y7v

— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 18, 2023

Not only has Hague been rumored to be on the block but so has center William Karlsson and winger Ivan Barbashev. While moving Karlsson would make little to no sense, moving on from Barbashev does.

The Golden Knights are seeking an impactful top six wing for the 2025-26 season and being able to free up $5M will make it much easier to acquire an elite one.

We know this is a team that can get very active on the trade market. They want to create cap space and perhaps chase some of the bigger free agents this summer, such as Mitch Marner.

So, Ivan Barbashev is considered one of their most movable pieces, a 23-goal, 51-point scorer this season who’s making $5 million against thev salary cap for another three years. The 29-year-old would be an interesting target for teams that are looking to bolster their offence, such as Ottawa or Carolina. Barbashev does have an eight-team no-trade list. – Kypreos

 

VEGAS HAS TIED THE SERIES! ⚔️

Ivan Barbashev wins Game 4 in @Energizer overtime for the @GoldenKnights! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/DQGSoCldst

— NHL (@NHL) April 26, 2025

According to PuckPedia, as of today the Golden Knights have $9.62M of projected cap space to play around with. Marner, this summer’s biggest catch, will cost anywhere from $12.5M to $15M per season. For Vegas to make a competitive offer, they would need to keep an open mind on which current players they can win without next season. Barbashev and Hague could be two of them.