When the Vegas Golden Knights took the ice for practice on Tuesday, two familiar faces were among the expected group: Cole Schwindt and William Karlsson. The forwards wore non-contact jerseys, which is a good sign since they have both been out with lower-body injuries since mid-January.
Notably still absent was defenseman Shea Theodore, who was injured during the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament in February.
The trade Deadline is Friday, and the Golden Knights have a big decision to make. If Theodore is out for the rest of the regular season, they can move him to LTIR, freeing up $5.2 million to improve the roster via trades.
Of course, General Manager Kelly McCrimmon could keep his defense as is and bring in another scorer. Kaedan Korczak has done reasonably well in a limited role. But Theodore’s absence is felt, both offensively and defensively.
So, let’s say McCrimmon goes after a top-four right-shot defenseman. Theodore isn’t a right-shot, but he’s a rare breed of defenseman who can play just as well on his off-side as he can on his strong side. However, it’s generally better to play defenders on their strong sides.
Top-four right-shot defensemen certainly don’t grow on trees.
Let’s take a look around the league at some potential replacements.
The ‘If You Need A Body’ Category
The Golden Knights don’t typically make moves to make them. But if their big deadline acquisition is a forward– say, Brayden Schenn– I could see McCrimmon bringing in a depth defenseman as competition for Korczak. Perhaps someone like Henri Jokiharju, a pending UFA that the Buffalo Sabres are trying to move. However, Jokiharju has struggled this season and makes $3.1 million.
The ‘Shutdown Defenseman’ Category
The Golden Knights don’t need an offensive defenseman. Noah Hanifin is finding his stride quarterbacking the top power play unit; Alex Pietrangelo, too, provides offense from the back end. If McCrimmon replaces Theodore, I’d imagine he’d bring in a stay-at-home defenseman to make life easier for Adin Hill. There’s Connor Murphy in Chicago, who makes $4.4 million for one more season. But the Blackhawks might want to hang onto a player of his caliber.
In Philadelphia, Rasmus Ristolainen has revived his career under John Tortorella. He blocks shots, kills penalties, and is a decent puck mover. Ristolainen is a big, physical presence who leads all Flyers defensemen in blocked shots. He’s the type of player you need in the postseason, the type of player you win with. However, there would have to be some salary retention, as he makes $5.1 million for two more seasons.
Then there’s Luke Schenn. Elliotte Friedman reported that teams are trying to unite the Schenn brothers; this isn’t a bigreach since the Golden Knights are already in on Brayden. Luke Schenn doesn’t bring much offense to the table, but that’s not his forte. He’s a big, physical, defensive stalwart who blocks shots and hits everything that moves. Schenn makes $2.75 million through next season.
The Boston Bruins are in total free-fall, and I’m struggling to think of a player who would be a better deadline acquisition for the Golden Knights than Brandon Carlo. He’s a shutdown defenseman who would thrive in Cassidy’s system. Carlo’s 6’5 and leads the team in blocked shots. He’s on a friendly contract, making just $4.1 million for two more seasons. Maybe package him with Brad Marchand— if he’s available, that is.
The ‘It Won’t Happen, But…’ Category
Kelly McCrimmon is nothing if not ambitious. He moves in silence and strikes when you least expect it. Who can forget last season, when he said they “didn’t anticipate making big moves,” then went out and acquired Noah Hanifin and Tomáš Hertl?
I can’t help but wonder about Erik Karlsson.
I’m well aware that this is an outlandish thought. But it’s no secret that Karlsson hasn’t been a fit in Pittsburgh. It’s also no secret that he’s still got it; his talents were on full display at the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament, where he was far and away Sweden’s best player.
Karlsson isn’t exactly a defensive stalwart, but he’s not as bad as he’s made out to be. With a stay-at-home partner– say, Brayden McNabb– he’d be free to roam about the ice and play his game, which he hasn’t been able to do in Pittsburgh. Karlsson is known for his vision and stretch passes, and I could see him thriving in a system that plays North-South hockey.
I don’t know how the Golden Knights would fit him under the salary cap. He’s making $10 million, but that number goes down next season. There would have to be some salary retention, either by Pittsburgh or facilitated through a third party. But if the Penguins are trying to move Karlsson, it doesn’t seem like a stretch that the team known for their aggressive trades might be in on him.
