Golden Knіgһtѕ plаyer wһo muѕt be trаded ѕoon

It goes without saying that there aren’t too many players on Vegas’ roster that absolutely need to be traded. The defense is secure, and the goaltending tandem of Hill and Ilya Samsonov is not going to be tampered with ahead of the postseason. But up front, there are probably only about nine untouchables on the roster.

Two players that stand out right away as potential trade chips are veterans Victor Olofsson and Tanner Pearson. Both players, compared to expectations, have been excellent on the strip. Olofsson has chipped in 16 points in just 23 games, while skating to a plus-nine rating. Pearson is at eight goals and 18 points in 44 games, despite seeing only around 12 minutes of ice time per night.

Olofsson has helped to form a dynamic second line along with Dorofeyev and Tomas Hertl, and he’s been reaping the rewards offensively. Pearson, on the other hand, has been playing in a fourth line role alongside Nicolas Roy and Keegan Kolesar, and he could be replaced by another depth forward such as Alexander Holtz or Cole Schwindt.

For that reason, the Golden Knights should trade Pearson between now and March 7 — both to avoid losing him for nothing in free agency, and as a part of a potential package to bring an even more effective player back to Vegas.

Golden Knights should trade Tanner Pearson ahead of the deadline

It’s worth mentioning again that the Golden Knights will be just fine if they don’t trade anyone before the deadline. But considering Pearson still has some trade value, is a couple months away from turning 33-years-old and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was moved.

Although Pearson was a key playoff contributor with the Los Angeles Kings in 2013-14 — helping the franchise win its second Stanley Cup in three seasons — he hasn’t played a postseason contest in five years. Signed to a one-year, $775,000 contract out of a PTO at training camp, Pearson has certainly impressed during his time in Vegas.

Still, this is a player that is more suited to being deployed anywhere but the fourth line, and he could be even more effective if he was included in a team’s top-six. That’s just not going to happen with the Golden Knights. Along with prospects and picks, Pearson could be moved as part of a blockbuster trade to help the the organization in its quest to win two titles in three seasons.

Although his cap hit is light, Pearson is one of the depth forwards on the roster that would actually recoup something in a trade, as he has proven he still has some game in 2024-25. Managing 18 points in 44 games is decent, but considering the lack of ice time and the fourth line deployment for the Kitchener, Ontario native, it’s impressive.

McCrimmon seems to always find a way to steal the show at the NHL Trade Deadline, although it’s going to be difficult this year with no current injuries and not a lot of cap space to work with. While there is a route where the front office sacrifices even more draft capital to improve the current roster, including Tanner Pearson in a trade could help close a deal that would immediately make the Golden Knights better. And, without a doubt, they’re looking to be the best in 2025.