After this season’s second-round exit against the Edmonton Oilers, the Vegas Golden Knights appear poised to make big moves this offseason.
The Golden Knights have already been heavily linked to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, but it is fair to expect the team will keep tabs on all of the elite free agent forwards. However, with only $9.62 million in cap space for the upcoming season, signing one of those options is currently unfeasible, or would at least hamper the team’s financial flexibility. As a result, some Golden Knights have found themselves on the trade block, with the hope being that the team can get some cost-controlled players to help them out along with the big fish they end up reeling in.
While several players have seen their name pop up in discussions at least once, one Golden Knight now has a destination being considered for him.
A Golden Knights defenseman could be the first piece on the move to make room for a top free agent.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Golden Knights defenseman Nic Hague has been linked to the Philadelphia Flyers if the team makes him available in trade talks.
While the Golden Knights have yet to confirm that they are looking to move Hague, there are some reasons to suggest that that is not only the case, but that a trade could net the team a big piece going back to Vegas.
“Hague, 26, is an imposing figure on the back end at 6-foot-6 and 240 lbs. A second-round pick (34th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, Hague played 68 games for Vegas this year, registering five goals and seven assists in that time. Clearly, he wouldn’t be acquired for his offensive prowess. It’s the fact he can knock players on their backside and be a younger, possibly cheaper and more menacing defenseman than Rasmus Ristolainen. During 11 playoff games, Hague had two assists but is probably best remembered for manhandling Edmonton forward Trent Frederic in a fight during their second round series,” wrote Broad Street Hockey’s Jason MacNeil.
Hague is currently a restricted free agent, so the Golden Knights can still keep his signing rights. However, he is also eligible for salary arbitration, which means that Hague could look for a raise on the $2.3 million AAV he made during his last contract.
Who or what could the Golden Knights trade Hague for?
Despite the Flyers holding three first-round picks, it is unlikely Hague will go for that price without another piece being added to the deal.
Instead, the Knights could look to the Flyers’ pool of young forwards. Russian phenom Matvei Michkov is almost certainly off the table, and Tyson Foerster and Noah Cates’s recent extensions likely eliminate them as well. Therefore, if Vegas is targeting a NHL player, the conversation likely starts with Bobby Brink.
“Philadelphia could be looking to part with Bobby Brink, who still has a year left on his contract and remains a RFA at the end of this season and could be seen as dealing from surplus,” explained MacNeil.
The 23-year-old Brink is coming off his first full NHL season, scoring 12 goals and 41 points while also proving his worth as a two-way player. He would come with some cost certainty for next season, as well as team control due to him being a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.
However, this is not the only avenue the Knights could pursue to get what they want for Hague.
The Flyers also hold four second-round picks in this year’s draft as well, and the Golden Knights could look to see if they would move at least one in a deal. If the Flyers agree, Vegas could also add prospects in the deal to balance out the value. However, it is doubtful a team hoping to contend for a Stanley Cup will be satisfied with a package of futures, so NHL readiness will come into play for the Golden Knights to move Hague.
There is no guarantee Hague moves at all this offseason, but the Flyers are the first named team to have some level of interest in the hulking defenseman.
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