The Vegas Golden Knights have six pending UFAs heading into this offseason, and they won't be able to resign all of them, leaving their futures unknown.
The Vegas Golden Knights have six pending UFAs heading into this offseason, and they won't be able to resign all of them, leaving their futures unknown.
Michael Amadio, William Carrier, Anthony Mantha, Jonathan Marchessault, Alec Martinez and Chandler Stephenson are all on expiring contracts and the Golden Knights have about $6,772,516 in cap space to resign any of their UFAs.
Michael Amadio
The Golden Knights claimed Amadio off of waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 30, 2021. He was signed to a league minimum deal worth $762,500. Amadio finished this season with 14 goals and 27 points in 73 games. The 28-year-old spent most of his career being sent up and down from the AHL and NHL. He's an effective middle-six player with offensive upside. Amadio is still in his prime years and for teams looking to bolster the middle of their lineup, they could offer him $2-3M. Amadio could be a target for the Calgary Flames.
William Carrier
Carrier struggled with injuries all season long but has the skill set to be an effective bottom-six player. His speed makes him a threat on the penalty kill and five-on-five. The 29-year-old was making $1.4M and scored six goals and eight points in 39 games. A possible destination for Carrier could be the Tampa Bay Lightning who are always looking to add speed to their bottom six. The Lightning have five UFAs and could look to switch things up after a disappointing postseason.
Anthony Mantha
Mantha never found his game with the Golden Knights and was healthy scratched for four consecutive playoff games. He was acquired from the Washington Capitals and played 18 games with the Golden Knights scoring three goals and 10 points. At 29 years old, Mantha will likely look to sign a multi-year deal and earn as much money as possible. The San Jose Sharks and Utah are teams that could look to add a skilled shooter around their young stars.
Jonathan Marchessault
The biggest decision the Golden Knights face is the future of Marchessault. For them to bring him back they'll have to make trades to provide them cap space. Many reputable sites project Marchessault to earn over $7M in the open market. Marchessault's love for Vegas and the organization may result in him taking a discount but the Golden Knights would still need to move current roster players. GM Kelly McCrimmon has repeatedly said that his number one goal this offseason is to resign Marchessault. If the Golden Knights are unable to resign him, a team that could be interested in him is the Detroit Red Wings.
Alec Martinez
The Golden Knights would love to keep Martinez purely off of the presence he has in the locker room. Unfortunately at his age, his play has declined. This season there were times where he was a step slow but he still proved to be an effective player at times. Teams tight to the salary cap looking for a veteran defenseman will be all over Martinez at the start of free agency. Martinez will likely sign a one-year contract worth around a $1M. A reunion with the Los Angeles Kings or teams like the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils could use his experience on their bluelines.
Chandler Stephenson
After Marchessault, Stephenson might be the most sought-after free agent on the Golden Knights. The 30-year-old can play on the wing or centre, on any of the top three lines and blends speed with skill. This season he scored 16 goals and 51 points in 75 games. Stephenson was great for the Golden Knights during last year's Stanley Cup run but has struggled to be effective in other years. The Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs, if they open up cap space will likely be very interested in signing the Canadian forward. They'll have to offer Stephenson a contract worth around $5-6M.
In a perfect world, the Golden Knights would resign each player and run it back with the lineup they had higher hopes for. Injuries and the inability to find chemistry before the playoffs played a large role in the Golden Knights' early exit.
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