Will the Vegas Golden Knights now target Erik Karlsson?
Sportsnet: For the Vegas Golden Knights, Max Pacioretty should, in theory, replace James Neal’s scoring as a top-six winger. That he’s younger than Neal, by about 14 months, and that the Knights gave up a chunk to get him, makes it more likely that Vegas will work toward an extension.
Free agent pickup Paul Stastny as a major upgrade from free agent departure David Perron.
And the reigning Western Conference champs still have $9.4 million in projected cap space. In other words, millions more than Tampa, San Jose, and Dallas — some other teams believed to have expressed serious interest in an Erik Karlsson trade.
Granted, McPhee still needs to sign RFA defenceman Shea Theodore.
At this point, why not push all-in and trade for Karlsson?
Latest Philadephia Flyers trade rumors
The Fourth Period: The signing of James van Riemsdyk is a clear indication the Philadelphia Flyers are poised to take the next step in the team’s development. Adding JVR to the mix relays that GM Ron Hextall is confident that the Flyers are on the verge of contention, and after years of suffering, he may have reason to believe this.
The Flyers could look to add a depth centre through free agency. Antoine Vermette and Mark Letestu could be attractive “cap friendly” options, as both seemingly fit the bill as the perfect “third-line” centre role. Vermette’s penalty killing expertise in particular may be enough to entice Hextall to field a professional try-out at the very least. With the team being already so young, it could be wise to add some experience up the middle.
