The Vegas Golden Knights are in a salary cap crunch and with the team being tight to the NHL salary cap, a few of their players are prime targets for an offer sheet.
One player that teams could offer sheet is defenceman Nicolas Hague. Hague is set to hit restricted free agency this summer, and due for sizable raise from his entry-level contract.
The Golden Knights already made one cost cutting move when they traded Evgenii Dadonov for Shea Weber’s contract. If Vegas cannot find a way to shed more salary, a team could come in and offer Hague a $4.1 million / year contract and it will only cost them a second round draft pick.
2022 RFA Offer Sheet Compensation Sheet
| OFFER SHEET AAV | DRAFT PICK COMPENSATION |
|---|---|
| $1,386,490 or below | None |
| $1,386,491 – $2,100,742 | 3rd round pick |
| $2,100,743 – $4,201,488 | 2nd round pick |
| $4,201,489 – $6,302,230 | 1st & 3rd round picks |
| $6,302,231 – $8,402,975 | 1st, 2nd & 3rd round picks |
| $8,402,976 – $10,503,720 | Two 1sts, a 2nd & a 3rd round pick |
| Over $10,503,720 | Four 1st round picks |
Hague, 23, played big minutes last season as a number 1 paired defenceman on the Vegas back-end and has proved he can handle top lines of opposing teams.
Hague is a hulking defenceman at 6’6″ and 221 pounds and his skillset will keep improving as time goes on. He would be a steal for a second round pick as compensation for a team that can fit an additional $4 million in salary.
