Vegas off-season transformation
Vegas off-season transformation
As the new team out West. Vegas has the potential to really push some of the top teams. When the off-season began for this team it had a lot of holes. Had no goaltender (Sorry Brian Elliot Fans), had no depth.
Lineup as the season ended last year.
Forsberg-Matthews-Hyman
Marleau-Horvat-Armia
Hayden-Faksa-Conacher
Malone-Larkin-Cracknell
McDonagh-Carlson
Provorov-Bouwmeester
Skeji-Prout
Elliot
Darling
Not a very exciting roster. Vegas GM knew changes need to be made to be able to compete this year. Let’s break down the changes that happened in Vegas.
First Vegas knew that in order to compete you need a goaltender.
Vegas sent 2 2nd round draft picks in 2019, Brian Elliot, and $3,000,00 to Florida in exchange for Semyon Varlamov and Patric Hornqvist. Also part of the deal is Florida would retain 50% on Varlamov and Hornqvist. Now what this deal does is give Vegas not just a #1 but flexibility as both these players are signed past this season.
Next deal was with Arizona where Vegas picked up a solid two-way player in Tyler Pitlick. Vegas would send youngster Laurent Dauphin in exchange for Tyler Pitlick. Pitlick is slotted in on the 3rd line.
The next two deals we will talk about together. Learning from Montreal’s disaster in the playoffs last year. You need a reliable backup.
Vegas send $3,000,000 to Anaheim for RFA Kinkaid which Vegas quickly signed to a 5 year 1.6M deal, and quickly sent Darling to Vancouver for a 4th round pick. Now Kinkaid isn’t a top notch backup but has the rates in case something happens.
So now comes the draft. Lets take a look at the lineup before the draft begun.
Forsberg-Matthews-Hornqvist
Marleau-Horvat-Hyman
Pitlick-Faksa-Armia
Conacher-Larkin-Cracknell
McDonagh-Carlson
Provorov-Bouwmeester
Skeji-Prout
Varlamov
Kinkaid
Still has a holes but is looking better. Now Vegas stole the show just minutes before the draft began.
Vegas sent Franchise C Auston Matthews to the New York Rangers for C Jack Eichel and the 7th overall selection. This deal was a hard one to make as Matthews is a favourite of Vegas GM. With Matthews expected to sign a huge deal soon and Vegas wanting more depth this deal made a lot of sense.
With the 7th overall selection Vegas was extremely happy to select another C in Robert Thomas. Thomas is one Vegas has watched for a long time in London. Should be a very strong two-way player in the NHL. Vegas also held the 30th overall selection and went back and forth between a few players. Vegas has admitted this is a homer pick. Vegas took speedy LW Alex Formenton from the London Knights. Again another player Vegas has been lucky to watch for quite some time.
Now this takes us to Free Agency. Vegas was eyeing two guys. Blake Wheeler and Alex Edler. Wheeler went off the board very quickly and signing a massive deal of 12.8M for 3 years. Not something Vegas could match. Vegas quickly turned to Edler and ended up signing him for 9M for 3 years, and also signed Patrick Eaves on a team friendly 1 year 5M deal.
During Free Agency Vegas made two deals. One to give them more depth in the minors. Vegas sent defensive specialist Casey Cizikas, Micheal Stone and goaltending prospect Eamon McAdam to New Jersey for Evgeny Svechnikov. Vegas never had any intention to re-sign Cizikas or Stone, so this deal was great news to the organization. Svechnikov is scheduled to start in the minors.
The last deal Vegas made was bringing in Jack Johnson in return for a 4th,5th, 6th round picks in 2019 as well as Adam Cracknell. Pittsburgh is also retaining 50% of Johnson’s contract. Now some seen this deal as overboard on the Vegas D. But Vegas didn’t want to put a lot of pressure on youngster Brady Skeji.
Now lets take a look at the lineup today.
Forsberg-Eichel-Hornqvist
Marleau-Horvat-Eaves
Hyman-Faksa-Pitlick
Eichel-Larkin-Armia
Carlson-Edler
McDonagh-Provorov
Johnson-Bouwmeester
Skjei-Carlson
Varlamov
Kinkaid
Vegas realizes there are still holes but is a much better team today then they were when the season ended last year. There have also been some rumblings that Vegas has made another deal but it cannot be confirmed until early November.
Vegas by many have been predicted to be 2nd or 3rd in the pacific. Only time will tell with that prediction.
