The Vegas Golden Knights are once again Stanley Cup contenders. This was expected, as Vegas still has a strong roster after winning their first Stanley Cup last spring. Now, with the NHL Trade Deadline approaching, Vegas is in good shape. Barring a monumental collapse, they will make the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again.
The usual suspects are leading Vegas this season. Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Stone are driving the Golden Knights offensively. As has Jack Eichel, though he is injured. Goalie Adin Hill has also missed time with injury this year. However, when he's on the ice, the veteran puck-stopper has played like the goalie that helped win the Cup last season.
With the NHL Trade Deadline on the horizon, this is not a conversation of buying or selling. If Vegas makes a move, it'll certainly be made to add to their roster. The major question is determining just what the Golden Knights need. This is always a crazy time of the hockey schedule. With that in mind, is the dream scenario for the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline.
What the Golden Knights need
For a team as good as Vegas, it's hard to identify a true need. In all honesty, the defending Stanley Cup champions could simply stand pat. They could do nothing at the NHL Trade Deadline, and simply keep the team's chemistry intact. In that scenario, Vegas is certainly a great team, but it may not be enough to win it all.
Of course, the Golden Knights aren't going to sit on their hands. And to be fair, there is room to improve this roster. They don't need to make a move at the top end of the lineup. However, they could still add a popular name to give them depth for the upcoming playoff run.
The pressing area for improvement is their winger depth. Vegas has a lot of depth down the middle and on the back end. Hill is great when healthy, though the Golden Knights could add a backup netminder. That said, the team lacks quality winger depth at the moment. As a result, that should be the team's area of concern heading into the NHL Trade Deadline.
How Vegas dreams of the NHL Trade Deadline going
Ideally, the Golden Knights would like to add one top-nine winger before the clock runs out on March 8. Vegas doesn't need to aim for a Jake Guentzel or a Frank Vatrano. However, there is one name they could target if the asking price for either of those players gets too high.
Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko is a free agent in the summer. After being traded last year, the veteran sniper could find himself on the move once again. The 2019 Stanley Cup champion has 15 goals and 37 points through 51 games for the Senators in 2023-24. He should be in demand at the NHL Trade Deadline, even with a full no-trade clause.
However, the financial aspect of this could complicate things. Vegas should have around $8.5 million in deadline salary cap space, per CapFriendly. That said, the Golden Knights likely won't want to take on the entire $5 million cap hit. If this causes an issue, there is another interesting candidate to think about.
San Jose Sharks forward Anthony Duclair is likely to be traded. The 28-year-old has 11 goals and 19 points for a San Jose team that has been putrid this year. There is still a lot to like here, though. Duclair has playoff experience. In fact, he made the Stanley Cup Final in 2023, losing to the Golden Knights. If he goes to a better team, the 28-year-old certainly could bounce back.
The Golden Knights are looking to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. In order to do that, they'll need to strengthen their roster at the NHL Trade Deadline. And either Vladimir Tarasenko or Anthony Duclair could give Vegas the boost they need to lift hockey's biggest prize once again this summer.
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