The Vegas Golden Knights have made major upgrades over the last two days. With the NHL Trade Deadline less than 48 hours away, the defending Stanley Cup champions could do more. In fact, they may still have a shot at top trade candidate Jake Guentzel before everything is said and done.

Vegas acquired forward Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals on Tuesday. On Wednesday, they reportedly reached an agreement on a trade for Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin. Details are still murky on the Hanifin trade, but it could come at a rather hefty cost.

In any event, they are still scouring the market. And they are still in the mix for Guentzel, according to Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli. “Guentzel update: Not definitive, but sounds like teams in mix are CAR, FLA, NYR, VAN and VGK,” he tweeted on Wednesday night.

Golden Knights looking at Jake Guentzel amid slump

Vegas has a strong roster, which has led to a strong season. However, things have started falling off a little bit. Injuries to Mark Stone, Brett Howden, William Carrier, and Alec Martinez have come back to bite them. And the Golden Knights have lost 10 of their last 16 games, including their three most recent games.

The additions of Mantha and Hanifin should certainly help matters. Mantha is having a resurgent season after a few rough years with the Washington Capitals. Hanifin, meanwhile, upgrades the left side of the team's defense. And at just 27 years old, he represents a bit of a longer-term option for the defending champions.

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Adding Jake Guentzel would give the Golden Knights a significant boost. Guentzel is injured, but the star forward is producing over a point per game. And he is coming off a second consecutive 70+ point campaign in 2022-23. Furthermore, he has experience winning the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Golden Knights want to end their streak and beef up for the playoffs. Vegas has already upgraded its roster in pretty significant ways. Only time will tell if Jake Guentzel is the final piece to the puzzle.