The Vegas Golden Knights have made another massive trade, this one for Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson. They gave up at least one first-round pick in this trade, and would give up a second if they win the Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights have made a contender out of trading first-round picks, but they need to address their goalie situation.
The Golden Knights won a Stanley Cup with Adin Hill as their goalie in 2023. But his injuries have limited him to seven games this season. Carter Hart was not the answer they were hoping for, and he is now injured. Akira Schmid has not been a playoff-caliber starter this season.
The Golden Knights have made a lot of goalie moves in their short stint in the National Hockey League. From Marc-Andre Fleury to Robin Lehner and now to Hill, they have had some solid players back there. But since Fleury, they have not been able to lock down the franchise guy. They think Hill can be that, but his injuries are a significant concern.
With their first-round picks gone through 2027 and potentially 2028, the Golden Knights will have to go goalie hunting without a top pick. The trade market will be bleak across all positions because so many teams are close to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But one team just sent a letter that could lead to a trade.
The New York Rangers are going to be sellers at the trade deadline, based on the letter GM Chris Drury sent fans in January. Jonathan Quick is on an expiring deal and putting together a solid season as the backup. He has been with the Golden Knights before, 10 games with the 2023 championship team. And now, he could play a backup role on another title team.
The Golden Knights have options at goalie
18 goalies are entering the final year of their contracts across the league, but many of them are not trade candidates. Quick is one of the few on teams that will certainly be sellers at the deadline. Petr Mrazek on the Anaheim Ducks is another, even though they had a great start to the season. Mrazek is the backup anyway and could be a good fit with the Golden Knights.
A big-time storyline in the goalie world this year was the drama with the Edmonton Oilers. They shipped Stuart Skinner out after two Stanley Cup Final runs because of brutal results, sending him to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They replaced him with Tristan Jarry, who won't be going anywhere. But the Penguins could clip Skinner out if they fall out of the playoffs. Then, the Golden Knights would have the ex-Oilers' goalie as they prepare for a potential playoff matchup.
The other option does not come from a rebuilding team, but comes from a team with a blistering hot goalie. Brandon Bussi has stolen the net for the Carolina Hurricanes, making Frederik Andersen expendable at the deadline. The Hurricanes spent picks and prospects to get K'Andre Miller in the offseason, so they could recoup some picks by dealing Andersen to the Golden Knights.
There are goalies for the Golden Knights to target at the March 6 trade deadline. If Hart is still hurt and Hill is not performing up to standard, they should consider flipping out some mid-round picks for one of these players. Quick is familiar with the system, won't cost a ton, and won't require a contract extension at the end of the season.
If the Golden Knights have shown anything in their short history, it is that they are not afraid to make a trade. They should try to fix their goalie situation in the trade market once again.
