The Vegas Golden Knights have been active ahead of the NHL trade deadline, as everyone expected. Before the Olympic break, they got Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, sending another first-round pick out the door. And on Tuesday, they picked up Craig Smith from the Nashville Predators. Now, multiple insiders are reporting that the Golden Knights are close to trading for Nic Dowd ahead of the trade deadline.
“Washington is trading Nic Dowd to Vegas,” David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported. Darren Dreger of TSN reported the same, with a catch: “The VGK and Washington Capitals are in ongoing discussions on a deal sending Nic Dowd to Vegas. It’s not done yet, but is expected to be completed this morning.”
Dowd is under contract for next season at $3 million, making him a longer-term add for the Golden Knights. Both Andersson and Smith will be free agents on July 1. Dowd will not add to their scoring, as he has never crossed 30 points in a season. But he does help change up their bottom-six, which could help them in the playoffs.
The Golden Knights may not be done with the Dowd trade. Goaltending has been a disappointment for Vegas this year, mainly due to injuries. With Adin Hill just coming back and Carter Hart on the shelf, could they make a move for one of the big goalies? Sergei Bobrovsky and Jordan Binnington, both Stanley Cup Champions, could be on the move before Friday afternoon.
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