Post draft, Golden Knights now have surplus of players

For one historic week, the Vegas Golden Knights were takers.

They took Marc-Andre Fleury from Pittsburgh, Marc Methot from Ottawa and James Neal from Nashville. They took players they needed now, players they needed for the future and players they really didn’t need at all. And they took first-round picks, secondround picks and picks that they won’t be making for another two years.

As a result of all the manoeuvring in the expansion draft, Vegas had a total of 13 selections in last NHL Entry Draft, including three in the Top-15 and three in the second round. Highlighted by sixthoverall pick Cody Glass, the cache of prospects should give Vegas the basis for a core group in the future.

But right now, the team’s core remains a question mark.

The expansion draft left Vegas with more bodies than it can use or it knows what to do with. And so, for once, the house is giving back.

The Golden Knights have to get rid of players, making the team a one-stop shop for teams in search of bargain deals.

This is where things get even more difficult for GM George McPhee. When the Golden Knights were preparing for the expansion draft, McPhee had teams over a barrel as he decided what unprotected players he was going to take. Now, the leverage has somewhat shifted.

Even after trading Trevor van Riemsdyk to Carolina and David Schlemko to Montreal, Vegas has about a dozen defencemen and more than 20 forwards on a roster that has to be paired down to 23 names by the start of the season. Some of those players, such as defenceman Griffin Reinhart and forward Brendan Leipsic, will be sent to the minors.

But, McPhee still has to move a ton of contracts out. And they are not all desirable ones.

What team is going to want Alexei Emelin, who the Canadiens almost seemed glad to lose in the expansion draft? How about forwards David Clarkson or Mikhail Grabovski, who Vegas had to take as part of a deal for draft picks?

Will the team try to move Methot now or wait until next year’s trade deadline, when his value could increase? How about Luca Sbisa or Colin Miller?

Working in McPhee’s favour is that this year’s free agent pool is thin. Aside from Kevin Shattenkirk, Karl Alzner and Michael Stone, there is a lack of top-4 defencemen available. But general managers know that the Golden Knights have to move bodies, putting McPhee at a disadvantage when it comes to trying to get fair market value.

And making it even more difficult is that some of the Golden Knights’ most-wanted assets, such as 21-year-olds Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch or Nate Schmidt, who is coming off his second full season in the NHL, are off limits.

“We’re not trading any young players,” said McPhee.

For teams, such as the Toronto Maples, who are looking to add a player of substance, it doesn’t leave much. But if you’re looking for a discount, Vegas could be an answer.

After all, in another few months, they might have to practically give players away for free.