Vegas Trade Deadline Primer
Jesse Granger of The Athletic: George McPhee opened with a simple quote.
“We’ll be active in terms of knowing what’s going on in the market and talking to everyone, but I couldn’t tell you right now what we’d be planning on doing,” McPhee said. “What we’d like to do is see if we can get this club healthy and then see if it needs anything.”
In order to compete with the top teams in the West, Vegas must add but whom? George McPhee understands he needs depth scoring or scoring that could push someone to the third line.
Mark Stone, Mats Zuccarello, and Wayne Simmons may be targeted and could be signed long-term. Do not be surprised if Ryan Dzingel gets a look as well.
The key thing George McPhee possesses is an excess of defensemen he can trade. Those players include Colin Miller and Jon Merrill possibly.
George MacPhee in no rush…
David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal: This is the closest Vegas has been to being healthy as they had a full practice earlier in the week. Also, nerves rise a little come every trade deadline.
Furthermore, this is the time for Vegas to prove to George McPhee that the Golden Knights do not need to make moves. However, some home struggles raise some concerns.
Vegas exploring the trade market…
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period: Again, George McPhee working the phones is no surprise with the trade deadline looming. Getting a sense of what they may try and acquire is a good question. McPhee said…
“There are years where you feel like you have to do something to help your team, and there are years you look at your team and say, ‘It’s a solid team and we like it as is.’ And that’s how we feel this year,” McPhee said. “We’re a pretty solid team, and we’re not interested in taking anyone off of our team, off our roster. We’ll be involved, and we’ll see where it goes.”
Vegas linked to players like Mark Stone, Mats Zuccarello, etc. The team seems not willing to trade prospects so maybe a depth move for a defenseman is more likely.
Perhaps, that means a Cody Ceci move for a defenseman who they can control contract wise.