The Vegas Golden Knights Need Center Help
Dave Pagnotta and Dennis Bernstein of the Fourth Period joined Steve Kouleas on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio to debate the Vegas Golden Knights’ second-line center position. Pagnotta and Bernstein discuss the likelihood that, with William Karlsson done for the season, they might add Nazem Kadri or Vincent Trocheck.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Steve Kouleas: “So you have got no gap between you place the (Edmonton) Oilers or you place the Vegas Golden Knights on this group, that no matter where these teams are within the standings?
Vegas, remember, (Mark) Stone’s only played 28 games, and he’s having one in every of his best seasons. They’ve done it with a Akira Schmid, right? There three guy. He is perhaps the 2. He is perhaps the one. He is perhaps trade bait. We’ll see. So Vegas has loads of options, as they’ve made it work. As you alluded to earlier, Marner is a centerman, right?”
Dennis Bernstein: “Well, that’s the challenge Koul. Though, the William Karlsson injury may be very impactful here. Kelly (McCrimmon) could have to exit and get a middle on the trade deadline, because, yeah, you would like Mitch Marner, but is he a shutdown center? Who’s their shutdown center if you get to the playoffs? They don’t have one.”
Kouleas: “You’re talking me into Nazem Kadri.”
Bernstein: “That might be a jackpot for them, obviously.”
Kouleas: “You then’re Eichel, Kadri, Marner moved over. Hertl”
Bernstein: “Is that going to be enough to compete against Colorado? It does. And Dallas, it does. I’m not saying it could beat those teams, nevertheless it would give them a likelihood.”
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Kouleas: “Vegas is daring. We have now seen it there. This roster that exists right this second isn’t the roster I’m going to see on March 7.”
Dave Pagnotta: “They’re not afraid to take those swings, they usually’re not afraid to spend the cash. Everyone knows this. If Kaarlsson is finished, that is what they should work out. Is he done for the regular season? If he’s done for the regular season and will come back in playoffs, then it’s only $3.8 (million) and alter that they’ll release in cap space, after which they’ll worry in regards to the playoff roster after they must.
If he’s done for the playoffs, you throw him on season-ending LTIR, and also you’ve got a full $5.9 (million) to work with. Makes it quite a bit more palatable to drag off a Kadri-type acquisition, or, whoever else at the middle position is out there. That’s top tier. That matches that. That 2C. The guy you mentioned before”
Bernstein: “Vinny Trocheck. Put him on the team.”
Kouleas: “Is that the team who called?”
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Pagnotta: “Well, perhaps no, not the one which I’m alluding to. I’m waiting for a text back to see if I can, okay, if I can say who the team is. We’ve actually talked about it already on the show, and might need mentioned it moments ago, but I don’t know if it’s Vegas. But like, there are, teams that wish to fill that slot. And for Vegas, they should work out just what the realistic timeline is for Karlsson.
How much wiggle room do I even have here? Do I even have money to play with? And in that case, how much? And that’s what I feel Vegas must work out with Karlsson.”
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