The Vegas Golden Knights came within three wins of a championship. Now they have to figure out how to get back — and that almost certainly means subtracting before they can add.
After falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games, the Golden Knights face a roster that is talented but increasingly expensive and aging. The front office has already made one hard call, parting ways with head coach John Tortorella just days after the Stanley Cup Final. According to team insiders, the decision was a straightforward one: Tortorella provided a jolt when he replaced Bruce Cassidy late in the regular season, but his hardline coaching style has a limited shelf life. The organization believes a more sustainable long-term voice is needed behind the bench.
But the tougher decisions are about players. Vegas has a core built around Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, both in their prime. But around them, multiple key contributors are pushing 34 or older. That includes Mark Stone (34), William Karlsson (33) and Tomas Hertl, who will turn 33 this November. The defensive corps isn’t much younger.
Hertl is the most logical trade candidate. He went through a brutal goal drought that stretched 29 games from March 4 through mid-May, a stretch that bled into the postseason before he found his scoring touch in the second round. Hertl finished the playoffs with five goals and nine assists, which is solid production. But he also carries four more years on an eight-year, $65.1 million contract. With the salary cap rising, some teams might view that as a manageable risk. For the Golden Knights, trading him now could free up space and return younger assets before his value dips further.
Then there’s Brayden McNabb, who became a folk hero of sorts during the Cup Final. In Game 2, he took an 87-mph slap shot from Carolina’s Nikolaj Ehlers directly to the face. He returned for Game 3 wearing a full cage and recorded two assists in a double-overtime win. His teammate Shea Theodore called McNabb’s performance “unbelievable” given the circumstances.
McNabb is 35 and posted one goal and nine assists with a plus-13 rating in the playoffs. He is the kind of veteran defender contending teams covet at the deadline or in offseason deals. If Vegas can flip him for a pair of young players or prospects, the front office has to weigh that against the emotional pull of keeping a respected leader.
The Golden Knights have a narrow window to retool while Eichel and Marner are at their peak. Moving Hertl or McNabb — or both — could be the price of staying competitive. The pain of a lost Cup Final has faded. The hard work of building a roster that can win one is just beginning.
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