It’s hard not to wonder what could’ve been had the Golden Knights acquired Erik Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators at the trade deadline. Karlsson is a generational player, and adding him to an already Stanley Cup Final-worthy roster would have certainly been a game-changer.
The Knights fell just short of acquiring Karlsson partially because of the inclusion of Bobby Ryan in the deal, but that wasn’t the only reason.
In Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 31 Thoughts, the NHL insider gave an update on why the deal between Vegas and Ottawa never got done.
The Golden Knights came close to acquiring Erik Karlsson at the deadline. After seeing how the Capitals locked down the neutral zone and point men in the final, you can see how they might revisit something like this.
Word is one of the biggest hang-ups at the end was Cody Glass, drafted sixth overall last June. Vegas didn’t want to include him.
That’s right. According to Friedman, the Senators wanted Vegas to give up its first-ever draft selection. Naturally, the Knights refused.
Vegas’ refusal to include Glass in the deal certainly appears to be a major vote of confidence in the young forward. After all, Glass, 19, is arguably the top prospect in the Knight’s system. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound centerman registered 37 goals and 102 points in 64 games for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks this past season. He also tallied four goals and 13 points in 12 postseason contests.
Another noteworthy tidbit from Friedman’s article is his apparent belief that Vegas may try to revisit negotiations for Karlsson this summer. The Golden Knights are thin at the blue line, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising if they made a move for a proven defender at some point this offseason.