The first day of the workweek is always a drag, but at least we have the Monday Morning Mailbag to get us through the struggle.
Let’s jump right in.
You think we keep Perron.
— Tom Wiesner Jr (@TWvegas66) June 24, 2018
This has been a hot topic as of late. With reports surfacing that Perron will “look at other opportunities” as free agency approaches, many Knights fans are feeling uneasy about the prospect of losing the 30-year-old winger.
It’s very possible that the Knights will be able to retain Perron. He and the Knights have had mutual interest in a long-term deal and Vegas has a monstrous amount of cap space to work with this summer. The main thing keeping a deal from getting done, though, could be Perron’s asking price. After averaging nearly a point per game last season, Perron may be looking for a lucrative long-term deal with the assumption that he’ll continue to be a point-per-game player. While Vegas has the ability to accommodate that, would they? Perron is 30 years old now and the Knights may be hesitant to pay top dollar for a someone who may or may not be far off from declining.
What percentage chance do you think the Knights have of actually getting Erik Karlsson?
— Zach Vredenburg (@ZachVredenburg) June 24, 2018
It’s impossible to put an exact percentage on whether or not Vegas will pull off a trade for Karlsson, but the odds certainly appear to be better for Vegas than any other team.
As we already know, the Golden Knights came extremely close to acquiring Karlsson at the trade deadline, and talks between the Golden Knights and Senators are heating up once again. It would take a considerable haul to land Karlsson, but it’s not every day that one of the best hockey players on the planet is on the block.
If the Tavares, Karlsson deals do not go through, do you see GMGM looking at other UFAs? Or does he go for trades like Jeff Skinner?
— Bottle Rocket Hockey ⛳ (@B_R_Hockey) June 25, 2018
At this point, it looks like the Golden Knights are out of the John Tavares sweepstakes. And if the Knights can’t land Karlsson, Vegas will have missed out on two huge opportunities to land a superstar player.
That said, if the Knights don’t land one of Tavares or Karlsson, this offseason certainly won’t be a failure. There are still plenty of players capable of helping Vegas improve ahead of next season. Thomas Vanek and Michael Grabner are two players that could fit in well with the Knights. Both are proven goal scorers and could give a major boost to Vegas’ third or second line.
If Vegas is keen on adding a defenseman, Mike Green could be an option. The right-shot defender is 32 years old, but remains one of the better scoring blueliners in the NHL. His best days are behind him, but he put together a pretty solid campaign last season on one of the league’s most underwhelming teams.
Is Oscar Dansk trade-able?
— Olin (@olinjlau) June 24, 2018
Dansk’s future is a bit uncertain. He’s a pending restricted free agent and eligible for arbitration, but you have to assume at least a few teams (including the Knights) are fascinated with what the 24-year-old showed last season. Dansk only played in four games, but proved to be a capable backstop in that brief period for Vegas.
Assuming the Knights give Dansk a contract extension, it wouldn’t be surprising if other teams inquired about the Swedish netminder. Dansk is no longer waiver exempt, meaning the Knights could lose him for nothing if he doesn’t make the Golden Knights out of camp. And with Malcolm Subban virtually guaranteed the backup job, signing Dansk as a potential trade chip may not be out of the question.