The Golden Knights are getting some bottom-six help.
Vegas acquired forward Mattias Janmark from the Chicago Blackhawks for a second-round pick in this upcoming NHL Draft, and a third-rounder in 2022. Chicago sends Janmark and a fifth-round pick in 2022 to Vegas.
The deal was first reported by TSN.
Chicago is retaining 50 percent of Janmark’s deal, a cap hit of $2.225 million. Janmark was subsequently traded to the San Jose Sharks, who received a fifth-round pick in 2022 from Vegas for taking 25 percent of the already retained salary. San Jose sent Janmark to Vegas to carry the remaining 25 percent, $562,500, and was also given AHL defenseman Nick DeSimone in the deal.
Vegas sent a 2022 fifth-round pick to San Jose that originally belonged to Buffalo. It was acquired in the trade from the Colin Miller deal two seasons ago.
“In Mattias Janmark, we get a player that really has good speed, he plays a real direct game,” said general manager Kelly McCrimmon. He’s had an excellent year in Chicago in an expanded role.”
The Golden Knights got to know Janmark well in the Stanley Cup Playoff bubble in Edmonton last season. Janmark had eight points in 26 games in the bubble with the Dallas Stars, en route to the Stanley Cup Final. Dallas beat Vegas in five games, but while Janmark played a bottom six role, his speed and defense was a factor.
Janmark signed a one-year deal with Chicago in the offseason.
“I talked to Joe [Pavelski] about him,” said coach Pete DeBoer. “Real good reviews from everybody, both on character, type of player, what he brings to the table, and his importance and ability to play at the toughest time of year, which is the playoffs.”
The Golden Knights have been in need of bottom-six help, and Janmark provides that. The forward has 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 41 games; eight of those points have come on the power play, and he’s been a stalwart on the penalty kill.
Janmark will join the club Tuesday in Los Angeles and is expected to make his Golden Knights debut Wednesday against the Kings. Janmark, a left shot that can play on the left, is expected to join the third line with Tomas Nosek and Alex Tuch.
But given his speed and scoring knack, Janmark’s versatility will be a welcomed addition to the lineup.
“It will be more similar to what he was in Dallas. He’ll play in our top three lines; he has the ability to complement great players,” McCrimmon said. “One of the things we were able to find out from speaking with people that have worked with the player is that’s a real strength of his game, is that he can play with a lot of different players, that players like to play with him, that he complements a line. That versatility is going to be important for us.”
This is the second consecutive season the Golden Knights and Blackhawks have worked together on Deadline Day. Chicago, by way of Toronto, traded Robin Lehner to Vegas last February.