“The Silver Shield” is a column by Kasey Kazliner about the National Hockey League.
From reigning Cup champion to wild-card team
The Vegas Golden Knights are one of the most talented teams in the NHL, if not the most. But less than a year after hoisting their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, a punishing injury bug has flooded the roster. Center Jack Eichel might’ve made his return to the ice for the first time in almost two months, but Vegas is still dealing with injuries to captain Mark Stone, William Carrier and Brett Howden, among others.
The Golden Knights’ 2-7-1 record in their last 10 games has severely set them back after contending with the Canucks for the top spot in the Pacific Division for quite some time. This stretch includes losses to the mediocre Wild, the Atlantic-worst Senators, the underperforming Sabres and the Metropolitan-worst Blue Jackets. As a result, Vegas has slipped out of the Pacific’s top three and is now even with both the Kings and Predators — at 73 points — and on the brink of not being in a playoff position altogether.
Don’t get it twisted — the Golden Knights are no strangers to adversity. After missing the playoffs in 2022 for the first time ever, the team completely rebounded the following season and reached ultimate heights. But this year is different, as the division has seen unprecedented success from Vancouver, who is running away with the Pacific crown. Along with the Golden Knights and Canucks — the red-hot Oilers, the promising Kings and even the inconsistent Kraken are all Pacific teams pushing for the playoffs.
The recent slump has highlighted some of the Knights’ main areas for improvement. Last year, their stout defense that protected surging netminder Adin Hill was the main contributor to their Cup-hoisting run. While Vegas’ defense hasn’t been bad this year, it has been rather inconsistent. In six of his past seven games, Hill’s save percentage has dipped under .900, and he’s allowed a flurry of goals, most recently a staggering six against Columbus. Blueliners Alex Pietrangelo and Alec Martinez are aging, which doesn’t help a team in dire need of quick-footed defensemen to keep Hill and Logan Thompson safe.
With the trade deadline approaching on Friday, the Golden Knights have diligently made some moves to hopefully address recent struggles.
On Tuesday, Vegas acquired forward Anthony Mantha from the Capitals in exchange for a pair of late-round picks in 2024 and 2026. Mantha has the capability to be a game changer, standing tall at 6-foot-4 and weighing 234 pounds. He’s bound to have the best scoring season of his career, with 20 goals on the year already. He may not be the same player he was with the Red Wings, but he’ll be a good fit on Vegas’ middle lines to generate points while also adding much-needed defense. Washington will also retain 50% of his salary, giving the Golden Knights some more breathing room to work with before the deadline. Vegas didn’t have to part ways with any valuable assets and picked up a proven scorer, which will undoubtedly bolster its depth.
On Wednesday, though, the Knights acquired a player that might solve their defensive problems. Vegas landed former Flames blueliner Noah Hanifin in a three-team trade with Calgary and Philadelphia, with 75% of his contract retained. Unlike some of the Golden Knights’ other defensemen, Hanifin is younger and more nimble. At 27 years old, he’s posted a career-high 11 goals this season and has been a skilled passer and a two-way force. His ability to transition the puck out of the defensive end is desperately needed by Vegas, as it has often struggled with combating the forecheck this season. Put him in either the top pairing or the second, and he’ll help wash out some of the Knights’ recent defensive inconsistencies.
Make it 🔟 goals on the year for Hanny! pic.twitter.com/MpQtgaNm6m
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) February 25, 2024
Vegas parted ways with its first-round pick in this year’s draft, as well as some other draft capital. Considering the Golden Knights are seemingly always in win-now mode, trading picks makes sense for them. They also shipped off defenseman Daniil Miromanov, who had only appeared in four games this season.
Most great teams go through rough patches; just ask the Knights themselves, who were able to take a sip from the Stanley Cup last season following a down year. The Pacific Division is elite, and won’t be easy to get through, but if any team can do it, it’s Vegas.
The Golden Knights will host the Canucks in a highly anticipated divisional game on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Trade deadline turmoil
The deadline to exchange players and draft picks is Friday at noon, and, in addition to the Golden Knights, other teams have swapped assets, and will continue to, up until the last second. Let’s look at some of the biggest trades around the league thus far.
Tanev heads to Dallas
A veteran defenseman, Chris Tanev provides defensive depth on a Stars team with Stanley Cup aspirations. With an efficient plus-17 rating, Tanev is an opportunity creator with a major defensive upside. Dallas parted ways with draft stock to acquire him, and half of his salary will be retained by the Flames. Along with Thomas Harley and Miro Heiskanen, Tanev will strengthen the Stars’ defensive core.
Florida trades for Tarasenko
Right now, it looks like the Panthers might win the Presidents’ Trophy. Leading a talented Atlantic Division, Florida acquired a depth asset in winger Vladimir Tarasenko, formerly an Ottawa Senator. The Panthers are gambling on Tarasenko to get back on track in the latter half of the season, and they surrendered a pair of middle-round picks to bring him in. He’ll have 50% of his contract covered by Ottawa, and will hope to be a part of Florida’s top-six, which is already very strong. The 32-year-old has 41 points in 57 games this season.
Colorado lands breakout blueliner
The Avs picked up touted defenseman Sean Walker, whose plus-nine rating speaks to his defensive efficiency and ability to create offensive plays. With the Flyers this season, Walker posted 22 points, two shy of his career-high 24-point campaign in 2019-20. Colorado shipped off inconsistent forward Ryan Johansen and a 2025 top-10 protected first-round selection, while also gaining a 2026 fifth-round pick.
Avalanche and Sabres swap former top-10 picks
Colorado landed forward Casey Mittelstadt in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram on Wednesday.
For Buffalo, Byram is a promising player when healthy, and he’ll have a chance to impress on a younger Sabres blue line, joining Owen Power and Rasmus Dahlin. A fast skater, Byram has racked up 20 points this season and will hope for a positive change of scenery on an up-and-coming team.
The Avalanche acquired a point-producing second-line center in Mittelstadt. The 25-year-old is having one of his better seasons and should make an impact in the top-six. With 14 goals, he places top five in scoring on a star-studded Avs team. Mittelstadt will also be an upgrade over the traded Johansen.
Rangers acquire Wennberg
New York brought in a potential third-line center piece in Alex Wennberg. He’s a solid defender with opportunistic qualities; he has nine goals and 16 helpers on the year and will aim to give the Blueshirts extra depth to make a run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Rangers sent two draft picks to Seattle in the trade, who will retain half of Wennberg’s salary.
Oilers pick up forwards Henrique and Carrick
To read an in-depth report on this trade, click here.
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