The Vegas Golden Knights pulled off the latest NHL trade deadline move by landing a depth forward from the Nashville Predators late Tuesday night.
The Golden Knights, dealing with injury issues at this point in the season, landed fourth-liner Cole Smith from the Predators in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick and 24-year-old blueliner Christoffer Sedoff.
For Vegas, this NHL trade deadline move makes sense. The club has William Karlsson and Brett Howden currently on LTIR. Meanwhile, captain Mark Stone and forward Alexander Holtz are dealing with day-to-day issues.
As such, Smith will likely be a placeholder while the regulars return to the lineup. Smith will also be a solid depth piece moving forward for the Golden Knights.
Coming out of the Olympic break, the Golden Knights have been in a bit of a slump. They lost 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night, leaving them one point ahead of the Anaheim Ducks and two points up on the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division.
The price tag was high for Vegas. Paying a third-round pick and a mid-tier prospect for a 30-year-old impending UFA who has four goals in 41 games this season is a steep price. However, that seems to be the going rate for depth forwards at this year’s NHL trade deadline.
NHL Trade Deadline Continues to Favor Sellers
The Predators continue to make shrewd moves despite trying to remain competitive in the Western Conference playoff race. Nashville traded another depth forward earlier in the day. The club sent Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a second-round pick.
That’s a remarkably high price for another bottom-six forward. Generally speaking, bottom-six forwards don’t usually fetch more than a late-round pick or an equivalent player. Sometimes, teams dump impending UFAs for an unknown prospect.
But not at this year’s NHL trade deadline. The Predators have been savvy in maximizing their deals. After two trades, the club has recouped a second and third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, plus an AHL-level defenseman who might get a look at training camp next season.
That’s not bad when considering the Predators were supposed to be rebuilding after a tough start this season.
Golden Knights May Not Be Done
As for the Golden Knights, they might still be looking to make another couple of moves. The club will be looking to offset its injury situation. However, there’s no replacing key pieces like Karlsson and Stone.
So, the best that Vegas can hope for at this point is finding cheap, reliable depth guys who can pick up some minutes down the stretch. They’ll also be valuable in the postseason, given the need for depth in the playoffs.
Vegas still has about $3.7 million in cap space heading into the final moments of the NHL trade deadline. However, the club has over $17 million in LTIR in play. If and when those players return to the ice, the Golden Knights will find themselves in a tight cap situation.
That’s why cheap depth guys are the most fans can hope for at this time. Vegas just doesn’t have the cap space to make a splash even if it wanted to. It remains unclear what the club will be able to do leading up to the final minutes of the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
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