Golden Knights face difficult decisions on their free agents

By Ben Gotz

Las Vegas Review-Journal

5 years ago

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Ryan Reaves (75) and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafs ... — Vegas Golden Knights right wing Ryan Reaves (75) and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson (56) battles for the puck in the first period during their NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019. (Erik Verduzco / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Erik_Verduzco

The Golden Knights’ season isn’t officially over, but the break caused by the coronavirus pandemic should give the front office plenty of time to think about the future.

The Knights took care of one piece of business by signing defenseman Zach Whitecloud to a two-year extension Sunday. But they still have three pending restricted free agents and five pending unrestricted free agents.

They also have an uncertain amount of salary cap space to re-sign those players. The Knights are projected to spend $72,625,000 on eight forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender next season. That total increases to $73,488,333 if one includes forward Cody Glass, who spent most of the season in the NHL.

NHL teams could spend $81.5 million this season, but it’s unknown how the potential loss of revenue from the suspension of play could affect that number for the 2020-21 season. It’s unlikely to go down, but it’s also unlikely to go up much, if at all. The last time the league faced a remotely similar situation — the loss of games and revenue from a lockout shortened season in 2012-13 — it kept the cap flat from its last full season.

So if history repeats itself, the salary cap limit could be $81.5 million or slightly above for next season. That gives the Knights about $8.011 million-plus to spend to retain some, all or none of those players:

(2019-20 cap hit)

Restricted free agents

— Center/left wing Chandler Stephenson ($1.05 million)

— Center/right wing/left wing Nick Cousins ($1 million)

— Center/right wing Nicolas Roy ($720,000)

Unrestricted free agents

— Right wing Ryan Reaves ($2.75 million)

— Center/left wing Tomas Nosek ($1 million)

— Defenseman Jon Merrill ($1.375 million)

— Defenseman Deryk Engelland ($700,000)

— Goaltender Robin Lehner ($5 million)

Who should the Knights re-sign? Keep in mind RFAs and UFAs rarely get a pay cut. Left wing William Carrier, for instance, doubled his cap hit from $700,000 to $1.4 million when he avoided restricted free agency with an extension in February.

The decisions are difficult but ones the Knights face.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.