Mailbag: Will Golden Knights be able to re-sign Alec Martinez?

The Golden Knights’ offseason is about to heat up, with the expansion and amateur drafts taking place next week and free agency looming on the horizon.

It’s the perfect time for a mailbag, with plenty of questions about the future of unrestricted free agent defenseman Alec Martinez, the goaltenders and more on the minds of readers.

Let’s get right to it. (Some questions were edited for clarity.)

Is there any way to keep Martinez?

— Dawn Leslie

If Vegas finds a team for (Marc-Andre) Fleury, will Vegas be able to keep Martinez?

— @VegasNhlknights

What are the odds of retaining Martinez?

— Lynda Cunningham

His heroic effort playing on a broken foot will go down in Knights playoff lore. But as it stands, Martinez might cost too much to re-sign.

Martinez, who turns 34 on July 26, is due a raise after leading the NHL in blocked shots during the regular season and playoffs. He was second on the team in average ice time (22:34) and posted 32 points, the second-highest total of his career. His 23 assists in 53 games also were on pace for a career high.

The Knights have a little more than $5 million in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia.com, with 19 players signed for 2021-22. Should Martinez hit the free agent market, a three- or four-year contract would be worth approximately $5.5 million per year in Evolving Hockey’s projections.

That means the Knights have to get creative if they don’t want Martinez to walk. Trading one of the goaltenders obviously would free up the money. They also could deal a player entering the final year of his deal or make a splashy move to reconfigure the roster.

Martinez said in late April there had been no discussions with the Knights about an extension, though general manager Kelly McCrimmon indicated it was on his to-do list. It’s been quiet around Martinez recently, which could indicate talks are ongoing.

Any chance (Robin Lehner) … has to ride the LTIR this regular season to give (Logan) Thompson some ice time behind Fleury?

— Louis Gregory

Looking past the sarcasm directed toward long-term injured reserve, it’s worth discussing Thompson’s development.

The goaltender rose to No. 3 on the organization’s depth chart, pushing Oscar Dansk to sign in the Kontinental Hockey League this month. Thompson swept the American Hockey League award circuit, taking the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award as the outstanding goaltender and being named to the Pacific Division all-star team and all-rookie team.

Thompson led all AHL goaltenders with a .943 save percentage, but faced only five teams in an abbreviated season. Two years after he was playing Canadian college hockey, it’s probably too early in his development to expect the undrafted 24-year-old to start 20 to 25 games as an NHL backup.

Have the VGK given up on Cody Glass?

— Peter Brandon

This is a big offseason for Glass, who bounced between the NHL and the minors in his second full season. The No. 6 pick in the 2017 draft has yet to make an impact with the Knights, and coach Pete DeBoer seemed to issue a challenge.

”I think we stuck young guys in all year and tried to put them in situations where they had an opportunity to succeed,” DeBoer said during his exit interview. “Come in, play on the first line, play with good players. Play on the power play. Play good minutes. … Some have seized the moment. Some haven’t. Some just aren’t ready yet and hopefully in September will be.”

Keep in mind, Glass is only 22 and not far removed from major surgery on his knee. The Knights are being patient, but it’s tough when other players from his class are turning into consistent performers.

If the Rangers buy out Tony DeAngelo, would the Knights be interested?

— Jennifer Leeper

There’s a lot to unpack here. The 25-year-old defenseman was banished to New York’s taxi squad after a postgame altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev in late January and has a history of discipline issues dating to junior hockey.

DeAngelo can run a power play — he had 53 points in 68 games in 2019-20 — and would come at a discount after his latest run-in. It’s high-risk, high-reward. But the Knights have been loathe to take on other team’s problems.

Will the Golden Knights pursue getting (Pierre-Edouard) Bellemare back now that he’ll be an unrestricted free agent?

— @Srenin75

Interesting thought. He matched his career high with nine goals last season for Colorado and remains an excellent fourth-line penalty killer/faceoff specialist at age 36.

Bellemare wouldn’t cost much. The Knights don’t seem to have a huge need at this stage with Nicolas Roy established and talk of a top-six center arriving.

Does a young guy like (Ivan) Morozov get a shot at cracking the lineup?

— @TheHUBShow

The Knights’ second-round pick in 2018 remains under contract with his KHL team until 2022. Once his contract expires, Morozov could sign an entry-level deal ahead of the postseason similar to the way Nikita Gusev did in 2019.

The Russian is one of the team’s top prospects and could need time to adjust to the North American rink. He’s expected to make an impact as a reliable, top-nine center when he arrives.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.