Nick Cousins leaves Golden Knights, signs with Nashville
Free-agent forward Nick Cousins will not return to the Golden Knights after signing a two-year, $3 million contract with the Nashville Predators on Friday, according to TSN.
Cousins, 27, was set to be a restricted free agent this offseason, but the Knights declined to give him a qualifying offer Wednesday. That made him an unrestricted agent and open to offers from the other 30 NHL teams.
Cousins was acquired by the Knights from the Montreal Canadiens for a 2021 fourth-round pick before the trade deadline. The versatile forward had three points in seven games before the pause, then scored five points in 17 playoff games.
Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Cousins played well enough to justify a qualifying offer, but the team’s cap crunch made it difficult.
“He contributed in his time here,” McCrimmon said.
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