Golden Knights Could Offer Penguins/Maple Leafs Goaltending In Potential Trade

At the 2023 All-Star Break, the Vegas Golden Knights still have a trio of NHL-capable goaltenders in their system. Both Logan Thompson and Adin Hill have split the starts for the VGK so far this season, with coming-off-injury player Laurent Brossoit playing with the Henderson Silver Knights.

The NHL Trade Deadline is now only four weeks away, and general manager Kelly McCrimmon will have to make a decision regarding his goaltending soon. His options essentially boil down to keeping all three of these goaltenders or moving one of them for a small return and cap space.

With Thompson as the literal All-Star goaltender, trade rumors regarding pending unrestricted free agents Hill and Brossoit have circulated.

There are two teams that could use a backup goaltender in the NHL, given that their starter is hurt. The Pittsburgh Penguins are without Tristan Jarry indefinitely, who has missed the last three starts, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are missing injury-prone Matt Murray thanks to an ankle injury.

The Penguins' current tandem is that of Casey DeSmith and Dustin Tokarski, and the Maple Leafs Ilya Samsonov, and Joseph Woll.

On Sunday, Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reported that the Penguins might be interested in either Hill or Brossoit.

"The biggest problem here is Vegas is in the same ridiculously tight cap hell that bogs the Penguins. Neither team has space to add, so it would have to be an exact dollar-in, dollar-out for both sides. This is where a third team to absorb some cap space becomes advantageous," Kingerski wrote.

Again, the status of Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is the biggest roadblock for the Golden Knights right now. If the rumors are true and it is his back that is acting up again, the VGK could suddenly find themselves with $9.5 million in LTIR cap space. If not, they would want the Penguins or Maple Leafs to take on the full contract of either Hill or Brossoit.

Given that we still have not seen Brossoit play an NHL game this season and that Hill has been playing well recently, Brossoit is the more likely candidate to be traded. But considering he was on waivers earlier in the season, and nobody claimed him, it is likely the VGK will continue to roll with three goalies.