The Cup has been hoisted, the parade has travelled the Strip, and several colourful speeches have been given. For the Vegas Golden Knights, the last week has been one of celebration. But as Bruce Cassidy said, the Knights are looking to go back-to-back. The front office is no stranger to big moves, and they will likely have to make some more in the offseason. The one that everyone is talking about is what to do with the goaltending position. However, there’s another free agent that might be even more important. Keeping Ivan Barbashev should be Vegas’ number-one priority in the offseason.
Golden Knights Offseason Moves
Barbashev Starts Well
The top priority for the Golden Knights offseason is retaining their prized acquisition. For a team well known for making the splashiest move possible, signing Ivan Barbashev seemed a departure from the norm. The forward came over from St. Louis with ten goals and 19 assists, is well off his pace from the 2021-22 season. The move made even less sense when it became evident that the plan was to play Barbashev with Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault on the top line. Barbashev was a career third or fourth liner for the Blues, and had never played the type of minutes the Golden Knights were asking for. However, he flourished in his new role, scoring six goals in 23 games in the regular season and putting up seven goals and eleven assists during Vegas’ run to the Cup.
Barbashev provided the missing link that Vegas’ top line needed. Following the injury to Mark Stone, head coach Bruce Cassidy was required to figure out new combinations to provide his team with the best chance of success. Playing Marchessault, Eichel, and Barbashev together allowed him to spread out his offense, creating an incredibly deep team. Vegas’ depth was a major key to their Stanley Cup run, and balancing out Eichel and Marchessault with Barbashev was the lynchpin. The Knights had 88 goals in the playoffs, scoring 16 of them with Eichel, Marchessault, and Barbashev on the ice, for about 18% of the total offense. For a team that has, historically, struggled with hitting the back of the net, keeping a player that is creating that kind of offensive play has to be a priority.
Barbashev Versus Hill
Here is where the Golden Knights offseason raises questions. The biggest threat to keeping Barbashev is in goal. Hero of the playoffs Adin Hill will also be a free agent and earned a big paycheck with his performance throughout the Cup run. Laurent Brossoit will also hit free agency. They have Logan Thompson on an incredibly team-friendly league minimum deal, but the team will have to figure out how to manage Robin Lehner, who is currently signed for a cap hit of $5 million. Lehner was out on LTIR for the entirety of this season, but if he is expected to be able to return for the start of next season, his contract cuts Vegas’ available cap space in half.
The Knights have depth at the goaltending position and have proven that they can take netminders and turn them into special players. Where they are less deep is the forward position. While Vegas has some potential diamonds in the rough in the pipeline, none of them have found true success or chemistry on the ice yet. Paul Cotter, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Brendan Brisson all have potential, but none of them have truly broken into true NHL talents. Vegas has also used most of their top prospects and draft picks as trade collateral, leaving them less well-stocked than some of their opponents across the league. Barbashev fills a void that Vegas has struggled with in the past, and where they are likely to struggle in the future.
What’s Most Likely
Hill seems to be the obvious priority, given his lights-out play during the playoffs and the legend he created for himself within the organization. However, Vegas has more players that can cover for the loss of Hill, whereas Barbashev is a player that addresses a unique need for this Vegas squad. The decisions all hinge on Robin Lehner’s ability to play. If Lehner appears that he will be out again for the 2023-24 season, then Vegas will have almost 10 million dollars to play with, and Hill and Barbashev both become likely returns. If Lehner will be available, then the front office will have to choose one. However, if a Stanley Cup is any indication, this administration knows what they’re doing.
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