Canadiens, Penguins Linked to Golden Knights Defenseman

The Vegas Golden Knights will have just over $9.5 million in salary cap space to work with this offseason, which may force them to make some sizable moves over the summer. One name that has started to appear in the rumor mill is defenseman Nicolas Hague.

The 26-year-old blue liner is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, giving the Golden Knights the first crack at signing him to a contract, but a trade may become more likely. According to Nick Kypreos of the Toronto Star, the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins have expressed an interest in Hague.

“There aren’t many quality UFA defensemen out there, so that makes Nicolas Hague of the Golden Knights a very attractive trade chip if and when Vegas decides to move him because of limited salary-cap space,” Kypreos writes. “I’m hearing the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins are hot on the trail to potentially trade for him.”

The Canadiens are coming off a successful season that saw them reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs ahead of schedule with their young core. They also appear to be open to making some adjustments this offseason, and adding some size on their blue line might be a priority for them.

Hague stands at six-foot-six, 245 pounds and has often found ways to use his frame. In 364 career games, all with the Golden Knights, Hague has picked up 572 total hits.

The Penguins have made it a point to get younger for the 2025-26 season, and Hague being 26 would be a decrease in age from their average.

Hague has averaged just over 17:30 of ice time per game over the course of his career with 83 total points (20G-63A). The sizable defenseman played a vital role to the Golden Knights Stanley Cup run in 2023, playing 81 games in the regular season, then each of the 22 contests on the way to Vegas’ first championship.