Golden Knights eyed as potential team to watch for division rival

Even in such a short time, the Vegas Golden Knights have already established a reputation as one of the most aggressive retooling teams in the NHL.

From early franchise-defining moves such as the Mark Stone trade in 2019 to later moves that brought in the likes of Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl, the Golden Knights and general manager Kelly McCrimmon have always found ways to improve their roster. The trend has continued this offseason as well, with Vegas acquiring former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner and Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson heavily implying he wants the Golden Knights as his next team. With a Stanley Cup already won during this championship window, it is no surprise McCrimmon and company want to get another banner in the rafters of T-Mobile Arena.

However, one analyst has the Golden Knights in position to make their most aggressive and league-breaking move yet.

Could the best player in the NHL end up in a Golden Knights jersey?

According to Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz, the Golden Knights are one of the teams he is considering in the running to land Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid if he hits free agency in 2026.

“A good rule of thumb to follow in the NFL is that if a top-line player becomes available, just assume the Vegas Golden Knights are going to figure out a way to squeeze their way into it. They always do,” wrote Gretz.

“There is some added intrigue here because Vegas’ top player, Jack Eichel, is also set to enter the final year of his contract, while Mark Stone only has two years remaining on his deal.

In other words: Vegas could potentially have a lot of money coming off the books in in the near future, and it may need to land another superstar.”

It is important to note that the Golden Knights have major free agent decisions on Eichel and forward Pavel Dorofeyev next offseason, and it is more likely that Eichel signs an eight-year extension in the final year where that is available.

However, in a world where Eichel heads elsewhere and the Golden Knights have enough money to spend, they would be foolish to not at least take a swing on McDavid.

That being said, the rivalry between the Golden Knights and Oilers could lead to McDavid not being interested in coming to Vegas. If they lose out on the five-time Art Ross Trophy winner on top of letting Eichel walk, the Golden Knights suddenly have a massive hole at the top of their lineup for 2026 and beyond. McCrimmon did not hedge his bets on Marner coming to Vegas this offseason despite being the heavy favorite to land him, and it is even less likely he will do so with McDavid.

As unlikely as it is to see McDavid’s No. 97 jersey in Vegas gold anytime soon, it would certainly be a sight to behold.