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Golden Knights Make Crucial Trade Decisions for Tomas Hertl and William Karlsson, per Elliotte Friedman

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 3:17 PM ET

The Golden Knights need to clear up some cap space this summer, but according to Elliotte Friedman, they're not going to trade two of their key players to do it despite recent rumours suggesting that they're looking into it.

This summer is going to be a critical one for the Vegas Golden Knights, and after failing to reach the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons, it's well known around the NHL that they'll be aggressive in looking to add major talent to this roster.

The one player they've been linked too is former Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Mitch Marner, but unfortunately, if they want to add the biggest name on the free agent market, they'll need to clear up some cap space.

That's led to some rumours around their biggest names, with traction picking up in recent times that they could look to trade one or both of Tomas Hertl and Golden Knights original William Karlsson.

According to top NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, that's no longer the case, as he is reporting that neither player is expected to be traded this off-season, even with the team still in hot pursuit of Mitch Marner.

That has led to speculation around Nicholas Roy and Nicolas Hague, but as of right now, if they don't move one of their biggest stars, it's likely to result in them missing out on No. 16.

Ultimately, the Golden Knights have become known as a team that can land anyone they want whether that be in free agency or in the trade market, so don't be surprised to see them pull it out anyway, but for now, both Karlsson and Hertl are expected to stay in Vegas moving forward.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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