LAS VEGAS — Could the Vegas Golden Knights really be thinking about trading Jonathan Marchessault?
Fresh off a Conn Smythe Trophy win as playoff MVP during the team's run to a Stanley Cup championship, it is possible Marchessault could be moved with one year remaining on his current deal.
"Yes, there is a possibility that the team moves on from Marchessault either during or after the season," says Chris Gawlik of Locked on Golden Knights.
As Gawlik wrote on Vegas Hockey Now, "Marchessault will be 33-years-old when his contract expires and a hot commodity should he opt for free agency. General manager Kelly McCrimmon understands that and may try and get something in return vs. letting Marchessault walk."
In a recent interview with TVA Sports, Marchessault also suggested his relationship with head coach Bruce Cassidy hasn't always been smooth.
"It hasn't always been the rainbow and the good weather between us," he said (via Google Translate). "We got into each other a couple of times, on the bench, during games, during the playoffs. But I think he wanted the best out of me and we managed to be able to work together."
"He's a coach I respect," Marchessault added. "We won together, so he will always have my respect.”
The Golden Knights have proven to be very open to trading key players over their relatively brief existence - Marc-Andre Fleury, Max Pacioretty, and most recently Reilly Smith come to mind.
This could be a situation where the two sides begin the season together, and the Golden Knights make a decision closer to the trade deadline.
If they're contenders once again, maybe they hang on for a chance at a repeat and risk losing him in free agency. If they're struggling to make the playoffs, he could be flipped for a decent return.
Marchessault is expected to command between $6 - $7 million as an unrestricted free agent next summer.