NHL Trade: Vegas Golden Knights and Nashville Predators
In a significant move in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights traded defenseman Nicolas Hague to the Nashville Predators on Sunday night. In exchange, the Golden Knights received forward Colton Sissons and fellow defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, as reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger.
Nicolas Hague’s Contract Situation
Hague, who was a restricted free agent poised for a lucrative contract renewal, prompted the Golden Knights to pursue a trade instead of negotiating a new deal. The Predators quickly acted to secure Hague, signing him to a four-year contract valued at $5.5 million annually. Last season, Hague had a $2.3 million cap hit.
Known for his size and reach, Hague predominantly played on the third defensive pairing during his tenure in Vegas. Despite this limited role, he has demonstrated the ability to elevate his game to a top pairing when needed. Over six seasons with the Golden Knights, he amassed 20 goals and 63 assists, showcasing a powerful slap shot and strong penalty-killing skills. While some may argue that the $5.5 million cap hit for Hague seems excessive given his past usage, there’s potential for him to shine if Nashville effectively utilizes his strengths.
Vegas Golden Knights’ Acquisitions
On the other side of the trade, Vegas has brought in Sissons, a seasoned bottom-six forward. The 31-year-old had a modest 21 points in 72 appearances for Nashville last season and still has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $2,857,143. Over his 11-year career exclusively with the Predators, he has accumulated 95 goals and 126 assists across 690 games.
Joining Sissons is Lauzon, a 28-year-old defenseman who had a challenging season, managing just one assist in 28 games due to a lower-body injury that ended his season prematurely in December. Lauzon, too, is entering the final year of his contract, which comes with a $2 million cap hit.
Implications of the Trade
The significant raise for Hague—moving to $5.5 million from $2.3 million—highlights the precarious cap situation for the Golden Knights, potentially worsened if they pursue high-profile players like Mitch Marner. Recent speculation suggested that Nicolas Roy, Vegas’ fourth-line center, might be traded to Toronto for Marner’s rights. Should that happen, Sissons could step in seamlessly to cover Roy’s minutes, both in even-strength situations and on the penalty kill.
Interestingly, this complex trade suggests the Golden Knights have further plans for additional moves this summer, despite their original intent to clear Hague’s salary from the roster.
