What Would Vegas Give Up in a Patrick Kane Deal?

Let's pretend for a second like Patrick Kane would accept a deal to the Vegas Golden Knights. What would the framework look like in a deal to get Kane into a Knights #88 jersey? I can just imagine all the Nate Schmidt jersey modifications now....

First and foremost, it's a good fit for Patrick Kane from a team perspective. They have 3 top 2 centers down the middle in Eichel - Stephenson - Karlsson and they are missing their captain Mark Stone (whom is a RW like Kane). This leaves at least 1 third line wing playing "up" in a top 6 role. Paul Cotter and Mike Amadio are both more bottom 6 players that find themselves playing prominent roles in the top 6.

Either of those players moving down creates a spot for Patrick Kane to play with the center of his choice (likely Karlsson or Eichel) as well as a veteran wing on the other side (Smith, Marchessault, or even Carrier or Kessel in certain situations). I believe he would likely play on a line with Reilly Smith and William Karlsson to start with before getting some time with Jack Eichel. Either way you look at it though, the options are very enticing.

Then there is the Power Play slot. Without Stone, the Knights have had to be clever in their play with the man advantage. Perhaps moving Nicolas Roy to the second line power play unit and having Kane take over one of the dots would quickly move them up from the 18th best unit. It has moved down (to 18th) of late too, as the Golden Knights have been struggling to get things going in this area of play.

Lastly, the Golden Knights are currently leading a tight race atop the Pacific division in what is (many are saying) an easier conference. This could prove hugely important once the playoffs start and you don't have to go through Boston-Tampa-Carolina in 3 straight matchups just to reach the finals. From my view, that may be the biggest factor in choosing the Knights.

So, what would they give up? Out of all the teams in the NHL, I can confidently say that the Knights would give more to get Patrick Kane than any other team. They know he is a rental, they know their timer is ticking, and they have an owner that will do anything to win. Mr. Foley is 78 years old and the West Point graduate has proven to be aggressive as an NHL owner. Patrick Kane is showtime and there isn't a place on earth that is more about that then Las Vegas.

Zach Dean is a prospect I'm eyeing in a Kane deal. He was a late 1st round pick in 2021 and plays with Samuel Savoie on Gatineau in the Q. He is a left shot center that can score in a vareity of ways. I know alot of writers (myself included) thought it'd be "neat" to have Brisson trade Kane for his son, but I don't think Vegas would want to trade him. He is quite the prospect and projects as an NHL staple as quickly as next season (27 points in 45 AHL games so far). Dean on the other hand is not as far along and could be 2-3 years away still.

If Vegas was willing to part with this package, which I believe is an over-pay, than I think that Davidson and McCrimmon (VGK GM Kelly McCrimmon) would agree to a deal. I also believe Vegas would be smart to ask for Sam Lafferty to insure a player was added they can control for next season.

To Vegas: RW Patrick Kane (50% Retained - 5.25m), C-LW Sam Lafferty (1.15m through 23-24)

To Chicago: 2023 1st Rd (Vegas), Prospect C Zach Dean, RW Keegan Kolesar (1.4m through 24-25), 2024 2nd Rd (Vegas), 2025 4th Rd (Vegas)

Chicago gets the picks and players it covets and Vegas gets 2 players that will play big roles in the playoffs. The retention on the money also allows Vegas to make yet more moves should it decide to tweak its' roster even further. It's a deal where both teams can see winning the deal. That, in itself, is how deals get done.

This is overpaying. Make no mistake about it. It's 2 late 1sts for Kane and then it's Kolesar (getting rid of his term), a 2nd, and 4th for Lafferty (an upgrade on Kolesar for cheaper) in which he'd be a perfect fit. This is a swing for the fences, one I believe the Knights would do in a heartbeat. These two players fit too well with what they need. Question as always is: What does Patrick Kane want to do?