With Robin Lehner expected to be out for the entire 2022-23 season due to Hip Surgery, the Vegas Golden Knights will likely be looking for a new starting goaltender. This will be a rather difficult task however as the Vegas Golden Knights are $5,794,643 over the salary cap right now, with both Lenher and Weber set for LTIR at the start of the season which will give them just over $7 million in cap space.
Mackenzie Blackwood, New Jersey Devils
Mackenzie Blackwood hasn’t had the best time in his first four NHL seasons and could use a fresh start. Blackwood missed nearly the entire 2021-22 NHL season due to injuries and COVID. The 25-year-old would have a 3.39 GAA and a .892 SV% in 25 games last season. Blackwood’s best season came in his first season when he posted a 2.61 GAA and a .918 in 23 games during the 2018-19 season and has only had an SV% over .910 once since then.
Daniel Vladar, Calgary Flames
Daniel Vladar is one of the more unproven options, having never been a full-time starter and only having 28 games of NHL experience between the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames. Vladar was traded from the Bruins to the Flames last offseason in exchange for a 2022 3rd-round pick. The 24-year-old had a 2.75 GAA and a .906 SV% in 23 games last season with the Flames. Vladar is in the final year of his three-year $2.25 million contract, and an RFA at the end of the year. Vladar would be a familiar face for new Golden Knights Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, who coached Vladar in Boston. A trade involving Vladar is dependent on how the Flames see Dustin Wolf, if they see Wolf as NHL ready they may be more willing to trade Vladar.
John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks
John Gibson has been rumoured to be on the market this off-season, and likely won’t be cheap to acquire. Gibson is in the third year of an eight-year $51.2 million contract. This contract also contains a 10-team no-trade clause. Gibson posted a .904 SV% and a 3.19 GAA in 56 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season. If the Golden Knights were looking for an experienced option Gibson would be a good choice. There is also a possibility of Anaheim retaining some of Gibson’s 6.4 million dollar cap hit.
My name is Joe Moore. I am a writer for Belly Up Hockey, Belly Up Racing, and Belly Up Sports. You can find me on Twitter.
