On Saturday, an unexpected trade occurred when the Vegas Golden Knights sent goaltender Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals in exchange for two third-round draft picks. Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon then traded one of those picks and Paul Cotter to the New Jersey Devils, acquiring Akira Schmid and Alexander Holtz.
Using one of the picks obtained from the Capitals, the Golden Knights selected goaltender Pavel Moysevich from the KHL.
This flurry of activity by McCrimmon surprised Golden Knights fans, leaving them questioning the seemingly low return for Thompson.
Breaking Down the Thompson Trade
Sure, here’s a paraphrased version:
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨
The Golden Knights have acquired a 2024 3rd round pick and a 2025 3rd round pick from the Washington Capitals in exchange for goalie Logan Thompson. #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/IF2H4FKLeT
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 29, 2024
Golden Knights fans didn’t expect their Saturday morning coffee to come with the news of Thompson’s trade. Once the shock wore off, they began questioning the minimal return. A 27-year-old goalie with a 2.66 GAA and .912 SV% and one year left on a $766,667 AAV contract should have brought more value.
On another note, the Capitals now boast the NHL’s best goaltending duo in terms of value, with Charlie Lindgren and Thompson combining for an AAV of $1.86 million.
Regarding the Thompson trade, McCrimmon confirmed that Thompson had requested a trade, stripping the Golden Knights of their negotiating power.
This is reminiscent of when the Golden Knights traded Marc-Andre Fleury to the Blackhawks for Mikael Hakkarainen before the 2021-22 season. Everyone knew they needed cap space, and the Blackhawks later traded Fleury to the Wild for a conditional second-round pick.
The lack of leverage in both the Fleury and Thompson trades led to lower returns. Why would anyone offer a first or second-round pick for Thompson when the Golden Knights were in a bind?
Credit goes to Capitals GM Brian MacLellan for capitalizing on the situation.
Breaking Down the Cotter Trade
The day was not all negative for the Golden Knights. McCrimmon traded forward Paul Cotter and a third-round pick from the Capitals to acquire forward Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid from the New Jersey Devils.
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨
The Golden Knights have acquired forward Alexander Holtz and goalie Akira Schmid from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Paul Cotter and a 2025 3rd round pick. #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/zy5RgJAEY0
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 29, 2024
This trade benefits the Golden Knights both now and in the future. Cotter struggled to make his mark with the team. Holtz, who scored 16 goals and 28 points last season, is an immediate scoring improvement. At 22, he has significant potential and will have a favorable salary cap impact for years.
Schmid is considered an upgrade over Jiri Patera and is expected to be the organization’s third goalie, according to McCrimmon. The 24-year-old had a standout 2022-23 season, with a record of 9-5-2, a 2.60 GAA, and a .922 SV%. However, his performance declined in the 2023-24 season, finishing 9-8-5 with a 3.06 GAA and a .895 SV%.
Schmid’s drop in performance is linked to the Devils’ poor season, as they finished seventh in the Pacific Division with 81 points.
