The Vegas Golden Knights have mentioned five key players they intend to trade before on March 8.

The Vegas Golden Knights have once again emerged as a key participant ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline on March 8. With a definite need at forward due to the protracted absences of Jack Eichel and Mark Stone (and, to a lesser extent, William Carrier, Brett Howden, and Pavel Dorofeyev), the Golden Knights appear to be in the thick of it, as they frequently are as the deadline approaches.

With a Stanley Cup defense looming and potential trade target fights brewing with division rivals, let’s make sense of some of the rumors and take a deeper look at some of the forwards who may be in the Crosshairs of the Golden Knights

Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh

We’re talking about the Golden Knights, so we’ll start with the most well-known name on the trade market. Jake Guentzel’s 22 goals in 50 games prior to his recent upper-body injury signal a down year for him after scoring 76 goals the previous two seasons. Nonetheless, the offensively skilled 29-year-old is averaging more than a point per game and appears to be the finest player available for trade in the coming days, especially given his impending return to the ice.

The reason Vegas would want him is obvious. With Eichel improving slowly and Stone iffy for a postseason comeback, the club might benefit from Guentzel’s top-line talent. And if both men are fit and productive by playoff time, an embarrassment of riches isn’t always a bad thing.
Of course, a front-line player who has yet to reach 30 is not going to come cheap. According to recent sources, the Pittsburgh Penguins are seeking a first-round pick, a top prospect, and an NHL player as the starting point for trade discussions with the Omaha, Nebraska native. From a Vegas standpoint, that may entail something similar to this year’s

Pavel Buchnevich

First, Brendan Brisson and a player such as Paul Cotter, Nicolas Hague, or Dorofeyev – a pretty high rental fee. Furthermore, Guentzel is currently recovering from his own upper-body ailment. Yes, there will be a lot of competition for his services.

Kelly McCrimmon, GM of the Vegas Golden Knights, and Doug Armstrong, GM of the St. Louis Blues, collaborated on the Ivan Barbashev deadline transaction last year. The Golden Knights were so pleased to retain one-third of their powerful top playoff line that they re-signed Barbashev for five years this off-season. Could another deal for a 28-year-old Blues forward from Russia be in the works?

Buchnevich already has 24 goals and 48 points this season, which is much higher than Barbashev’s 10 goals and 29 points before the deal last year. Like Guentzel, he would immediately fit into a top-six role. However, like Guentzel, he may be a pricey addition. Because the Blues may look to play a rival franchise (such as the Edmonton Oilers) against Vegas in trade talks, the return on Buchnevich may be higher than Vegas is willing to pay.

Jordan Eberle

Jordan Eberle is quickly reaching 1,000 games in his career, but postseason success has eluded him thus far. Sure, the 33-year-old has played 76 career postseason games.

and even went to the Eastern Conference Final as a member of the 2019-20 New York Islanders, but the 33-year-old is now in his 14th season without a Cup Final appearance to show for it. A trade to Vegas may be able to change that.

Throughout those 14 seasons, Eberle has established himself as a consistent, reliable secondary scorer. A member of the Seattle Kraken dating back to the Expansion Draft, he has spent much of the season playing up alongside Matty Beniers and Jared McCann on the team’s top line. Though not the offensive dynamo that Guentzel or Buchnevich are (he has 14 goals and 35 points in 56 games this season), the Saskatchewan native would bring plenty of leadership (he is an alternate captain with the Kraken) and playmaking into the Vegas fold.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Any conversation about getting Vladimir Tarasenko boils down to the question of how much the Russian sniper has left in the tank. This should not be a question for a player who just turned 32 in December. However, following four consecutive seasons of scoring between 33 and 40 goals in his mid-20s, Tarasenko has only one 34-goal season and 40 total goals in the four seasons afterward.
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Of course, context is important. The pandemic- and injury-plagued 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons yielded only seven combined goals, but they came in 34 games. Tarasenko’s 18 goals in 2022-23 were split between the struggling St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers.

2022-23 season was split between the struggling St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers. Once the then-lifetime Blue hit Broadway, he recorded eight goals and 21 points in 31 games and three goals in seven postseason contests. Meanwhile, this season in Ottawa has been mired by underperformance from players and the team.

As always, value will surely dictate the Golden Knights’ appetite for risk. If the Senators can drum up enough trade interest across the league to spark a bidding war, the return cost may well be more than Vegas wishes to pony up. If the market on Tarasenko is cool, though, a proven scorer and past Cup champion (he would join Alex Pietrangelo and Barbashev as alumni of the Cup-winning 2019 Blues) looking for the right fit could be a worthwhile gamble.

Nic Dowd

One of these names is unlike the others. While all of the aforementioned forwards had at least 34 goals in a season, Washington Capitals center Nic Dowd has never scored more than 13. Dowd’s potential trade with the Golden Knights has nothing to do with the team’s need for scoring on the wing. Instead, the lockdown defender is appealing because of his defensive presence and potential to improve the middle of the fourth line.

With Vegas thin in the middle owing to injuries, Byron Froese has filled the void. Even if Eichel’s comeback moves Nicolas Roy back to the fourth center slot and Froese out of the lineup.

The club could always use more physical power to make life miserable for the people they play against. Still, while Dowd is an intriguing fit, a move for the nine-year veteran is unlikely until the top six positions are completed.

The league’s defensive trade board appears to be very light, with Chris Tanev already in Dallas and few other big names available. Up front, a handful of key players could be changed by Friday. Vegas will undoubtedly be participating in many of these talks, but they will not be alone. McCrimmon and his colleagues will have a busy week ahead.