The Vegas Golden Knights took a hit in free agency on Wednesday, and two of the departures landed with familiar franchises. Colton Sissons headed to the Toronto Maple Leafs on a two-year deal worth $4.25 million AAV, while Cole Smith is off to the Chicago Blackhawks on a three-year contract carrying a $3 million AAV.
The moves leave Vegas thinner in the kind of bottom-six work that rarely grabs headlines but matters plenty over a long season. Sissons brought value at the dot, winning 56.5% of his faceoffs last season, and he was a reliable penalty killer who used that faceoff skill and a long stick to close off space.
Smith brought a different kind of utility. He spent time in the penalty box, piling up 24 penalty minutes during the Stanley Cup Final run, but he also added some edge with 100 hits during that same playoff push, giving the Golden Knights useful grit on the lower lines.
Vegas, meanwhile, still has roster business to sort out after locking up its defensemen. Alex Pietrangelo’s season-ending LTIR cap hit of $8.8 million remains part of the equation, which should create some room for a few lower-line additions.
Even so, Kelly McCrimmon could still look to open up more space. Adin Hill is one name that keeps coming up, especially after the oft-injured goaltender cratered last season and left questions about his future. Tomas Hertl has also been mentioned as part of the roster shuffle, giving the Golden Knights multiple ways to reshape things.
For now, though, part of the plan is clear: letting players like Cole Smith and Colton Sissons walk is part of how Vegas keeps the board flexible.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Fans Just Got A Chilling Dylan Larkin Reality Check
The Golden Knights have been circling Dylan Larkin for a while, and the fit is obvious enough to keep fans dreaming. Vegas has been working to clear room and reshape the roster, and the recent move that sent Keegan Kolesar to Detroit for two draft picks did open up some flexibility. It also reminded everyone that cap space alone does not guarantee the kind of headline-grabbing addition this market has been waiting for.
Detroits asking price remains the real obstacle, and it has been described as tough enough to make a major deal difficult for Vegas to complete. Larkin is also reportedly weighing Minnesota and Florida as preferred landing spots, which only adds to the uncertainty around where this could go next. For the Golden Knights, the question now is whether they can turn that newly created room into something meaningful, or whether the chase ends with a quieter plan than fans had in mind. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Fans Just Got Another Reason To Laugh At Rivals
The Pacific Division keeps finding new ways to make life interesting, and San Jose just handed the rest of the neighborhood another talking point. The Sharks added Jacob Trouba on a four-year deal with a no-trade clause for the first two seasons, then kept going by bringing in Darnell Nurse and absorbing his full contract, a move that only adds to the sense that the divisions bottom line is getting crowded with expensive commitments.
For the Golden Knights, the humor is obvious because every rival misstep in the Pacific tends to matter eventually. San Jose is already staring at more financial pressure ahead with major extensions looming for Will Smith, Macklin Celebrini and Michael Misa, while the Ducks are dealing with their own roster uncertainty, so Vegas can at least enjoy watching the divisions cap chaos unfold from a little more stability. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Bring Back A Fan Favorite For Collectors
Collectors around the Golden Knights will have another chance to dig through a familiar summer tradition later this month, when the club stages its annual Battle-Worn Authentics Equipment Sale at City National Arena. The event has become a draw for fans who want more than standard team gear, with player-used and team-issued equipment and apparel set to be part of the mix.
Season Ticket Members will get first access before the sale opens to the public from 3 to 6 p.m. PT, and the team is also lining up online-only offerings for the same day. For the most dedicated shoppers, the day carries an added perk at The Arsenal store, giving the sale a little extra pull beyond the usual hunt for a favorite piece of Knights history. [Read more 🡒]