In case you forgot about the Erik Karlsson trade rumors, which last blew hot in early July, Elliotte Friedman fanned the flames on Wednesday:
There is a sense today that Erik Karlsson trade talks have picked up in the last few days. Most likely destinations appear to be Western Conference. There is also a belief VAN has stepped in to see if it is a match.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 22, 2018
On Erik Karlsson, DAL & TBL have the most appealing young defensive centerpieces (Heiskanen or Sergachev). Meanwhile, VGK has a pretty good young dman too (Theodore) + cap space for Ryan + better prospects (after Heiskanen).
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) July 5, 2018
In other words, I have no idea where EK is going 😂
Karlsson and Bobby Ryan's combined cap hit this coming year is $13.75 million.
Las Vegas remains a logical destination for the superstar defenseman.
It's about making the pieces fit. Speaking of, Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Citizen reported on the same day as Friedman:
The belief is the asking price is at least four assets in return, including a player who can help the club immediately, a first-round pick and a high-end prospect.
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George McPhee must have a lot on his mind during "vacation."
Per @Boogaard_2 GM of Vegas George McPhee had a meeting in Riga with Vladimir Tkachyov, center of Ak Bars. Tkachyov's contract will expire on April 30
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) August 23, 2018
There's the 22-year-old winger, born in 1995, who plays for Salavat Yulaev Ufa. There's the 24-year-old center, born in 1993, who plays for Ak Bars Kazan.
Both are intriguing prospects, but McPhee was talking to the 24-year-old, who scored 22 goals in 53 games last year.
An NHL scout told me, of the centerman's ceiling, "If you have a skilled top-nine? Maybe a 3C."
He continued, "He's a passer. Good vision, good skating. Intelligent player, good two-way.
"But really inconsistent. Not a lot of intensity when he's off."
Tkachyov may be best known for his creativity on the shootout.
Also, Tkachyov shares the same agency as Nikita Gusev. The Golden Knights hold Gusev's rights.
Just met George McPhee in St. Petersburg at Ledoviy Ice Palace, where SKA with Nikita Gusev in the roster currently plays a preseason game, but GM of Vegas refused to talk on why he's here or how yesterday's meeting with Tkachyov in Riga went. He said: 'Enjoying my vacation'
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) August 24, 2018
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Speaking of Gusev, The Athletic's prospect guru, Corey Pronman, is very high on him.
Pronman is in the midst of releasing his NHL system rankings. He ranked the Vegas prospect pool eighth in the league.
Individual prospects were grouped in these categories:
• High-end NHL Prospect (Cody Glass, Lucas Elvenes) • Very Good NHL Prospect (Gusev, Nick Suzuki, Erik Brannstrom) • Legit NHL Prospect (Nic Hague, Jack Dugan, Ivan Morozov) • Have a Chance (Malcolm Subban, Tomas Hyka, Slava Demin) • Depth Notes (Jonas Rondbjerg, Jake Leschyshyn, Zach Whitecloud, Paul Cotter, Ben Jones)
It's well worth reading Pronman's piece, which includes his detailed thoughts about each Golden Knights prospect.
Obviously, the big surprise of Pronman's list was 2017 fifth-rounder Elvenes. The forward did post a solid 19-year-old SHL campaign, notching 16 points in 28 contests.
"He has very good offensive instincts, showing the ability to make incredible passes at a pro pace," observed Pronman. "One big reason for his improvement was an addition to his foot-speed."
I asked Swedish hockey expert Uffe Bodin if he saw what Pronman was seeing.
In June, Bodin said of Elvenes:
Elvenes was loaned to Oskarshamn in the second-tier league and averaged almost a point per game. That is very uncommon for an 18-year-old, as it’s not too many players overall that score at that rate in that league. His progress gave him a call-up to Rögle, where he continued to impress. He was one of the last players cut from the Swedish WJC team. It was kind if a surprise he was even considered since he was a longshot at the start of the season. This season, he should be a key player for the Swedes.Elvenes really took several steps on and off the ice. He matured and took better care of himself. I’m thinking that getting drafted by the Golden Knights might have sparked something in him. I’m very curious to see if he can continue this development this season because if he does, he’s on his way to become a steal.
As a player, Elvenes is offensively gifted, elusive, and smart with the puck. His speed is what sets him apart from a lot of other players in that age group.
I was quite surprised by this, to be honest.I love the progress Elvenes made last season and I have him as one of the big breakout candidates in the SHL this season. But I still think having him as a "high-end NHL prospect" might be a reach.
I could see him having a future in the NHL with the Golden Knights, but he's still a long way from reaching that potential. This season will give us a glimpse of what he's all about.
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Or catch Elvenes during the upcoming Vegas Rookie Faceoff!
Rosters were announced today for all six participating organizations. First-round picks Glass, Suzuki, Brannstrom, Gabe Vilardi, Sam Steel, Isac Lundestrom, Ryan Merkley, Barrett Hayton, Pierre-Olivier Joseph & Martin Kaut should all play.
The season is just around the corner!
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