Rob Suzuki, Nick's dad, was hanging out with Ken Boehlke (of
SinBin.Vegas) and I before tonight's Golden Knights-Sharks rookie game clash.
We were chatting about how unusual it was to see Nick Suzuki on his off-wing, which was where he played last night against the Avalanche to little effect. Rob Suzuki noted this was the first time in recent memory that he had seen his son line up on the left side.
He added, out of the blue, "I hope they don't trade him."
Assuming he was talking about the Erik Karlsson trade winds, we reluctantly answered that the Senators would almost certainly want one of the Knights' top draft picks from last year -- Suzuki, Cody Glass, Erik Brannstrom, or Nicolas Hague -- in return.
Minutes after they closed the locker room -- San Jose had just edged Vegas 5-4 -- the Golden Knights announced that they had sent Suzuki, a 2019 second-round draft pick (from Columbus), and Tomas Tatar, not to the Sens, but to the Canadiens for Max Pacioretty.
(Rob Suzuki wished to clarify that Nick had zero issue going to Ottawa; it's just that Nick and the family loved being part of the Vegas organization.)
Some quick thoughts:
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This is a second-year team. Okay, it's not as crazy as an expansion team trading for Erik Karlsson. But a second-year franchise sending out a top prospect for the premier scorer on the market?
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The Knights' top two lines might be among the best in the league. Assuming Pacioretty can return to his 30-goal ways -- he has scored 30+ in five seasons, before slumping last year -- the Golden Knights will be stacked up front. Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith formed one of the better lines in hockey last year. Pacioretty-Paul Stastny-Alex Tuch (or Erik Haula) is a terrific follow-up, and has more all-around potential than the offensively-minded David Perron-Haula-James Neal construct.
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Pacioretty can kill penalties. He's averaged 1:17/game on the PK since 2013. Meanwhile, Stastny averaged 1:05/game over the same time period. Neal, Perron, and Tatar have been kept away from the penalty kill for their entire careers. A prime Pacioretty is a class above the aforementioned wingers.
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This is poor asset management by George McPhee. Remember that McPhee sent out a first, second, and third-rounder at the Trade Deadline for Tatar. Combine that package with Nick Suzuki and another second-rounder -- that's not cheap, especially if Pacioretty ends up as a rental.
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But what does that matter? That is, if Pacioretty returns to form, the winger is signed to a reasonable extension, and Vegas stays atop the Pacific. He is, at his best, better than Neal, Perron, and Tatar at their recent bests. A devalued Tatar -- he did not fit in well with Vegas after the trade -- Suzuki, and a second-rounder isn't a lot to give up for a prime, locked-up Pacioretty.
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Pacioretty is 29. McPhee was very vocal about not giving older wingers term -- and he followed through this off-season, by letting a 30-year-old Neal and 29-year-old Perron walk. Pacioretty is another class of winger, but he isn't necessarily special enough to give term to either. So what's the magic number here?
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Vegas still has serious questions on defense. Last year's no-name bunch will miss their number-one blueliner for 20 games and is without Shea Theodore. The unit's high-end potential and depth is perilously thin right now with a bottom pairing potentially rounded out by Jon Merrill and Brad Hunt.
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There's still money for Karlsson. Pacioretty costs less than Tatar this year -- $4.5 million compared to $5.3 million. At the moment, the Golden Knights have $9.487 millon dollars of cap space. That said, it's hard to see George McPhee giving up more top prospects after parting with Suzuki, prospects which presumably, is what Ottawa would want in return for Karlsson. Also, Vegas would need to be able to accommodate rich extensions for both Pacioretty and Karlsson after this season. So while there's space for Pacioretty and Karlsson right now, there may not be space for both next year and beyond. All things being equal, Karlsson would've made a greater impact on the team. So maybe McPhee should've waited out Pierre Dorion for a little longer?
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McPhee keeps rolling the dice. From Jaromir Jagr to Martin Erat to Tatar to Pacioretty, McPhee hasn't been afraid to make bold, potentially embarrassing moves throughout his career.
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Vegas still doesn't look like a top Stanley Cup contender. That is, unless Marc-Andre Fleury continues his late-career revival, which will be especially important early in the season without Schmidt and possibly Theodore. Regardless, Pacioretty does stand as the most impressive off-season acquisition in a weak division. The Golden Knights are as good a pick as any to make the Western Conference Final once again.
(Pacioretty has signed a four-year, $28 million dollar extension with the Golden Knights. The agreement comes with a limited no-trade clause which kicks in next year, 10 teams.)
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