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Golden Knights and Key Winger Face Financial Crunch Despite Mutual Interest

The Vegas Golden Knights are exploring options to re-sign standout winger Jonathan Marchessault, but financial constraints are proving to be a significant hurdle, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Both parties are interested in reaching a new deal, but Vegas’ limited cap space has prevented any formal contract discussions.

At the World Series of Poker, Marchessault told the Las Vegas Review, “They said they were interested in definitely re-signing me and we’ll see. Technically they have time until June 30, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Marchessault recently completed a six-year, $30 million contract with the Golden Knights, a deal he earned after a breakout season during the team’s inaugural year. He scored 27 goals and 75 points in 77 games that season. Over the course of his contract, Marchessault has become increasingly valuable, posting 165 goals and 342 points in 437 games. This past season, he scored a career-high 42 goals, becoming the second Golden Knight to reach the 40-goal mark, alongside William Karlsson.

Marchessault has consistently contributed from Vegas’ second line, averaging around 17 minutes of ice time per game over six of the last seven seasons. His role on the power play has been crucial, leading the team in power-play minutes since 2018 and scoring 36 power-play goals and 87 points in that span.

However, with just $897,500 in cap space, the Golden Knights face a tough decision. They might need to explore trade options or utilize LTIR relief to make room for Marchessault’s next contract. Despite his desire to sign an extension last summer, the team wasn’t ready to negotiate at that time, focusing instead on maximizing their salary cap usage during the season.

The Golden Knights’ aggressive cap management included acquiring Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl while leveraging LTIR relief to stay within cap limits. Now, with a challenging summer ahead, Vegas is expected to lose pending free agents William Carrier, Michael Amadio, and Anthony Mantha.

Carrier, an original Golden Knight from the 2017 Expansion Draft, has played 372 games for Vegas, tallying 53 goals and 99 points. Losing Carrier, Amadio, and Mantha will create significant gaps in the bottom-six lineup. With limited funds available, especially if Marchessault re-signs, the Golden Knights will likely look to young talents like Pavel Dorofeyev, Brendan Brisson, and Grigori Denisenko to fill these roles.