GM Translation: What Kelly McCrimmon Really Said About 2024 NHL Free Agency Period

GM Translation: What Kelly McCrimmon Really Said About 2024 NHL Free Agency Period

Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon held a press conference regarding what we down during the 2024 NHL Free Agency period. I’ve been paying attention to this team for so long that I have a pretty good grasp on what McCrimmon believes in. We’re going to put his presser through the GM Translator so you the viewer knows exactly what’s happening.

Alec Martinez

Kelly McCrimmon didn’t mention much on Martinez. The only thing he said was he was the only impending free agent the club didn’t negotiate with during the season. Those talks were on hold until after the season. Martinez is cleary on his last legs and the club felt the need to go acquire Noah Hanifin, who filled his spot in the lineup.

It remains to be seen if Martinez would have returned on a cheap deal to serve the 7th or 8th D. Once Chicago offered Marty a $4 million contract, that possibility ended.

Anthony Mantha

Mantha, Amadio, and Carrier weren’t mentioned at all in the presser. In fairness, that’s old news. It was reported a long time ago that those three weren’t being offered a contract extension after the season.

It’s pretty clear that bringing Mantha back was never an option. He was a healthy scratch during the last few playoff games of the season. Big body but has no dawg in him. Should have never traded for him. I should have been consulted on this one.

Michael Amadio

Amadio inked a three year deal with the Senators. The VGK later came to terms with Victor Olofsson after the presser. McCrimmon doesn’t need to say anything here. It’s clear that he wasn’t paying more than slightly above the minimum for the third line right winger spot. Time will tell if Olofsson can become a clutch goal scorer for the team.

William Carrier

McCrimmon didn’t need to say anything here. His actions speak louder than words could here. Carrier moved on with a lengthy six year deal with Carolina. Vegas didn’t have interest in spending that kind of money or term on an aging 4th liner.

Keep in mind, Paul Cotter was probably going to be Carrier’s replacement but he was traded in the deal to acquire Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid (who we will get to later).

Zach Aston-Reese was brought in to replace him on a two-way deal. Jonas Røndbjerg also held his own during brief stints at that spot last year. They clearly feel that those two can get the job done at a much cheaper rate. Based on how often Carrier was getting injured during the later stages of his tenure in Vegas, they probably chose the correct path.

Chandler Stephenson

The Knights made Stephenson an offer but it sounds apparent that they weren’t willing to negotiate in the ballpark that he ultimately ended up signing for. McCrimmon stated that guys like Stephenson had the right to cash in after being part of a Stanley Cup Champion. A 7 year deal with an AAV of $6.25 million is a large chunk of cash. Something Vegas couldn’t go down and I don’t blame them.

Jonathan Marchessault

McCrimmon probably spent most of his time talking about Jonathan Marchessault. The heart of the presser was spent talking about one of the original misfits. At one point it even sounds like they were confident a deal was going to get done.

McCrimmon says the only free agent the team stayed in talks with after the season was Marchessault. The team tried very hard to keep him despite whatever Marchy said. At the end of the day, the term became a deal breaker. With Marchessault turning 34 in December, the team had no interest in handing him a five year deal. That became an important sticking point to Marchessault, which ultimately led to the breakup.

McCrimmon essentially chalked it up to Marchessault being a fiery guy for taking it personally. There was a reasonable offer on the table for Marchessault. He decided to leave for a contract that more than likely will become a stinker halfway through. McCrimmon said often times a lot of mistakes are made on the first day of free agency. Giving Marchessault a five year deal just was a non-starter and it’s easy to see his viewpoint on that.

Logan Thompson

McCrimmon made it well known that Logan Thompson requested a trade. However, I’m not sure it tells the full story. Vegas clearly wanted to reconfigure the goalie tandem. Internally, I think they viewed Thompson as a number 3. McCrimmon obviously didn’t confirm this part but I think this goal that Dadonov scored haunted them.

Thompson is insane if he thinks he should just be handed the keys to be a number one goalie. McCrimmon ended up recouping a third round pick that became goalie prospect Pavel Moysevich. The other third round pick was used to bring in Schmid and Holtz.

Instead of just Thompson, Vegas added Moysevich, Schmid, and Ilya Samsonov. A trade off McCrimmon seems very happy with.

Ilya Samsonov

Goalie coach Sean Burke is a huge part of the organization. Vegas has been really good at getting the most out of their goalies. Bruce Cassidy’s system has always been goalie friendly. Logan Thompson was undrafted and made the All-Star team. Nobody wanted Adin Hill and he became a brick wall during the Cup run.

Burke identified Samsonov as a player they could get back on track. Someone that should be motivated after taking a prove it deal. McCrimmon mentions the size, athletic traits, and former first round draft pedigree as a big reason why the team is taking a chance here.

Akira Schmid

Akira Schmid will serve as the third goalie / AHL starter. Vegas declined the chance to give him a qualifying offer but McCrimmon indicated a new contract will be revealed soon. Schmid feels like a huge upgrade over Jiri Patera, who departed for Vancouver.

Alexander Holtz

Holtz was talked about during the NHL Draft Presser.

“We are taking a swing at his upside and what a change can do sometimes for young players. We have seen (that) with different players who have been brought into Vegas needing a change and have benefited by that change,” he said.

“That was the motivation behind acquiring Alexander Holtz. He is still a young player and we think he is going to fit into our lineup and contribute and grow his game here,” McCrimmon continued. 

Translation: Jersey screwed up the development curve and the former 7th overall pick will have the chance to fill Marchessault’s spot on the top line. McCrimmon and the rest of the front office was obviously high on Holtz coming out of the draft. They believe within the near future that Holtz will give Vegas more than Marchessault could over the next five years. Maybe not next year but not too long after. Vegas needs Holtz to pan out. Playing with Jack Eichel certainly helps his chances.

Eichel, of course, is the biggest piece of this. Marchessault never scores a career high 42 goals this year without being flanked by Eichel. It’s on Eichel to make sure Holtz gets those same goal scoring looks. Something the team feels confident will happen.

Other Noteworthy Items:

Kelly McCrimmon seems to indicate that this was the plan all along. That bringing Marchessault back would have been a great cherry on top. The trade deadline deals for Hanifin and Hertl positioned the team for this year. He mentioned numerous times how much the team loves their core of centers and D. They believe the young wingers on the roster like Holtz, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Brendan Brisson will be given opportunities to grow into the role. Those three all have the potential to become difference makers.

The team might make future transactions but don’t necessarily bank on it. The team how it looks right now may very well be the team that takes the ice in the Fall.

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