Could a trade between the Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights make sense? One of the biggest shocks of the season has been how well the Vegas Golden Knights have performed. Everyone thought they would tank and build a strong team through the draft, instead the Vegas Golden Knights are top in the West and 3rd overall.
Even with all the success the Vegas Golden Knights have enjoyed, the question has been raised whether they should be buyers or sellers. Odds are the Vegas Golden Knights will stay put or potentially even be buyers, but let’s take a closer look.
What Do They Have that the Winnipeg Jets Want?
Possibly the most interesting pieces the Vegas Golden Knights could have up for grabs are James Neal and David Perron. Both are in the final year of their contract and looking at significant pay raises.
This year James Neal has 24 goals and 14 assists for 38 points in 56 games. And David Perron 14 goals and 37 points for 51 points in 50 games played. Both players would be valuable additions to the Winnipeg Jets.
What makes this more interesting is the fact that James Neal might actually be available, so there is some sliver of a possibility of a trade. And the icing on the cake is that the Winnipeg Jets could use a scoring forward like James Neal.
James Neal would immediately slot into the top 6, possibly taking time from Patrik Laine. Patrik Laine has excelled on the power play, but is still coming into his own during even strength. Some sheltered minutes could help his growth and improve the Winnipeg Jets chances at hoisting the cup.
What Would the Vegas Golden Knights Want?
The Vegas Golden Knights went into this year expecting to be sellers, and they figured James Neal would be one of the pieces they sold. Their expectations would be to flip Neal for a first round pick and some prospects.
Their success means that the Vegas Golden Knights may also be looking for pieces to help them now and into the future as well as some draft picks. Now, the Winnipeg Jets do have pieces that fit the bill: young, skilled and making an impact now plus some draft picks. This includes pieces like Kyle Connor, Marko Dano, Nic Petan and Jack Roslovic.
What would a Trade Look like?
Of those four, I would exclude Kyle Connor since his future value is too high to risk on a loaner. The same could be said of Jack Roslovic, but he is probably the best piece that the Winnipeg Jets could be willing to give up if they were serious about obtaining James Neal. A deal with these players could be:
- Kyle Connor and a 2nd round pick,
- Jack Roslovic and a 2nd and 3rd round picks,
Nic Petan has excelled in the AHL and that might be enough to make the Vegas Golden Knights interested. Marko Dano has so much potential but has failed to make an impact on the Chicago Blackhawks and the Winnipeg Jets. Perhaps they just need a change of scenery and some extra ice time, so the Vegas Golden Knight could take a chance on them. A deal with these players could be:
- Petan and a 1st round pick,
- Dano and a 1st and a 3rd round pick,
- Though it may take Petan, Dano and a first round pick
So if Cheveldayoff plays his cards right, he might be the proud owner of a 24+ goal scorer with minimal impact to the current roster.
Next: Could James Neal or Patrick Maroon become a Jet?
In some ways a trade like this makes sense and would be good asset management since both Dano and Petan have been passed on the depth chart by Roslovic so best to trade while their value is higher. In reality, I just can’t see this deal happening Cheveldayoff doesn’t do big trades often and the team is flying.