Golden Knights GM George McPhee said he’s going to stockpile blueliners at the expansion draft.
The latest rumblings certainly seem to back that up.
Per TSN, two of the more experienced defensemen made available -- Ottawa’s Marc Methot, and Montreal’s Alexei Emelin -- are close to being Vegas property.
Pierre LeBrun reports the Golden Knights have already selected Methot. The 32-year-old has two years remaining on a four-year, $19.6 million deal with a $4.9M average annual cap hit, and is coming off a postseason in which he scored four points in 18 games while averaging over 22 minutes per night, helping the Sens advance to the Eastern Conference final.
LeBrun notes that Methot might not be long for Vegas, however, and could be traded in the coming days.
As for Emelin, Frank Seravalli reports the Russian rearguard has moved ahead of Brandon Davidson as the Habs blueliner McPhee will select. the 31-year-old is heading into the last of a four-year, $16.4 million deal with a $4.1M hit.
Emelin played a fairly significant role on Montreal’s defense last year, averaging 21:19 over 76 games. But there are knocks on his game -- specifically a lack of footspeed, and penchant for dangerous hits. What’s more, he underwent knee surgery in April, a procedure that sidelined him for 4-6 weeks.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie has suggested that Emelin, like Methot, could be moved in a trade following tonight’s roster announcement.
But it's my understanding flip deals involving external 3rd team - say VGK trading Methot or Emelin - are likely to wait until freeze lifts.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 21, 2017