The Vegas Golden Knights have made an important decision on an important restricted free agent defenceman. News emerged that Nicolas Hague has been traded to the Nashville Predators. Vegas gets Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon in return for the negotiating rights to the RFA blueliner as well as a conditional third-round pick. Nashville then signed the newly acquired defenceman to a four-year, $22 million contract.
After being moved to Nashville, Nicolas Hague has signed a 4-year contract worth $5.5M AAV.
In exchange for Hague, Vegas receives Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons.
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Nicolas Hague Traded by the Vegas Golden Knights to the Nashville Predators
Hague has only played for the Golden Knights across his six-year NHL career. This season, he tied a career-high in goals with five. He also notched 12 assists for 17 points in 68 games. The 26-year-old had a Corsi for of 45.6 and a relative Corsi of -7.6.
The Kitchener, Ontario native has 20 goals and 63 assists for 83 points in 364 career games. Vegas originally drafted him in the second round, 34th overall, in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Hague had an outstanding career at the major junior level with the Mississauga Steelheads of the Ontario Hockey League. His best campaign came in 2017-18 with 35 goals and 43 assists for 78 points in 67 games. That strong play got him the Max Kaminsky Trophy for the league’s top defencemen. He was also part of the Golden Knights squad that won the Stanley Cup in 2023. However, it seems like his time in Sin City has ended.
What It Means
The Golden Knights are always against the salary cap, and this deal is proof of that. Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon has to do the cap dance, and there wasn’t room for Hague. Even though it wasn’t a pure cap dump, based on the signing, the Golden Knights are saving around $2 million as Nashville has retained 50% of Sissons’ salary. The young defender now gets a chance to shine on a new team.
Hague averaged 17 minutes of ice time and will likely get the same on his new squad. He’ll have a chance to be in the top two pairings for his new team. It has been rumoured that Hague was going to be traded. However, it seems like that talk has been fulfilled.
Main photo by: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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