Relaxing under the twin joy of a warm summer Sunday night and Archer, a story emerged in the Hockey News that could provide an interesting wrinkle toward the Vegas Golden Knights Summer plans. Apparently, there are five teams hovering around stirring up rumours on netminders Logan Thompson and Adin Hill: the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, and Carolina Hurricanes.
How Will Rumours on Logan Thompson Affect the Vegas Golden Knights Offseason
Of the four teams, the Sabres seem like the easiest one to discard as a likely destination at this point. Not that either Devon Levi or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen wouldn’t be fantastic additions for the VGK. But from Buffalo’s perspective, they already have both a goalie of the future (Levi) and of the right now (Luukkonen). Why mess with that type of stability now, for a painfully quick first round playoff exit next season?
The Maple Leafs are interesting for reasons that don’t happen to rhyme with Vlat Narffner. Mark Giordano and David Kampf pop into mind as pieces who could fit fairly well with the Golden Knights team. But it’s hard to square that and the plausibly high amount of headaches from the goalie that’d come back in any hypothetical deal (Ilya Samsonov), especially for a Golden Knights team with dreams of a second Stanley Cup in three seasons next year. Which leaves the next three teams to discuss.
Logan Thompson Destinations Based on Rumours Starting with the Detroit Red Wings
In net, there’s not a lot on the regular Red Wings roster that would be all that enticing for George McPhee or Kelly McCrimmon. Except possibly for Ville Husso, if there were any semblance of confidence from the team doctors he could play close to a full season. Stretching out to the rest of the roster though, someone like Daniel Sprong or Robbi Fabri placed in with a Husso or a James Reimer…suddenly, there’s something worth taking a gander on.
Ottawa Senators
Much of this depends on what might happen in the weeks and months for the Senators to land a right-shot, top-four defenceman. If something solid does come together there, then it’s highly likely the door’s going to be slammed and barred shut dealwise. If it doesn’t, the Sens could look to get creative. Skater wise, if a Jakob Chychrun or a Josh Norris pops up in the chat, then there may become something that catches fire in the hockey press very, very quickly.
Carolina Hurricanes
For a team with Stanley Cup dreams for the next three seasons or so, the Hurricanes offer a lot of good fits to maximize those dreams. Whether it’s Stefan Noesen strengthening the bottom six forward lines, or Brady Skjei and/or Jaccob Slavin adding a little more steel to the backline. There’s also a lovely Martin Necas-sized dream within all this, but it’s also one that’ll probably cost a sizable mint to make it happen. The biggest question would come with either Hurricanes goaltender that would likely come back in any purely hypothetical trade.
Frederik Andersen is undoubtedly talented, but the last time he started 60 regular season games (2018-19) he was wearing the blue and white of the Maple Leafs. Assuming the rumours are true, alongside either Hill or Logan Thompson, it could ultimately end up well. But like with Ville Husso, the opinion of team doctors has to be factored in before his name is seriously used in a negotiation.
Then again, this is the final week before the 2024 NHL free agency period hits. There’s still going to be a lot of wild rumours circulating, let us find the serious parts of the equation for you. Next week stayed closely tuned in to our coverage!
Main photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
