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NHL Trade Rumors: 5 teams who should trade for Nikita Gusev

By Dave Stevenson

BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA - MAY 26, 2019: Russia's Nikita Gusev reacts as he scores a goal during a penalty shootout in the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Bronze medal match against the Czech Republic at Ondrej Nepela Arena. The Russian team won the game 3-2 in penalty shootout. Alexander Demianchuk/TASS (Photo by Alexander DemianchukTASS via Getty Images)
BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA - MAY 26, 2019: Russia's Nikita Gusev reacts as he scores a goal during a penalty shootout in the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Bronze medal match against the Czech Republic at Ondrej Nepela Arena. The Russian team won the game 3-2 in penalty shootout. Alexander Demianchuk/TASS (Photo by Alexander DemianchukTASS via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Monika Skolimowska/picture alliance via Getty Images /

According to the latest NHL trade rumors, the Vegas Golden Knights are likely going to trade Nikita Gusev. Here are five teams who should trade for him.

The Vegas Golden Knights have cleared quite a bit of salary over the past few weeks as they try to become cap compliant. Extensions to Mark Stone and William Karlsson have left the Knights with minimal room to work with. According to the latest NHL trade rumors, talented forward Nikita Gusev could be the next to go.

You’re probably wondering – “who is Gusev? I’ve never even heard of him.” Don’t feel bad because it’s not surprising if you haven’t. After all, Gusev has never played in the NHL. That said, there’s a good argument he’s the best male hockey player in the world who doesn’t play in the NHL.

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Gusev has spent the last nine seasons in the KHL, Russia’s top professional hockey league. It’s often thought of as the second-best professional hockey league in the world. Last season, Gusev, who turns 27 years old in early July, led the KHL with 82 points (17 goals and 65 assists) in 62 games. The next closest player (Nigel Dawes) had 69 points.

In each of his past three KHL seasons, Gusev has averaged over a point per game. He’s more of a playmaker, but he’s a capable goal scorer as well. Gusev also has excellent speed and his creativity is off the charts.

So let’s get into why the Golden Knights want to trade such a talented forward. It’s mostly because Gusev wants a contract larger than Vegas can handle. While it’s not known precisely what he’s asking for, it’s likely something between Evgenii Dadonov‘s $4 million AAV and Ilya Kovalchuk‘s $6.25 million AAV. Both players came to the NHL from the KHL with similar numbers, though Kovalchuk had better numbers than Gusev.

Trading for him isn’t a risk-free move. It’s hard to tell which players will translate well to the NHL’s style of play. Also, says who Gusev will want to stick around in the NHL long-term? And investing a lot of money into someone who has played in zero NHL games is certainly a risky move. But it’s one that could pay off.

Any team that trades for Gusev has to have a bit of cap space. After all, the Golden Knights can’t take on any meaningful salary, as they’re close to the cap ceiling. This would be a trade involving prospects and draft picks. Which teams should take a chance on him? Here are the five best.

Honorable Mentions

The Buffalo Sabres would make a great deal of sense. However, I think there will be teams more motivated to get Gusev. But the Sabres are definitely a good fit for him. The Edmonton Oilers would probably like him, but the Golden Knights probably don’t want to move him to a division rival.

I wouldn’t count out the Montreal Canadiens, who are clearly looking to make a huge splash. They have a good history with Russians too. But their recent offer sheet to Sebastian Aho might be prohibitive to them trading for Gusev if the Golden Knights decide to move him sooner rather than later.

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