NHL trade rumors: Top 3 teams who should trade for Sami Vatanen

NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 31: New Jersey Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen (45) after the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins on December 31, 2019 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images /

Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights desperately need to add a defenseman. Though the Western Conference playoff race is lethally close right now, the Knights are probably going to be a buyer at the trade deadline. Vatanen would make a lot of sense for the Golden Knights on the ice.

His versatility is key, as he’s a right-handed shot who can play on either side. The Golden Knights also need someone to slide into their top four and make things easier for everyone else. Vatanen’s a perfect fit for that role. He’d give them what they lost when they had to move on from Colin Miller. Also, Nate Schmidt hasn’t been himself this year. The Knights would benefit from having some insurance just in case he doesn’t get back to his usual self (and for the record, I think he will).

However, there’s a potential hold up. The Golden Knights have virtually no cap space. If you want to be precise, they’re projected to have $753,044 of deadline cap space. Vatanen’s $4.875 million cap space could be prohibitive for the Knights.

Now, there could be a way to make the trade happen. It would involve the Devils or a third-party team (maybe the Anaheim Ducks?) taking on a contract from the Golden Knights. That contract would have to be someone like Cody Eakin or Ryan Reaves.

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