Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee may favor familiarity when it comes to a few of his selections in the upcoming expansion draft.
The former Washington Capitals GM could try to snag current Philadelphia Flyers goaltender - and former Caps 'keeper - Michal Neuvirth if he's available, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
McPhee described Neuvirth as an athletic and "technically perfect" goaltender, and said "he's at that point where he can be really good."
Asked whether Neuvirth is a potential target for the Golden Knights, McPhee was less forthcoming, responding, "We'll see. I'm certainly not going to talk about who we might be interested in.
"I've said this 1,000 times: Until we see the whole universe of who's available and who we might like (it's tough to evaluate)."
The 29-year-old Neuvirth is signed to a two-year contract with a cap hit of $2.5 million. In 2016-17, he posted a .891 save percentage, 2.82 goals-against average and a 11-11-1 record. His best season was his previous campaign with the Flyers, when he posted a .924 save percentage in 29 starts and 32 appearances.
Over a Capitals tenure that began in the 2008-09 season and ended with a March 2014 trade to the Buffalo Sabres, he compiled a .909 save percentage and a 2.66 GAA, earning 105 starts.
Philadelphia will likely have to choose between protecting Neuvirth or 23-year-old goaltender Anthony Stolarz. Stolarz, a restricted free agent, posted a .928 save percentage in seven games with the Flyers last season. He was Philadelphia's second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.