The Golden Knights need to shed just $1 million to become cap compliant, so the team would only need to move one of these players - not all three.
Marchessault is signed for four more seasons carrying a $5-million annual cap hit. The 29-year-old tallied 20-plus goals for the fourth consecutive season in 2019-20, registering 47 points in 66 games. There would usually be no shortage of suitors for a top-six forward on a fair contract in normal times, but the flat salary cap has left several teams with their hands tied.
Fleury, 36, would seemingly be difficult to move. He has two years remaining on his deal with a $7-million annual cap hit, and his play declined last season. His .905 save percentage was tied for his lowest since 2005-06, and his -6.5 goals saved above average was the third-worst of his career.
Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said in October that Fleury wasn't going anywhere, despite re-signing fellow goaltender Robin Lehner to a five-year, $25-million deal.
McCrimmon dug himself into a cap hole by signing prized free-agent blue-liner Alex Pietrangelo to a seven-year pact carrying an $8.8-million average annual value. It came at the cost of trading away Paul Stastny and Nate Schmidt for pennies on the dollar.
NHL teams are allowed to be 10% over the salary cap during the offseason, but can't be higher than $81.5 million once the season starts. A Jan. 13 start date is reportedly the league's target now.
If the Golden Knights want the ability to carry the usual 19-21 skaters without trading any of its top players, it may require the trade of two of the following four depth pieces: Tomas Nosek ($1.25M AAV), William Carrier ($1.4M), Nick Holden ($1.7M), and Ryan Reaves ($1.75M).
Time is of the essence, and this offseason has not proven to be a seller's market.
It hasn't been an ordinary time, but some things have remained consistent. For the sixth straight year, the New York Rangers have topped Forbes' list as the NHL's most valuable franchise.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, and Boston Bruins rounded out the top five. Largely due to lucrative local TV deals (specifically for New York, Toronto, and Montreal), these five teams accounted for nearly a quarter of the league's revenue. Forbes estimates the NHL would have lost $50 million if it weren't for these clubs.
Other teams weren't as fortunate. Outside of the top five, only two teams - the Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Islanders - didn't receive a negative value change. The Isles actually generated the league's second-lowest revenue, but the incoming Belmont Park Arena (expected to be ready for 2021-22) boosted the club's financial outlook.
Overall, the average team fell 2% - the first decline since 2001. The league's total revenue decreased by 14% and its operating income was down 68%. All of this, of course, is largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There were actually no changes to the order of the top 15 compared to 2019. Here's the full list:
While the NHL and NHLPA continue to work on a framework for the 2020-21 season, commissioner Gary Bettman says the league will likely need to realign, which would include an all-Canadian division.
"There are a lot of things we have to do to return to play. ... We have travel issues because of the restrictions at the border between Canada and the U.S. You can't go back and forth, so we're actually going to have to realign," Bettman told the "Maccabi USA Sports Show," according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.
"If everything stays the way it is, we're probably going to have to have a Canadian division and realign in the U.S., and we're trying to focus on dealing with all of those challenges."
The NHL and NHLPA have reportedly dropped discussions regarding financial changes in an effort to begin a new season Jan. 13. Both sides apparently prefer to play a 56-game schedule in 2020-21.
The NHL has a call scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday with the league's Board of Governors to update the teams on the ongoing negotiations, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
In the lead-up to the 2021 World Junior Championship, we're taking a look back at each of the 18 Canadian teams to capture the gold medal, culminating Dec. 25 with the start of the latest edition of the tournament.
The 1982 world junior tournament was a memorable one for Canada for several reasons, but it was headlined by the fact the country won its first-ever world junior gold medal.
It was also the first time the Canadian brain trust put together a true national junior team. Ultimately, the tourney was unforgettable because of what happened amid the gold-medal celebration.
This was the sixth edition of the event and it was held primarily in Minnesota, with several games taking place in Manitoba and Ontario.
The roster
Player
Position
Age
Scott Arniel*
F
19
Paul Cyr*
F
18
Bruce Eakin
F
19
Marc Habscheid
F
18
Moe Lemay
F
19
Mike Moller
F
19
Dave Morrison
F
19
Mark Morrison
F
18
Troy Murray
F
19
Pierre Rioux
F
19
Todd Strueby
F
18
Carey Wilson
F
19
Paul Boutilier
D
18
Garth Butcher
D
18
Gord Kluzak
D
17
Randy Moller
D
18
Gary Nylund
D
18
James Patrick
D
18
Frank Caprice
G
19
Mike Moffatt
G
19
*Denotes returning player All ages are from the start of the tournament
The tournament
Canada won its first six games in the round-robin tourney, outscoring opponents 42-11 while dealing the Soviet Union its worst-ever loss in a 7-0 rout.
However, not all of Canada's victories were blowouts, as the team narrowly prevailed over Sweden (3-2) and the United States (5-4) before thumping West Germany 11-3 and dominating Switzerland 11-1.
Canada only needed to tie Czechoslovakia in its final game to guarantee the gold, and that's exactly what happened, as the two sides played to a 3-3 draw.
The stars
Habscheid - who'd eventually become a fixture behind Canada's bench on the international stage - led the team and ranked third among all skaters with six goals in the tourney. Mike Moller led all Canadian players with 14 points, posting the third-highest total in the tournament.
Moffatt was named goaltender of the tourney after posting a .935 save percentage across four games.
Kluzak earned top defenseman honors while joining Moffatt and the aforementioned Moller on the tournament All-Star team.
The key moment
Canada was hemmed in its defensive zone for the final minute of play in the gold-medal game, needing to win a faceoff in its own end in the dying seconds to secure the tie. The Canadian squad won the draw, and the victorious players spilled onto the ice to celebrate as the buzzer sounded.
After the Canadian players received their gold medals, they realized the small arena in Rochester, Minnesota, didn't have a proper audio setup and couldn't play "O Canada." The Canadians began singing the anthem in unison while lined up on the ice, unknowingly starting a tradition that still endures to this day.
The fallout
Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The 1982 team didn't boast any future NHL megastars, but several players on the Canadian team ultimately had solid pro careers, including Patrick, Murray, Arniel, and Butcher. Habscheid, Patrick, and Arniel later entered the coaching ranks, while Randy Moller became a longtime broadcaster with the Florida Panthers - a role he continues to occupy - following his playing career.
Canada struggled to match its success in the tourney in the two years that followed, settling for bronze in 1983 and placing fourth in 1984 before claiming gold again in 1985.
In the lead-up to the 2021 World Junior Championship, we're taking a look back at each of the 18 Canadian teams to capture the gold medal, culminating Dec. 25 with the start of the latest edition of the tournament.
Canada won its second gold medal at the 1985 world juniors, the ninth annual tournament. This tournament - like every WJHC through 1995 - consisted strictly of a round robin.
The roster
Player
Position
Age
Bob Bassen
F
19
Brian Bradley
F
19
Wendel Clark
F
18
Shayne Corson
F
18
Adam Creighton
F
19
Dan Gratton
F
18
Dan Hodgson*
F
19
Jeff Jackson
F
19
Greg Johnston
F
19
Claude Lemieux
F
19
Stephane Richer
F
18
Jim Sandlak
F
18
Yves Beaudoin
D
19
Brad Berry
D
19
Jeff Beukeboom
D
19
Bobby Dollas
D
19
John Miner
D
19
Selmar Odelein
D
18
Craig Billington
G
18
Norm Foster
G
19
*Denotes returning player All ages are as of the start of the tournament
The tournament
Team Canada - donning its extremely '80s Cooperalls - started red hot, beating Sweden 8-2, Poland 12-1, and West Germany 6-0, all lopsided victories that would be massive for tiebreakers. With no quarterfinals, semifinals, or gold-medal game, goal differential was used as the tiebreaker in the final standings.
The Canadians continued their dominance in a 7-5 win over the United States, and a stunning 5-0 upset of the defending champs from the Soviet Union. Canada then tied Finland, the host nation, pushing its record to 5-0-1 and setting up what was essentially the gold-medal match against 5-0-1 Czechoslovakia. Needing a draw to win it all thanks to a superior goal differential (+30 entering the game, compared to Czechoslovakia's +19), Canada won gold after the 2-2 affair.
The stars
Bradley, who would go on to produce 503 points over 651 career NHL games, led the way offensively for Canada with nine goals and five assists. Right behind him was Creighton with eight goals and four assists. He also enjoyed a stellar 708-game career.
Meanwhile, blue-liner Dollas, who was chosen 14th overall in the 1983 draft, was named to the Media All-Star Team after being a rock for Canada on the back end. Billington recorded a 2.80 goals-against average(remember, this was the high-flying '80s), and he received the IIHF Directorate Award as the tournament's top goaltender.
The key moment
Clark was a key player for Canada, and he stepped up when it mattered most.
Clark was a defenseman in junior, but exclusively a forward after turning pro. In the world juniors, the 1985 first overall pick was used at both positions. He played the first two periods of the tournament-deciding contest against Czechoslovakia as a defenseman, then the final 20 minutes as a winger.
After Czechoslovakia took a 2-1 lead with 7:38 left in the third period, Clark (No. 6 in white) got away with what could've been a slashing penalty before beating future Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek for the game-tying and tournament-winning goal just 1:21 later. Watch the full sequence here.
The fallout
Despite four returning players leading the 1986 team - plus Joe Nieuwendyk, Gary Roberts, and Luc Robitaille - Canada couldn't defend its title, finishing as a runner-up to the undefeated Soviet Union.
Clark was eligible for the '86 team, but he made the Toronto Maple Leafs instead and scored 34 goals that season, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting.
Canada didn't return to the top of the podium until 1988.
The Vegas Golden Knights are still searching for a way to become cap compliant ahead of next season and are looking to move Max Pacioretty to gain some relief.
"I'm told that the Vegas Golden Knights have doubled down in recent days and weeks in an attempt to try and move Max Pacioretty," reported TSN's Frank Seravalli on Tuesday's edition of "Insider Trading."
The Golden Knights find themselves in a bit of a cap crunch after signing top free agent Alex Pietrangelo to a seven-year deal carrying an average annual value of $8.8 million. As of Dec. 8, the team is nearly $1 million over the league salary cap of $81.5 million.
Pacioretty led Vegas in goals (32) and points (66) during the shortened 2019-20 campaign. The 32-year-old has three seasons left on his current deal, which carries an average annual value of $7 million.
The Golden Knights were previously attempting to move players from their roster earlier in the offseason to become cap compliant, Seravalli added.
Vegas traded for Pacioretty in a blockbuster deal with the Montreal Canadiens in 2018, sending away top prospect Nick Suzuki, forward Tomas Tatar, and a second-round pick to acquire the sniper.
