The Philadelphia Flyers are eyeing Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague, according to Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet 590 The Fan.
It’s an interesting move that might raise some eyebrows. The Flyers already have five lefties on defense, and Hague could hit free agency next year.
Vegas hasn’t said they want to trade him. But with only $9.6 million in cap space this summer, they might need to make some tough decisions.
The numbers tell an interesting story about why the Flyers want him. While Hague isn’t lighting up the scoreboard – just 83 points in 364 games – he’s been a rock on defense.
He’s blocked nearly 500 shots and thrown almost 600 hits in his NHL career. Pretty impressive stuff.
The advanced stats look good too. He’s maintained a solid 49.7% Corsi rating and goalies behind him have posted a strong .909 save percentage at even strength.
This could be huge for Philadelphia. They’ve had some real struggles in net this past season, and adding a shutdown defender like Hague might help take some pressure off their goalies.
But there’s still one big question: How would the Flyers manage with six left-handed defensemen?
If Vegas does want to deal, they’re probably not interested in taking back any of Philly’s current defensemen – except maybe Emil Andrae and his budget-friendly $903K contract.
The ball’s in Vegas’s court now. They haven’t shown their hand yet, but with their cap situation, something’s got to give.
