Kelly McCrimmon acknowledged that the price of winning the 2023 Stanley Cup for the Vegas Golden Knights came a year late. As the general manager of the team, he faced the challenge of losing key players on the opening day of the NHL free agency. McCrimmon expressed the difficulty of this period for fans and emphasized his efforts to retain players like Jonathan Marchessault, who ultimately signed with the Nashville Predators.
Several notable forwards departed from Vegas, including William Carrier, Chandler Stephenson, Michael Amadio, and Anthony Mantha. Defenseman Alec Martinez also moved on, along with goaltenders Jiri Patera and Logan Thompson. Despite attempts to re-sign key players, the Golden Knights’ future will see new faces such as Ilya Samsonov, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Kaedan Korczak.
McCrimmon remarked on the efforts made to retain unrestricted free agents, noting the organization had to let go of some due to contractual disagreements. The focus now is on the development of new talent, with expectations high for the upcoming season.
