Vegas Golden Knights trade Pacioretty, Coghlan for future considerations

The salary cap squeeze has claimed another victim.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the latest on the chopping block as they traded forward Max Pacioretty and defenseman Dylan Coghlan to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for future considerations.

Albeit his age and extensive injury history, Pacioretty still averages about 30 goals a season when healthy. Last year, the 33-year-old added 19 goals in just 38 games.

With one year left on his deal at $7 million, Pacioretty was a risky asset to keep, and had he been stung by the injury bug again; the Knights simply couldn’t afford to bite the nail, especially with the rumors surrounding a possible extension to Rielly Smith.

Nonetheless, Vegas has become accustomed to giving up more for virtually no assets. They were forced to do the same last September when they traded away defending Vezina winner Marc-Andre Fleury. Since their Stanley Cup Final run in their debut season, it has been topsy turvy for the Knights. However, with the addition of Bruce Cassidy behind the bench, Vegas could be in for an aggressive roster build that may set them up for a deep playoff run within the next slew of seasons.

The Knights have a talented roster with a solid list of stars, but their ability to build depth around those players while remaining cap compliant is their most dire struggle. But to be fair, that’s the dilemma for most teams in the league.