B/R NHL Trade Block Big Board for June 2024 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

That will make it difficult for them to re-sign winger Jonathan Marchessault, who's slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and will seek a lucrative new deal.

It could force Vegas to make a cost-cutting trade to free up sufficient salary-cap space to retain Marchessault, which has led to speculation suggesting Shea Theodore could end up on the trade block.

Theodore, 28, has become a skilled top-four defenseman with the Golden Knights since their inaugural season of 2017-18. A skilled, mobile blueliner, he's exceeded 40 points per season over the last five years, including a career-high 52 points in 2021-22.

With one season remaining on his contract at an annual average value of $5.2 million, he can become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights acquired defenseman Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames before the March trade deadline and signed him to an eight-year, $58.8 million extension.

On May 13, The Athletic's Jesse Granger suggested Theodore could become a trade candidate, pointing out he and Hanifin play a similar style. That could make him expendable, enabling the Golden Knights to trade him to clear enough cap room to re-sign Marchessault.