The Vegas Golden Knights cleared more cap space Tuesday by trading defenseman Kaedan Korczak to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Parker Wotherspoon.
Trade details
Knights receive: D Parker Wotherspoon (50 percent retention)
Penguins receive: D Kaedan Korczak
Reaction to the trade
Nothing like a trade one day before free agency to send Knights fans into a panic. Especially one that clears nearly $3 million in cap space.
Korczak is moved before his four-year, $13 million extension kicks in next season. The Knights get back Wotherspoon, coming off a career-high 30 points last season, with half of his $1 million cap hit retained.
That gives the Knights $7.375 million in cap space prior to Alex Pietrangelo going on season-ending long-term injured reserve. They’ll have slightly more than $16 million to work with once that transaction happens.
Wotherspoon is a solid stay-at-home defenseman who kills penalties and blocks shots. His arrival all but ensures Jeremy Lauzon will not be re-signed.
With Korczak, he held up well in his first full NHL season but couldn’t stay in the lineup during the playoffs. He was benched for Dylan Coghlan in the second round and fell out of the rotation in the Stanley Cup Final when Lauzon returned from injury.
This sets the stage for what will be an eventful free agency period for the Knights. Whatever that entails.
Grade: B+
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
