Knights defenseman’s future remains unclear as Marner rumors heat up

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo’s status for next season will become more clear by Tuesday.

By then, right wing Mitch Marner could be a member of the Golden Knights.

The Knights are juggling the questions surrounding Pietrangelo’s health and Marner’s upcoming free agency ahead of the market opening at 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Pietrangelo, 35, played 71 regular-season games last season for the Knights but withdrew from the 4 Nations Face-Off in February due to an undisclosed ailment. The two-time Stanley Cup champion has two seasons left on his contract with an $8.8 million cap hit.

Moving him to long-term injured reserve would potentially give the Knights a ton of extra flexibility to sign Marner on Tuesday or even earlier. The team is talking to the Toronto Maple Leafs about a potential sign-and-trade, according to multiple reports Saturday.

General manger Kelly McCrimmon did not comment Saturday on any rumors surrounding the Knights’ offseason plans. But he is expected to have another update on Pietrangelo after the beginning of free agency.

“Alex and I have had a number of discussions,” McCrimmon said. “There are some decisions that need to be made.”

The Knights, as things stand, have $5.615 million in cap space remaining with 11 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders under contract. They’ve made two key moves already by bringing back right wing Reilly Smith and left wing Brandon Saad on one-year, $2 million deals.

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The Knights are considered a front-runner to sign Marner, this year’s top free agent. The 28-year-old scored a career-high 102 points for the Maple Leafs last season and earned Selke Trophy votes for the seventh year in a row.

Toronto general manager Brad Treliving declined to comment Saturday on a potential trade with the Knights before the beginning of free agency.

“Nothing to report on that front,” Treliving said.

Acquiring Marner before Tuesday would allow the Knights to offer him an eight-year contract extension. He could only sign a seven-year deal if he reaches free agency.

Center Nicolas Roy is potentially part of the package that would go back to the Maple Leafs, according to multiple reports.

Roy, 28, has scored 166 points in 362 games with the Knights and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2023. He has two seasons remaining on the five-year, $15 million he extension he signed in August 2022.

There is a chance defenseman Nic Hague could be involved as well, according to a source. Hague, 26, was selected by the Knights in the second round of the 2017 NHL draft. He has 83 points in 364 games with the organization and was also part of the Cup-winning team. He is a pending restricted free agent and needs a new contract.

Moving NHL players like Roy or Hague would help the Knights open up enough cap space to sign Marner and fill out the rest of the roster. His previous deal with Toronto had a $10.9 million cap hit and he should get a raise this offseason.

The Knights’ remaining unrestricted free agents are goaltender Ilya Samsonov and left wings Victor Olofsson and Tanner Pearson. They also have three restricted free agents besides Hague in center Cole Schwindt and right wings Alexander Holtz and Jonas Rondbjerg.

The Knights still have a few days to decide how they want to proceed with those players. Much could depend on Pietrangelo’s status for next season, and whether the team is able to find a way to acquire one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL.

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.