Vegas Knights free agent leaves Vegas and is practicing with new team, after no contract reached
It does not appear that Nic Hague will be suiting up for the Vegas Golden Knights anytime soon. Just recently, Hague decided to head back to Ontario and practice with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League. Hague has some familiarity with the Rangers club. His old coach Chris Dennis is the current head coach there and it is apparent they have a good relationship. Dennis used to coach Hague in the American Hockey League, so they have some history together. Practicing with the club will give Hague some ice time and the ability to keep in game shape as the season approaches.
Hague's decision to return to Ontario is not good news for the Golden Knights. The twenty-three-year-old defenseman is currently a restricted free agent and is looking for a new contract. The two sides seem to be at a stalemate at this point. Hague's play has certainly earned him another contract with the organization, but the Golden Knight's cap space is very limited. Even with Shea Weber and Robin Lehner being placed on long-term injured reserve, there is not a lot of funds leftover to sign Hagye. Vegas has already had to trade players away this off-season because of their salary cap troubles. Another cause for concern is that Hague and the Golden Knights have had very little communication since the off-season.
It will be intriguing to see how the Golden Knight handle this situation. Do they find away to get Hague signed? Or is he another salary cap casualty that will be traded at some point? Managing the salary cap effectively is a lesson the Golden Knights are learning early in the franchise's history.
| POLL | ||
What will happen with Nic Hague? | ||
| He'll re-sign | 19 | 25 % |
| He'll be traded | 41 | 53.9 % |
| He'll sit out | 16 | 21.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
