Insider: "I Can't See" Jonathan Marchessault Returning to Vegas

The Vegas Golden Knight are one loss away from having their Stanley Cup defending season come to an end, now down 3-2 to the Dallas Stars in their first-round series. And that might not be the only thing coming to an end in Vegas, as, after a career year, Jonathan Marchessault's days with the team may be just about done as well.

An original Golden Knight, there since the expansion season in 2017-18, Marchessault just might be priced out of the team's range now as he becomes a UFA after his 42-goal season. That's certainly what Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli believes:

With Jonathan Marchessault slated to hit the open market this offseason, @frank_seravalli shares the latest surrounding the Golden Knights Forward. @tyleryaremchuk

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"I just can't look at the Golden Knights cap table, with the addition of Tomas Hertl, with the extension of Noah Hanifin, even with the additional cap space all teams will receive... $4.3 million... The Vegas Golden Knights have spent a chunk of that already..." explained Seravalli.

"How do you say goodbye to one of the original Golden Misfits, who has won the Stanley Cup and been to (another) Final, and was such a big part of the run to the Stanley Cup... it's tough to envision the Golden Knights without him, but I just can't see the math working to keep him. So unless he's willing to take a massive hometown discount... I just can't see that happening in Vegas."

The main issue that Seravalli sees is the fact that Marchessault got a bit of a "late start" as far as his earning power in his career, and it would likely behoove him to get out on the market and secure as large a bag as he can, at the age of 33.

Marchessault is coming off a 6-year, $30 million deal, after earning less than $1 million a season through the first five years of his career.

He finished the 2023-24 regular season with a career-high 42 goals and 69 points. He is the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner as well, taking the playoffs MVP award for leading Vegas to the Stanley Cup last season.