NHL Trade Rumors: 3 Shutdown D-Men For Golden Knights to Replace Theodore

It was a tough blow for the Vegas Golden Knights when top defenseman Shea Theodore went down with a broken wrist at the 4 Nations event last month. He's out for the foreseeable future, but his $5.2 million cap hit has not yet been placed on LTIR. The team could go there if they feel he'll be out for the rest of the regular season, giving them over $7 million of cap space to make a big addition.

And if they're looking for a "shutdown" defenseman to replace Theodore on the blueline, Hannah Kirkell of Vegas Hockey Now has suggested three viable targets for the team to pursue by tomorrow's trade deadline:

Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers

His name has been on the rumor mill all season, though the Flyers aren't necessarily anxious to trade him. He's actually become a John Tortorella favorite, between his using his 6'4" frame for both body blows and blocked shots, in addition to his decent mobility. He has a +5 plus/minus rating, and would be a strong addition for the playoffs. He has a $5.1 million cap hit for two more seasons. Would the Flyers be willing to retain on that?

Brandon Carlo, Boston Bruins

The Bruins are certainly in sell mode, and Carlo would be another sizeable defensive stalwart for Vegas to add. Kirkell writes, "I’m struggling to think of a player who would be a better deadline acquisition for the Golden Knights than Brandon Carlo. He’s a shutdown defenseman who would thrive in Cassidy’s system." The 6'5" defender has another two years to run with a $4.1 million cap hit.

Luke Schenn, Pittsburgh Penguins

Yes, he was traded on Wednesday from Nashville to Pittsburgh. But as many have noted, that may just be a quick layover for Schenn, who might be flipped elsewhere by the deadline on Friday as a couple of teams have been looking to unite him and his brother Brayden from the St. Louis Blues on the same roster. The Golden Knights have been one of those teams in the mix trying to pull that off.