While the draft was going on in Vegas' Sphere, the Golden Knights moved a few players around. No wait, I can give you a better spherical pun. While the draft was going on in Vegas' Sphere, the Golden Knights kept the trade ball rolling. Better? No? Okay, sorry about that. My pun problem is worse than I sphered – I'll stop talking in circles so we can analyze these trades.

First, the Golden Knights sent netminder Logan Thompson to Washington, receiving a 2024 third-round pick (83rd overall – used to select goaltender Pavel Moysevich) and a 2025 third-round pick in return. Then, in a deal with the Devils, Vegas acquired Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid in exchange for Paul Cotter and a third-round pick in the 2025 draft. How does this affect each team and the fantasy-relevant players involved? I'm glad you asked.

What New Jersey Gets

Since the third-round pick in this deal is for next year's draft, the main piece NJ adds right now is Paul Cotter. The 24-year-old forward has less than 150 NHL games under his belt. He's spent those games playing a depth role in Vegas, averaging roughly 13 minutes a night. Despite seeing limited action, Cotter made an impression – in the figurative sense, but also literally on opposing players. Over the past two seasons, he sits in the top-30 when looking at hits per 60 minutes (minimum 75 games played). While such stats paint him as a physical depth option, it's fair to wonder if there's some untapped offensive potential when you look at the goal below.

Cotter has potential to crack the top-six in New Jersey as a complement to the team's offensive stars, but it seems more likely he settles into a third-line role. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Nico Hischier are locked into top-six roles and young Dawson Mercer likely is too. That sixth and final spot, which Ondrej Palat might start in, isn't quite concrete, so there's some potential for Cotter to move up. One of Cotter's greatest assets is his contract. He's getting paid $775,000 for each of the next two years, providing the Devils more cap flexibility than they would have had after re-signing Schmid (RFA this summer) and Holtz (RFA next summer).

What Vegas Gets

In my opinion, the most interesting piece across both of Vegas' trades is Alexander Holtz. The 22-year-old forward was drafted seventh overall in 2020 and never really got an opportunity to succeed with the Devils. He played 110 games in New Jersey, mostly stuck in a depth role seeing less than 12 minutes a night. His offensive skillset is best suited for a top-six role, alongside similarly gifted linemates. Vegas' winger depth isn't as great as New Jersey's, so Holtz should see more offensive opportunity with the Golden Knights than he did with the Devils. He'll benefit from consistent time beside a high-quality center in one of Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, or William Karlsson. I also see Vegas as one of the few contending teams that could accommodate Holtz on their top power-play unit. They were hindered by injuries, but Vegas ranked 20^th in the league on the man advantage this season, so there's room for improvement. I think Holtz's skillset might be more appropriate for the power play than say, Mark Stone's? That said, I could also see the team leaving more experienced players on the top unit and letting Holtz start on PP2.  

Akira Schmid departs a Devils' organization that had him falling down the depth chart following the acquisitions of Jacob Markstrom this summer and Jake Allen late last season. As it stands, Schmid's main competition for starts in Vegas will be the oft-injured Adin Hill. Although Hill has been solid when healthy and should begin the year as Vegas' starter, his absences could open the door for Schmid to go on a run. Schmid only played 19 games this past year and his numbers weren't great, but he suffered from playing behind a Devils' team that struggled defensively. During the 2022-23 campaign, when New Jersey's defense was doing well, Schmid posted a .922 SV% and 2.13 GAA over 18 games. The 24-year-old netminder is a highly touted goalie prospect and will benefit from playing behind a Vegas defense that looks better than the NJ one he played behind this season. He’s currently an RFA, so there's potential for Vegas to lock him at a manageable number before he breaks out.

With the third-round pick acquired in this year's draft, Vegas selected 6'5" Pavel Moysevich 83^rd overall. The 19-year-old netminder posted a .942 SV% and 1.25 GAA in 13 KHL games this past season. He has potential to be their goalie of the future, but it's still way too early to tell.

What Washington Gets

By acquiring Logan Thompson, it looks like Washington has solidified their goaltending situation for next year. As it stands, Thompson and Charlie Lindgren should share the net relatively evenly. That's a pretty solid tandem for just $2 million, but the bargain will only last a year as both netminders are UFAs after the 2024-25 campaign.

This past season was Lindgren's first in a starting role. He'd played just 60 games over seven years, before making 50 appearances in 2024-2025. With Thompson in the mix, I imagine Lindgren will see a smaller workload next season. I could see both goalies finishing with roughly 40 games played – unless one significantly outperforms the other. With just 103 NHL games under his belt, I'd say that 27-year-old Thompson is still getting better. Goalies seem to take more time to reach their prime, so I imagine his best years are still ahead of him. He's certainly a talented goalie, but it's important to note that Washington's defense isn't as strong as Vegas', so I wouldn't get too enthusiastic about his fantasy outlook next year.

This move, along with the Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane acquisitions, suggest that Washington is looking to contend next year. Looking at their roster, I'm not sure how realistic their chances are, but they're certainly…trying?

Who This Might Help

Alexander Holtz

Akira Schmid

Paul Cotter

Who This Might Hurt

Logan Thompson

Charlie Lindgren (fewer starts)