Golden Knights Reportedly Interested In Kraken Center

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly interested in Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde.

The Golden Knights have been clicking and dominating every facet of the game recently. The power play has remained hot, they're keeping pucks out of their net and are averaging nearly one more goal per game than their opponents but one weakness that has hampered the franchise this season is their penalty kill.

Ranking 20th in the NHL, the Golden Knights are feeling some of the effects of losing Chandler Stephenson and William Carrier in the offseason. One way they could quickly solve some of those issues is by acquiring Gourde.

Not only does Gourde have the skill to pitch in offensively but his work rate allows him to be one of the most efficient penalty killers and forecheckers in the NHL. The 33-year-old is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and in the final year of a six-year, $5,166,667 deal.

According to Pagnotta, the Kraken would like to extend Gourde but failure to do so would force them into a position where trading him is the logical next best thing. Currently, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been the most discussed team when referring to a destination for Gourde but the Washington Capitals and his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning have also sniffed around.

His skill sets are a valuable asset in the postseason and Gourde could fetch a strong return, considering he ranks in many of the top five of several trade bait boards.

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