The Vegas Golden Knights have sent at least one scout to five consecutive Washington Capitals’ games — dating back to Feb. 6.
The observation was made by Bailey Johnson, a Capitals’ reporter for The Washington Post. While she normally doesn’t overreact to scouts being in the building, five straight games was an anomaly.
And two of those games were on the road (Florida and Boston).
I'm usually wary of reporting what scouts are in the building, because it's their job to scout and see every team, but at this point, I will say: tonight is the fifth Capitals game in a row that Vegas has had at least one scout in the building — including the road trip
— Bailey Johnson (@BaileyAJohnson_) February 14, 2024
Vegas has already wrapped up its season series against Washington, but the trade deadline is less than one month away — and the Golden Knights are always looking to improve their roster.
They don’t have a glaring weakness on the roster, but Jesse Granger of The Athletic has them pegged as an ‘aggressive buyer’ at the deadline. He believes the most likely upgrade is a ‘middle-six winger with offensive upside.’
Who Are Golden Knights Interested In?
Looking at the Capitals’ roster, there’s one name that sticks out — a familiar one, at that.
Max Pacioretty.
Pacioretty joined the Golden Knights ahead of the 2018-19 season and spent the next four seasons with the team. He had 97 goals, 97 assists, and 194 points in 224 games played during that time.
After being traded by the Golden Knights this summer, Hurricanes left-winger Max Pacioretty has put his $12 million Vegas home on the market.
▪️ 10,000 sq. ft, 6 BR, 6 BA
▪️ Interior courtyard
▪️ Gym, sauna
▪️ Home theater, wine cellar pic.twitter.com/fxst2GMwQe— Front Office Sports (@FOS) November 30, 2022
He has only played in 22 games over the past two seasons, but he made his Capitals’ debut in January and has played 17 games since. He’s averaging 14:23 of ice time over the past five games — with VGK scouts in attendance.
Pacioretty is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but he also has a full no-move clause — meaning a trade wouldn’t happen without his approval. He has, however, expressed an interest in waiving that clause for the right team.
Of course, the Knights could have their eye on someone else — and they might just be doing their due diligence. Only time will tell
The Capitals play again on Feb. 17 in Montreal. We’ll see if the scouts return.
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