Report: Vegas strikes a deal and agrees to not select young d-man

With the NHL Expansion Draft just one day away and teams scrambling to offer up assets in return for the protection of their exposed players, details of potential agreements are coming fast and furious. The latest report from Tampa Bay Lightning beat reporter Joe Smith indicates that the Bolts may in fact have a deal lined up with the Vegas Golden Knights.

This explains why Lightning GM Steve Yzerman elected to protect Braydon Coburn over Slater Koekkoek. Many fans and analysts projected that Koekkoek would in fact be Vegas’ selection tomorrow, but this latest development puts that very much in question.

So now, if you’re George McPhee, general manager of the Vegas Golden Knights, who do you select from Tampa? Jason Garrison? Cedric Paquette? The answer doesn’t seem as obvious as it did just 24 hours ago.