When speaking to the media following the signing of Mitch Marner, Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon touched upon having to apologize for false trade rumors surrounding veterans William Karlsson and Tomas Hertl.
"It’s shameful that I had to phone William Karlsson and say, ‘Karly, I’m sorry you’ve gotta go through this sh*t, you’re not for trade. Tomáš, relax, you’re not for trade," said McCrimmon.
Throughout the process prior to completing the sign-and-trade for Mitch Marner, rumors surrounding a Hertl trade to the Carolina Hurricanes and Karlsson possibly being on the move to create cap space gained a lot of traction.
In the end, both remain with the team.
Hertl had a stellar first full season with the Golden Knights, scoring 32 goals and 61 points in 73 games. The 31-year-old played his role to perfection, dominating as a net front and bumper presence on the first power play unit. Recently, Hertl was interviewed by a Czech outlet, where he spoke about the trade speculation.
“Honestly, I didn’t even know – it was the people around me who told me. I knew the situation – they can’t trade me at all until July 1, and then I have three teams that I can choose from. Then general manager Kelly McCrimmon, called me and said he was sorry that this had even come up, and that nothing was being discussed. I was calm; I have the situation in hand. When a journalist writes something, everyone’s reaction is quick. I know that (the Golden Knights) are counting on me for next year, but you can never know anything 100 percent. That’s just how it works.”
Tomáš
Hertl,
who was
acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights
from the San Jose Sharks late in
the 2023-24 season, has
recently been the subject of trade rumors again,
which THN
Vegas
writer Julian Gaudio recently explained in detail.
Unsurprisingly, when the rumors began to generate steam around Karlsson, several teams were interested, but many trusted insiders, including Elliotte Friedman, continued to reiterate that he didn't believe Karlsson was being made available.
The 2024-25 season was challenging for the 32-year-old. His defensive game remained potent, but offensively, he scored just nine goals and 29 points in 53 games, dealing with a pair of injuries. Entering the seventh year of an eight-year deal which pays him $5.9-million annually, Karlsson remains a vital piece to the Golden Knights' success, and a bounce-back season of full health will go a long way in becoming a threat for the Stanley Cup.
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