It was reported on Sunday afternoon that at least two Eastern Conference teams are seriously interested in making a move for Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague. The young defenseman is slated to be a restricted free agent (RFA) and the Golden Knights are in a tough cap crunch. This making him expandable.
Anytime a young defenseman becomes available the New Jersey Devils should at least do their homework. This circumstance is no different as the Kitchener, Ontario native is already a budding top-four defenseman. So, why should Devils’ fans hope New Jersey is one of those two Eastern Conference teams?
Background
The only 23-year-old defenseman was a former second-round pick by the Vegas Golden Knights back in 2017. He is listed at a monstrous six-foot-six and 214 pounds. Importantly, the Canadien is a left-handed defenseman who has not played the right side before.
Hague already has 142 NHL games of experience under his belt. After playing in 38 games his rookie season, he played in 52 the past two years. He has also appeared in 10 playoff games as well. Worth noting, this past season he was limited due to a lower-body injury.
The Statistics
As mentioned, despite only being 23 years old, Hague has already played 142 regular season games. Over this time period, his point output totals to about 25 over a full 82-game season. Furthermore, over a full season, he will probably be good for 100 hits, blocked shots, and shots as well.
Analytically, Hague projects out more as an offensive defenseman. Which may be surprising to some given his size, as he does not necessarily play like a six-foot-six defenseman. Though, this does not mean he is not still very effective.
Despite being more offensive, he has been nowhere near a liability in his own end. Per the above player card, Hague’s on-ice impacts rank in the league’s 74th percentile offensively and 47th percentile defensively since entering the league. He has also had good results on the penalty kill when he was given the chance to produce there.
Hague’s offensive game is really shown in his transition. He excels in the offensive rush and as a result often finds himself in the offensive zone. Hague does a good job generating chances for both himself and teammates.
Defensively, he does need to do a better job at limiting opposition from successfully entering the offensive zone. However, he does a good job retrieving pucks in his own end and turning them around and helping his team exit the zone with great success.
For those curious who he has been paired with during his tenure in Vegas, it has mainly been Zach Whitecloud and Alex Pietrangelo. However, he has spent time with others. Below are the partners he spent over 100 minutes of five-on-five ice time with the past three seasons. Others he has partnered with, but less than 100 minutes of five-on-five ice time, are Nick Holden, Brayden McNabb, Alec Martinez, among others.
| Partner | TOI | CF% | xGF% |
| Zach Whitecloud | 918.45 | 51.91 | 53.65 |
| Alex Pietrangelo | 852.01 | 52.49 | 52.73 |
| Shea Theodore | 612.25 | 50.77 | 47.54 |
| Derek Engelland | 181.58 | 55.16 | 51.60 |
| Dylan Coghlan | 144.25 | 49.81 | 49.54 |
The reason for showing this is Vegas has been a very solid team since his debut. So, it is worth airing on the side of some caution when evaluating how much of an impact his team has had on his play and numbers.
Of the 12 Golden Knight defenseman who have played over 105 minutes of five-on-five ice time since Hague entered the league, Hague ranks third in CF% relative (1.37) and fourth in xGF% relative (0.92). The reasoning for the use of this statistic is to show the Vegas Golden Knights were better off with Hague on the ice than off. These figures measure on-ice impact among teammates. Positive relative ratings, in relation to teammates, demonstrate a team is better off when a player is on the ice than off.
Why Would Vegas Part With Him?
As mentioned above, Vegas is in a severe cap crunch. As of now, CapFriendly projects Vegas with the lowest amount of cap space in the league. Currently, the Golden Knights are projected to have -$2,657,143 in cap room. To make matters worse, including Hague, the Golden Knights have 10 pending RFAs and four pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) the team has to sort out.
Moving Hague has nothing to do with skill or performance. Vegas surely wants to retain one of their top young defenseman. However, given his RFA status and the current cap crunch, it appears likely it will be very hard for Vegas to retain him.
Given Vegas’ dire needs for funds, Hague will most likely come cheaper than he should. The Golden Knights have little-to-no leverage in any trade situation. Maybe a high mid-round draft selection or lower-level prospect? Regardless, projecting trades are always a tricky task.
How Would He Fit With The Devils?
This is where it gets a bit interesting. Hague is a true left-handed defenseman who plays the left side. As recent articles have discussed, New Jersey is in more of a need for a defenseman who plays the right side than the left. However, can a player of Hague’s caliber change this? It should.
| Left-Handed | Right-Handed |
| Ryan Graves | Dougie Hamilton |
| Jonas Siegenthaler | Damon Severson |
| Ty Smith | TBD |
As it stands, the Devils have a bit of a logjam of young talent vying for the bottom-pair role on the left side. However, if the Devils do not feel comfortable with any of those options, Hague would be the perfect fit. Furthermore, with Ryan Graves set to become an UFA after next season, Hague could be his replacement. A left-handed defensive group of Nicolas Hague, Luke Hughes, and Jonas Siegenthaler for years to come would be a very nice trio.
Trading for Hague would also likely mean the end for Ty Smith. Interestingly enough, Hague is basically the six-foot-six version of what the Devils’ and fans most likely thought Smith was going to become. A solid offensive defenseman who excels in transition, but also is serviceable in his own end. Furthermore, Hague is only one year older than Smith.
Regardless, bringing in Hague would help the Devils’ defensive group not only for this year, but for years to come. It reminds to be seen if New Jersey sees him as a fit given the logjam of young left-handed defenseman in their system. And, it likely comes down to how much trust New Jersey has in the further development of the likes of Ty Smith, Kevin Bahl Nikita Okhotiuk, and Shakir Mukhamadullin. However, if they wish to add to that side of the group, Hague would certainly be a very valuable option.
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