Golden Knights Trade Nate Schmidt To Canucks To Make Room For Alex Pietrangelo

When Alex Pietrangelo agreed to a seven-year deal with the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, many believed a trade would occur in order to clear cap space.

And that's exactly what happened.

Vegas needed to get rid of about $2.1 million, and the Golden Knights did so by trading Nate Schmidt to the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round draft pick in 2022.

THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS HAVE SIGNED DEFENSEMAN ALEX PIETRANGELO TO A SEVEN-YEAR CONTRACT!!!!!!! #VegasGoesGold | #VegasBornhttps://t.co/MI6vo45nEy

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 13, 2020

It seemed as if Schmidt was going to head to the Florida Panthers when St. Louis Blues rinkside reporter Andy Strickland reported the team was trying to acquire him.

Hearing Nate Schmidt will be traded to the Florida Panthers to create the necessary space to sign Alex Pietrangelo. #Vegasborn #Flapanthers

— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) October 11, 2020

Vegas wasted no time welcoming its newest member.

Alex Pietrangelo. That's it. That's the tweet.

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 13, 2020

Pietrangelo certainly boosts the Golden Knights' blue line, who fell just shy of this year's Stanley Cup Final.