After an incredible inaugural season that rewrote what it means to be an expansion team in professional sports, the Vegas Golden Knights are ready for another string of firsts as general manager George McPhee enters the 2018 offseason.

McPhee had a large hand in building the core of the Washington Capitals team that ousted his Knights in the Stanley Cup Finals in five games, but after falling just short of a title, Vegas sits on the opposite side of the salary cap spectrum than Washington this summer.

Rumors swirled that he had a hand in some of the biggest names at the trade deadline, most notably, Erik Karlsson. In the end, a lack of time at the deadline and a reluctance to surrender talent during a Cup run saw just two smaller moves in Vegas.

The Knights acquired Tomas Tatar from the Detroit Red Wings for a trio of draft picks and Ryan Reaves from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a deal meant to keep Derick Brassard from going to a Western Conference foe.

George McPhee helped Pittsburgh land Derick Brassard so he didn’t end up on a Western Conference team https://t.co/Ht1KYx10wO

— RMNB (@russianmachine) February 24, 2018

But now time is on McPhee’s side, as he has a few months to pull strings and reshape his team for 2018-19. Expect him to return to negotiations with Ottawa G.M. Pierre Dorion for Karlsson, a premier defenseman who would immediately become Vegas’ No. 1. But Dorion has reportedly told teams they must take on the entirety of Bobby Ryan’s remaining four years at $7.25 million per year.

It’s a large chunk of the cap to dedicate to a 31-year-old with declining numbers over his past two seasons. Vegas is one of the very few contending teams that could take on Ryan’s contract, thanks to McPhee’s salary cap foresight.

The Golden Knights are operating this summer with a whopping $26.4 million of cap space with 17 players on the books. Part of that will go to re-signing notable restricted free agents Shea Theodore, Colin Miller, and breakout star William Karlsson. James Neal and David Perron are notable pending unrestricted free agents, however, and McPhee may want to re-sign them, as well. 

Should new deals with Karlsson and Ryan not come to fruition, McPhee may opt to dip into free agency for a big name such as John Tavares, John Carlson, or Ilya Kovalchuk.

McGuire: "I think Vegas will be a strong contender for John Tavares, I really do, also for John Carlson, George McPhee drafted him". #VegasBorn

— NHL Prospects Watcher (@Prospects_Watch) June 13, 2018

Then there’s the system. Top prospects Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki, and Erik Brannstrom, who were drafted sixth, 13th, and 15th, respectively, in the 2017 NHL draft could push for spots next season despite McPhee’s comments that teenagers don’t belong in the NHL.

It seems that the world is McPhee’s proverbial oyster and what he has built—and is building—in the desert should draw in the biggest names given the Knights contending status.

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @Jacob_Messing.