The Vegas Golden Knights have added some defensive depth, acquiring Dysin Mayo from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick and the contract of de facto retired defenseman Shea Weber. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was first to report the deal.
Vegas immediately assigned Mayo to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
Mayo may not be an NHL impact player for Vegas, but he does provide a huge boost in organizational depth for the future. He has recent experience as a full-time NHLer, forced into tough minutes with the Coyotes last year on a paper-thin blueline. After recording four goals and eight assists in 67 games, Mayo was rewarded with a three-year, $2.85MM contract extension from the Coyotes.
That means Mayo will be a Knight for two seasons after this, and the 26-year-old could be an important piece for Henderson as the relatively new AHL franchise continues to settle into life in the desert. In 26 games with AHL Tucson this season, where he’s spent more than six seasons, he recorded two goals and five assists in 26 games. He had 15 games up with the Coyotes, failing to record a point in his second NHL tryout.
A fifth-round pick is certainly fair value for a call-up option with a full season’s worth of NHL experience. Shedding Weber’s contract, which was due at a $7.86MM cap hit through 2026, makes maneuvering the offseason salary cap much easier for Vegas as they look to build some long-term financial stability.
PuckPedia notes that the Coyotes only owe Weber under $3MM in actual money for the remainder of the contract. Acquiring the deal also aids Arizona in reaching the salary cap floor, as they still have just $52.8MM in cap charges next season.