LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Golden Knights appear to lining up for a major deal with Wednesday’s trade of Shea Weber’s contract to Arizona for journeyman defenseman Dysin Mayo.
The deal sends Weber’s contract — a salary cap hit of $7.857 million through the 2025-26 season — to the Coyotes, who also get a fifth-round pick in the upcoming NHL draft.
This year, Weber’s contract is $3 million; by acquiring Mayo, whose annual salary is $950,000, the Knights appear to be clearing about $2 million in space according to online salary cap sites and hockeyreference.com. The remaining two years on Weber’s contract amounts to $1 million each season.
The NHL trade deadline is March 3, and the Knights are looking to replace the scoring void left by the injury to captain Mark Stone (back surgery).
Mayo, 26, shoots right and is 6 feet, 2 inches tall and 195 pounds. He has played seven professional seasons, with 82 games at the NHL level for Arizona over the past two seasons, with four goals and 12 points in his career. He has no points in 15 games for the Coyotes this season.
The native of Victoria, British Columbia, was drafted in the fifth round by Arizona in 2014 and has played 284 games for its AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, since 2015-16. He has been assigned to the Knights’ AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
Weber, once among the NHL’s best defensemen, never has played for the Knights, and although he has not announced his retirement he is not expected to play again because of foot and ankle issues. When his contract was acquired from Montreal in June, it was strictly a deal for the salary cap.