The Vegas Golden Knights traded goaltender Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals during the second day of the 2024 NHL Draft.
Thompson, 27, spent parts of four seasons in Las Vegas and was part of the 2022-23 Stanley Cup team despite missing the final three months of the season due to injury.
Thompson’s time with the Golden Knights ended Saturday, but the timing was a bit tricky. The trade with the Capitals was announced not long before he was set to hold a signing for fans at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
But as a way to say goodbye to the fan base that supported him when he got his start in the NHL, Thompson went ahead with the session, signing autographs and taking photos for an hour.
Thompson, who still has a year left on his contract, did not deny asking for a transfer in an interview with reporters after meeting fans. He said he needs time to process the move to Washington.
“It’s weird. I’ve never been traded before, junior or pro,” Thompson said. “I’m still going through a lot of emotions. It’s going to take a couple days to process it. The only team I’ve never been traded to in the NHL is the Golden Knights, so it’s going to be different.”
Thompson was part of the Capitals organization in 2019-20 after signing a one-year contract with their American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey. He also attended their development camp in 2019 and is dating Capitals goaltending coach Scott Murray.
Shortly after the Thompson trade, general manager Kelly McCrimmon found a new replacement for starter Adin Hill after acquiring restricted free agent Akira Schmid from the New Jersey Devils.
