This deal was agreed upon prior to the expansion draft. The Golden Knights said yes to picking up Kruger's contract and were able to select defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk in the draft. He has since been dealt to Carolina. Kruger is not expected to remain with the Knights, since they are already overflowing with centers.

Chicago wants to shed salary-cap space, so moving Kruger helps them in this regard. They waited until after July 1 to complete this trade because Vegas did not want to pay Kruger's signing bonus (which occurred on the first of the month). Not that the bonus is paid for by the Blackhawks, the deal has become official.

Kruger is a defensive specialist with very little offensive upside. Therefore, his fantasy value remains negligible no matter where he ends up in 2017-18.