"For starters, the Golden Knights would have 25 players if Eichel and Martinez are activated and no one else goes on injured reserve, 26 if forward Adam Brooks is activated too. They can only have 23, so they'd have to start by trading or waiving some depth players. Waivers is the easiest route, but if they lose the player it thins their depth. If the Golden Knights are still over the $81.5 million salary cap, they would then likely have to move a more impactful player, potentially forwards Evgenii Dadonov or
Reilly Smith. Each carries a $5 million cap charge; Smith is in the last season of his contract, and Dadonov is in the second of a three-year contract. Any team with a need for a top-nine forward will be calling Vegas to try to take advantage of the cap situation. If that's still not enough to get under the cap, the Golden Knights would have to make another move."