Some summer moves are about making noise. The Vegas Golden Knights’ latest one was about making room.
Instead of the splashy addition some were expecting, Vegas dealt Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers for draft picks, a move that opens up future cap space. It’s a sensible play, especially when the alternative would be handing a winger built around power-play production $11 million a year. That kind of money is for the very top of the sport, not for someone whose value can dip if the man-advantage touches disappear.
The bigger takeaway is what that cap flexibility could mean later. The trade deadline is still the place where teams on the outside start unloading pieces, and now the Golden Knights actually have draft capital to work with if a star becomes available.
Three clubs stand out as possible targets if their seasons go sideways: the Detroit Red Wings, Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Detroit is the one that immediately pulls the eye because of Dylan Larkin. He requested a trade and had the Golden Knights on his short list.
John Gibson is also in the last year of his deal, and Alex DeBrincat is in the mix as well. There is one wrinkle with DeBrincat, though: rumor has it the winger wants to stay in Michigan to be closer to his family.
Larkin, a native of Waterford, Michigan, was also expected to fit that same pull, but here we are. If Detroit keeps sliding into the 2026-27 season, Vegas will be watching closely.
Winnipeg brings the kind of name that always gets tied to Vegas rumors. Connor Hellebuyck has been linked to the Golden Knights before, and he remains the big prize here even though he’s currently stuck with a full no-movement clause.
Vegas has pulled off tougher deals than that. Beyond Hellebuyck, the Jets also have several forwards with one year left on their contracts: Nino Niederreiter, Vladislav Namestnikov and Morgan Barron.
That gives Kelly McCrimmon plenty of depth options if he wants to add more scoring.
Then there’s Columbus, where Zach Werenski jumps out first. The Olympic gold medalist carries a cap hit of roughly $9.6 million and has no-trade/no-move clauses of varying intensities, but he still has two years left on his current deal.
And he isn’t the only name worth monitoring. If McCrimmon wants to get extra frisky, he could also pursue Dmitri Voronkov and Kirill Marchenko.
Both forwards would cost future cap space since they are restricted free agents with arbitration rights after this season, but Vegas needs youth in its forward group. At that point, does it really matter?
In Other News...
Golden Knights Fans Have Two Offseason Storylines Worth Watching
The Golden Knights are getting a fresh look this offseason, with the NHLs Hometown Remix series set to bring a new jersey that leans hard into Las Vegas identity. The design is expected to fold in familiar city touches, from the skyline to neon, giving fans another visual tie between the team and the place it represents. For a franchise that has always sold itself as part hockey team, part Vegas showpiece, that kind of branding matters.
There is also a more sobering conversation hovering over the summer, one that comes from a critical look at the organizations prospect pool and the idea that this recent run of success may not last forever. It is the kind of assessment that puts added attention on what Vegas can still build, not just what it has already achieved, especially with Pacific Division rivals looming as the season approaches. The jersey will give fans something new to wear, but the bigger question is whether the Golden Knights can keep the competitive window open long enough for it to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Keep Leaning Into A Philosophy That Divides Fans
The Golden Knights have never been shy about betting on talent with baggage, and George McPhee is again making clear that the organization sees room for redemption in hockey. Speaking on the teams approach, the president of hockey operations said young people should not be permanently defined by their mistakes, a stance that helps explain why Vegas has continued to offer opportunities to players whose past incidents have already sparked debate.
Carter Hart, Trevor Connelly and Kai Uchacz are among the names that have drawn attention for different reasons, and their presence keeps the conversation around the Knights from being limited to what happens on the ice. McPhee framed the issue as a balance between second chances and accountability, but it is a balance that still leaves the club navigating public scrutiny every time it leans into this philosophy again. [Read more 🡒]