The Vegas Golden Knights have signed 2026 first-round draft pick Juho Piiparinen to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Piiparinen, a defenseman, was taken by Vegas in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old spent the 2025-26 season in Finland’s Liiga with Tappara, where he recorded three assists in 29 games. He also logged time with Tappara’s U20 team, finishing with 13 points, including one goal and 12 assists, along with a plus-9 rating.
Internationally, Piiparinen represented Finland at the 2026 World Junior Championship and picked up an assist in six games.
The signing comes after the Golden Knights made a major overhaul of their draft-pick inventory, including a trade that sent Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers in exchange for two first-round picks, one of which was used on Piiparinen, plus an additional pick. That move, along with others, also opened up future salary-cap space and set the table for what could be a bigger addition down the line.
Vegas has a recent history of using first-round picks as trade currency, with Zach Dean, David Edstrom, and Brendan Brisson all eventually moved to help land bigger names. Whether Piiparinen follows that same path remains to be seen.
For now, though, the young Finnish blueliner has a chance to carve out a different story. His puck-moving skill and two-way game give him a shot to become more than just another chip in the Golden Knights’ larger plan.
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