Kelly McCrimmon’s latest moves made the Golden Knights’ intentions pretty hard to miss.
Vegas extended Braeden Bowman and Mark Stone last week, and both deals fit cleanly into the bigger picture. Bowman’s new contract comes in at $3.4 million per year, while Stone’s sits at a $9 million AAV.
Bowman’s age and the absence of a no-trade clause make his deal especially appealing. Stone’s value is just as obvious in a different way: the Golden Knights simply haven’t been the same without him, and Vegas went 8-9-5 last season when he wasn’t on the ice.
Those extensions are about more than last season’s production, though. They point straight at the direction Kelly McCrimmon wants this roster to take. The message is simple: win now.
That idea shows up all over the current core. Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are already tied to the franchise for the long haul, and Bowman’s six-year, $3.4 million AAV extension begins next season.
Rasmus Andersson is locked in until 2033. Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, and Jeremy Lauzon are in Vegas until 2032.
Put it all together, and the shape of the plan is obvious - the Golden Knights are building this window around another run at the Stanley Cup.
The big-money contracts help explain why the smaller ones matter so much. Eichel and Marner’s deals may look enormous, but as the salary cap rises, they should be easier to absorb.
That makes Bowman’s number look even better if his play keeps trending upward. A six-year commitment at $3.4 million per year could turn into a real bargain.
But there’s a cost to all this certainty.
If the Golden Knights don’t win Stanley Cup No. 2 and this group starts aging out, the path forward gets messy fast. Vegas is set to enter the 2026-27 season as the league’s third-oldest team, and a lot of the roster will be difficult to move.
Eichel and Marner have no-move clauses, and Hanifin, Andersson, and Lauzon also carry no-trade protection. Lauzon’s no-trade clause drops to 16 teams in 2027-28, but that still leaves plenty of limits.
The defense alone is already a major investment, with Andersson, Theodore, and Hanifin all 29 or older and a combined $27.275 million tied up there. Add Tomas Hertl’s $6.75 million AAV through 2030, and the roster starts to feel very locked in, especially with Hertl already 32 and not exactly the fastest skater on the ice.
That’s the tradeoff McCrimmon is making. The Golden Knights are choosing stability at the top of the lineup and betting on this core to deliver another title before time starts pressing in.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Fans Just Got An Easier Way To Watch This Season
The Golden Knights are heading into their fourth season with ViewLift, and KnightTime+ is arriving with a little more polish for fans trying to keep up with the team. The direct-to-consumer streaming service has already seen significant growth in registered users and total views, and it is rolling out a start-from-the-beginning, DVR-style option that should make it easier to catch games without worrying about missing the opening puck drop.
KnightTime+ is also widening its reach by adding Google TV devices, another step in making local Golden Knights broadcasts more accessible across multiple states. The service remains available by subscription with a free trial through Sept. 30, 2026, giving fans a clearer and more flexible way to follow Vegas without relying on the old viewing routine. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Fans Need To Talk About T-Mobile Arena Prices
The price of a night out at T-Mobile Arena has become part of the conversation around the Golden Knights, and not in a good way. A recent Canada Sports Betting study pegged the average cost for a family of four to attend a Vegas game at $1,057.75, second only to Montreal in the NHL, with tickets, food and parking all pushing the total higher. For a franchise that has built one of the leagues most energetic home environments, the numbers are a reminder that the experience can come with a steep bill before the puck even drops.
The Golden Knights have already taken steps to ease some of that pressure, including a discounted locals menu and lower season ticket prices aimed at addressing affordability concerns. Even so, the larger issue lingers for a fan base that has embraced the team since its arrival and now has to weigh loyalty against rising game-day costs. How much those changes actually move the needle, and whether they are enough to keep a trip to the arena feeling accessible, is the part supporters will be watching next. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Face A Harsh Reality Heading Into 2026-27
After a season that ended with fewer wins than losses and a coaching change along the way, the Golden Knights are heading into 2026-27 with a reset mentality. Coach Ryan Craig made it clear the organization views the next step as a fresh start, even with the recent Stanley Cup Final appearance still fresh in the background.
For Vegas, the challenge is bigger than simply turning the page. The club wants better regular-season results and will have to account for roster turnover, including the departure of Pavel Dorofeyev, as it tries to find the right mix again. The question now is how quickly Craig and the front office can make that restart look less like a rebuild and more like another contender in the making. [Read more 🡒]