In this series, Heavy Sports is looking at what every NHL team has done over the offseason. Next up is the Vegas Golden Knights. Vegas had a tricky regular season last year as they narrowly clinched a berth in the playoffs, posting a 39-26-17 record. The team let go of former coach Bruce Cassidy late in the campaign and replaced him with John Tortorella behind the bench. This move helped lead to a strong postseason run as the Golden Knights advanced to the Stanley Cup final where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes. General manager Kelly McCrimmon made a coaching change over the summer, replacing Tortorella with Ryan Craig. Craig previously coached the team’s AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
Who are Vegas’ Additions?
Key additions: Marc Gatcomb, Adam Ginning, Ville Heinola, Victor Olofsson, Parker Wotherspoon
With their difficult salary cap situation, Vegas has not had the means to be able to be able to add much talent this summer. They did bring back forward Victor Olofsson; the power play specialist has suited up previously for the organization during the 2024-2025 season. Parker Wotherspoon was added to the defensive core. He recorded 3 goals and 27 assists for 30 points in 80 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season. Recent acquisition Rasmus Andersson received a long-term seven year $59.5 million extension with the club. The veteran defenseman registered seven goals and 10 assists for 17 points in 33 games in his first stint with Vegas last year. Fellow d-man Jeremy Lauzon also extended for the long haul for six years at $24 million.
Who are Vegas’ Subtractions?
Key subtractions: Pavel Dorofeyev, Ben Hutton, Keegan Kolesar, Kaden Korczak, Brandon Saad, Akira Schmid, Cole Smith, Reilly Smith, Colton Sissons
The biggest departure for this team is forward Pavel Dorofeyev as he heads off to the New York Rangers. Dorofeyev had a career year with Vegas as he amassed 37 goals and 27 assists for 64 points in 82 games. He was elite in the playoffs as well, tallying 12 goals and four assists for 16 points in 22 games. The remaining losses mainly consist of depth players.
Overall, this is a Vegas team that should remain among the league’s best next season. Vegas is positioned to be once again among the strongest teams in a weaker pacific division. With their dangerous core led by the likes of Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone, the star power is prevalent with this group. The depth is also there, with pillars in every position. The goaltending was a question mark, but Carter Hart performed well down the stretch last season. It would not be a surprise to see this team go on another long playoff run next year, but the competition will be tense in this western conference picture. How they manage the salary cap will be a story, per usual. There is work to do from this regard as Vegas currently finds itself over $8 million above the cap limit. Nevertheless, this is a management group that has always found a way to make it work.
All transactions are available via Puck Pedia.
Vegas Golden Knights Offseason Recap