In 2020-21, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was awarded his first career Vezina trophy. The league’s best goaltender went 26-10-0 and posted a league-best 1.98 goals allowed per game average. It was an outstanding season for VGK’s original fan favorite.
At the time, Fleury was being paid $7 million annually. That was six years ago when the cap was only $81.5 million (it’s $104 million this year), and it’s still close to the cost of what Vegas is paying their goaltending unit this training camp. As of right now, Golden Knights starter Carter Hart has a cap hit of $2 million, and $6.25 million for backup Adin Hill.
Adin Hill Grade: D Even if the injuries are not taken into consideration, which they are, he underperformed pretty much the entire time he was on the ice. There’s a legitimate argument as to the fragmentation of his season impacting his play, but the excuse, valid or not, doesn’t cover up the poor performances. A year removed from starting 50 games and winning 32, Hill looked a long way off from the guy who hoisted the Cup. -SinBin.vegas Regular Season Grades
Going back to Fleury’s historic season, there’s more to the story. The previous season, the Golden Knights added Robin Lehner and subsequently signed him to a long-term deal worth $5 million per season. In 56 games, Fleury and Lehner were both brick walls and successfully split the Jennings trophy as the best goalie tandem in the NHL. However, the award-winning duo were eating up too much cap space. In total, Vegas foolishly paid out $12 million to star goaltenders from 2020 to 2021, and ultimately failed to win a Stanley Cup during that span, coming up short offensively.
Rasmus Andersson Grade: B- The production fell woefully short of what was expected but Andersson took a massive step forward defensively and was a huge reason VGK went as far as they did. He played a monster minute load (23:26 per night), was asked to shut down some of the most dynamic lines in the NHL, and he was able to do it. It ended poorly in the last games of the Stanley Cup Final but if that’s the Rasmus Andersson VGK are getting moving forward, they’ll be very happy… assuming a little more offense comes along with it.
Dylan Coghlan Grade: A From playing three games in the regular season to 13 in the playoffs, Coghlan was an incredibly important find to help solidify the defense core. With Lauzon out and Korczak and Hutton struggling, VGK needed someone to step in, and Coghlan did just that. The moment never looked too big for him, and his skating was much better than expected for someone who hadn’t seen playoff hockey. He even scored a goal, which only three defensemen can say this postseason.
Noah Hanifin Grade: B Similar to Andersson, Hanifin’s offense never came through in the playoffs. However, like his partner, he was way better defensively than anyone could have imagined. He and Andersson locked in and did the job in their own end that they were unable to do during the regular season. He gets a slightly better grade than his partner because the expectation offensively was a bit lower.
Kaedan Korczak Grade: F Simply put, Korczak failed the test. It was his first real taste of playoff action, and he didn’t quite look up for it. His gap control was lacking, his decision-making was suspect, and the game just looked too fast for him at different times. After being an automatic in the lineup all year, he ended up being healthy scratched for the final few weeks of the run, only to come back in for the very last game and struggle.
Jeremy Lauzon Grade: B+ Lauzon did not post a point and he missed 10 games due to injury, but he still exceeded expectations in the postseason. His physicality made a big impact in the Utah series and defensively, things fell back into place when he returned in the Final. The best 12-game stretch of his season was the 12 in the playoffs. Good time to do it, which earned him a big chunk of change at the end.
Brayden McNabb Grade: A+ McNabb has been a stalwart for the Golden Knights throughout their entire existence. He’s been good in every playoff run, all three Stanley Cup Finals, and most of his 647 games in Vegas. Yet, the best he’s ever played in his career came during this playoff run. He was incredible defensively, outscored every defenseman other than Theodore, and posted an amazing +13. And all of this is before he got smoked in the face with a puck, the came back and played extremely well in the very next game.
Shea Theodore Grade: A The question was being asked all season, “who is going to step up and fill Alex Pietrangelo’s shoes for the Golden Knights?” The answer was unequivocally Shea Theodore. He excelled in every area during the postseason while playing the most minutes and in the most difficult situations. It’s hard to have a coming-out party after playing more than 700 games, including 100 playoff games, but Theodore did it. He’s a bona fide #1 defenseman, and there’s really no argument against it after that run.
Carter Hart Grade: B- There was a little run in there from the end of the Ducks series through the Western Conference Final where he got in a groove and looked like a true difference maker in the net. However, the rest of the postseason, he was either below or well below replacement level. Taking it all together, he was a little better than expected, though the highest highs are exciting for the future.
Ivan Barbashev Grade: C+ It started off extremely strong for Barbashev as he was one of the most impactful players early in the Utah series. Without some of his heroics, the run may never have happened in the first place. Boy, did he slow down at the end, though. He scored one goal and one assist in the final eight games of the postseason, all while playing about 16 minutes a night.
Pavel Dorofeyev Grade: A- A bit of an opposite to Barbashev, it took Pavel a little while to get going, not only to begin the playoffs but in each series. Once he did, though, he proved his goal-scoring prowess was not limited to the regular season, which was massive. He scored mega goals at crucial times, and even when his ice time was cut, he fought through it to produce. 12 goals is a hell of a playoff run no matter who you are.
Rasmus Andersson Grade: C- Andersson had a tumultuous season, and it showed up on the ice in Vegas. He was inconsistent from the moment he got to Vegas until the moment the regular season ended. His highs were extremely high, and his lows were quite low. In the 33-game regular season showing, he didn’t prove to be worth the trade price and the incoming mega contract extension.
Noah Hanifin Grade: D+ Before the season began, the projections for Hanifin were upwards of 50 points, more than he’d ever scored in his career. That never came to fruition, nor even close. He scored just three goals, was not as offensively impactful as expected, and his defensive game was below average. He was asked to take on a lot of the tough minutes, but his regular season did not indicate he could be a top-pair D for a contending team.
Ben Hutton Grade: B Hutton was called upon a lot more than the Golden Knights probably hoped, and he handled it quite well. He showed a lot more of the offensive pop in his game and didn’t drown defensively despite being paired with call-ups for most of his appearances. Walking out of the season with a +2 rating is extremely impressive for a 7th defenseman on a team that lost more games than they won.
This week on the site, we are going through a series of report cards from the 2025-26 season. There will be four separate articles assigning grades to each player on the team based on their performance vs expectations last season. Forwards will be in one group, while defensemen and goalies will be in the other, and each will be graded in the regular season and the postseason. First up are the forwards in the regular season.
Ivan Barbashev Grade: A Barbashev came storming out of the gates, scoring 23 points and 10 goals in the first 27 games of the season. He slowed down through the middle of the year but picked it back up in March and April. All the way, he continued as a physical presence and a useful option alongside Jack Eichel. Hard to ask for much more from him.
Braeden Bowman Grade: B+ The undrafted free agent burst onto the scene in November not only by scoring goals but by playing a role left vacant by an injured Mark Stone. As the season wore on, he looked more and more like a 22-year-old rookie and ultimately wasn’t even able to remain on the roster down the stretch run. He proved the future is very bright.
Pavel Dorofeyev Grade: A+ It was always the hope that Dorofeyev could become a bona fide goal scorer in the NHL, but taking over as the team’s leading scorer by a decent margin was certainly unexpected. He was dominant on the power play, crucial in the top six, and played all 82 games. There’s a real possibility he hit his career highs in goals (37) and points (64) in his final season in Vegas.
A roundup of all the signings, rumors, and rumblings surrounding the Vegas Golden Knights as free agency opens in advance of the 2026-27 season.
*This article will be updated throughout the day as more information rolls in.*
Pavel Dorofeyev has been traded to the New York Rangers for 2026 1st Round pick (#26), 2026 3rd round pick (#96), and a 2028 top-10 protected 1st round pick.
The Rangers signed Dorofeyev to a 7-year $11 million AAV contract extension.
Akira Schmid has been traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2028 3rd round pick.
The Golden Knights have acquired defenseman Parker Wotherspoon in exchange for Kaedan Korczak.
Pittsburgh will retain 50% of Wotherspoon’s salary, making his cap hit for VGK $500,000.
Jeremy Lauzon has agreed to a 6-year contract extension with AAV of $4 million. (Source: @FriedgeHNIC)
Rasmus Andersson is expected to sign a long-term extension with VGK worth around $8.5 million AAV. (Source: SinBin.vegas)
Elliotte Friedman confirms the deal has been signed for seven-years at $8.5 million AAV. (Source: @FriedgeHNIC)
VGK are signing Victor Olofsson. (Source: @DarrenDreger)
The Golden Knights have traded Keegan Kolesar to the Detroit Red Wings for a 2029 3rd round pick and a 2027 7th round pick. (Source: @DarrenDreger)
Carl Lindbom re-signed for three years at $900,000 AAV.
Jonas Rondbjerg will sign a one-year extension to remain in Las Vegas. (Source: @DannyWebster21)
Colton Sissons is signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs (@thefourthperiod)
Cole Smith has signed a three-year contract with $3 million AAV with the Chicago Blackhawks. (Source: @frank_seravalli)
VGK have re-signed Tanner Laczynski to a three-year contract worth $900,000 AAV. (@PuckPedia)
VGK signed Marc Gatcomb, Adam Ginning, Ville Heinola, and Antti Tuomisto (Source: Golden Knights Press Release)
Kelly McCrimmon said Alex Pietrangelo will not play in 2026-27. He has been placed on LTIR.
Former VGK players
Erik Haula is signing with the Los Angeles Kings. (Source: @JamesNicholsNHL)
Paul Cotter has signed with the Vancouver Canucks. (Source: @Canucks)
Teddy Blueger signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for two-years $2.5 million AAV. (@PuckPedia)
Simplified Salary Cap Tracker
VGK are approximately $5,300,000UNDER the salary cap with an 18-man roster (9 F, 6 D, 2 G)
Qualifying Offers – Jakub Brabenec, Lukas Cormier, Jakub Demek, Joe Fleming
Expected LTIR – Pietrangelo ($8,800,000)
**This is an inexact salary estimation designed to give a rough outline of how much cap space the Golden Knights have to operate with. For exact up-to-date salary cap information, visit PuckPedia.com.**
The Golden Knights started the Draft without a selection in the top 90 and just four picks overall. However, following the trade of Pavel Dorofeyev, along with a few moves down, they’ve restocked and will have a healthy crop of new prospects.
TRADE – VGK have acquired #26, #92, and a 2028 1st from New York Rangers for Pavel Dorofeyev
TRADE – VGK have acquired #28 and 2027 3rd from Montreal Canadiens for #26
TRADE – VGK have acquired #29 and #117 from Anaheim Ducks for #28
1st Round – #29 (from ANA) Selection: Juho Piiparinen
One of the youngest players available in the Draft, Piiparinen is a right-handed, well-rounded defenseman. The 17-year-old Finn is a two-way player who skates well and plays with a high motor. He played 29 games as a professional in the Finnish Elite League and logged significant minutes in all situations.
The main thing that stands out in Piiparinen’s game is his exceptional poise and high-end puck management during breakout scenarios. When retrieving pucks under heavy forechecking pressure, he does not panic or blindly throw the puck away. Instead, he displays elite patience, using his strong frame to shield the puck from oncoming attackers, accepting heavy contact, and delivering crisp, precise, and highly accurate first passes to launch the transition attack. –Jeremy Rivet, McKeensHockey.com
He’s not overly physical, but he gives a solid effort and is often relied on by coaches. His offense will be the question at the next level. Given that he doesn’t truly excel at any one thing, there will be questions about his role as well. –Corey Pronman, The Athletic
3rd Round – #92 (from NYR) Selection: Benjamin Wilmott
An overaged draft pick, the 19-year-old from Seattle is known as being a bulldog on the ice. He lives in front of the goal and thrives on moving players out of the way to create space for himself. His offensive game away from the goalmouth is far from exceptional, which projects him more as a bottom-six player. Went undrafted in each of the previous two NHL Drafts.
Wilmott is committed to play at Ohio State next season.
He’s a late bloomer which shows the continuous willingness to improve even when teams have passed him by before. He’s very competitive and has a physical presence to him that can translate to the next level. His versatility will also be attractive to teams as he can play in all important situations including key faceoffs and both special teams units. As with anyone at this stage, he needs to add speed to his game. He also needs to put in the work away from the puck. –The HockeyWriters.com
3rd Round – #95 Selection: Sean Burick
A 6’8″ defenseman, Burick’s main quality is, of course, his size. He’s described as a smooth skater with incredible reach that doesn’t rely on only on his stick to defend. There’s limited offensive upside and can by physically inconsistent, but when he hits someone, it hurts.
Committed to the University of Denver after playing last season in the WHL with the Penticton Vees.
His greatest asset is his reach, which he uses effectively to smother puck carriers, close gaps early in the neutral zone, and eliminate space in the defensive zone and off the rush. He displayed a physical edge with a few punishing hits, though his timing occasionally took him out of position. Offensively, Burick contributed with a heavy shot from the point and found ways to hold pucks in at the offensive blue line, but overall his puck decisions were inconsistent, at times showing vision, a plan and clean execution, while in other instances forcing plays or mishandling pucks under pressure. –NeutralZone.com
