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Golden Knights Beginning To Work Out Jack Eichel Extension

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The Vegas Golden Knights have found a way to afford an eight-year, $96MM contract for incoming winger Mitch Marner. Even with shrewd cap planning, Vegas has ended up $7.64MM over the salary cap. That overage will be addressed when Alex Pietrangelo’s $8.8MM cap hit is placed on long-term injured reserve, but the Golden Knights will face much of the same challenge next year, with star center Jack Eichel set to head to unrestricted free agency following the 2025-26 season. Vegas is already working out what Eichel’s could look like – with an expectation that it could be pricier than Marner’s new deal, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast.

Directly comparing Eichel and Marner may be a difficult task, but there’s no arguing the Massachusetts native is among the top echelon of NHL forwards. Eichel scored a career-high 94 points in 77 games this season, then added an additional 10 points in 11 postseason games. The performance was a true peak after Eichel managed strong scoring in each of his first three seasons with Vegas. That includes scoring 26 points in 22 games as the Golden Knights chased their first Stanley Cup win in 2023.

Eichel joined the Golden Knights in 2021, following a true saga of clashing relationships and trade rumors. He was in the midst of recovering from a herniated disc in his neck at the time, setting off an injury and recovery that was often undefined and confusing. Eichel sustained the herniated disc on March 7th and was declared as out for the remainder of the 2020-21 season just over one month later. But there was conflict over if he should undergo surgery to address the issue. Eichel preferred an artificial disc replacement procedure, while Buffalo preferred a fusion surgery. Eichel’s lawyers later commented on the debate, scolding the Sabres for not letting the player choose his option in July of 2021. Eichel continued forward with no surgery, and failed his team physical at the onset of the 2021-22 season – prompting Buffalo to strip him of the team’s captaincy.

That stripped ’C’ kicked off a lucrative trade market that looped in many of the league’s top teams. Ultimately, in November of 2021, it was the Golden Knights who won out the sweepstakes – acquiring Eichel for the cost of center prospect Peyton Krebs, pro winger Alex Tuch, a first-round pick used on Noah Ostlund, and a conditional second-round pick that Buffalo flipped to the Minnesota Wild. Vegas granted Eichel the permission to undergo his desired surgery immediately following the move, and he managed to make his Vegas debut just four months later in February of 2022.

Since then, Eichel has been a perennial scorer for the Golden Knights. He scored 66 points in 67 games of his first full year with the club, then followed it up with 68 points in 63 games last season. Health remained a concern, but Eichel proved he can play well above his baseline when he plays through 70-or-more games in a season. His 94-point year this season confidently passed his previous career-high of 82 points set in 77 games of the 2018-19 season. With the strong year, Eichel has now reached 608 points in 616 NHL games.

There may still be some nerves about Eichel’s ability to repeat the 90-point year. But given a bill of good health, and a brand new superstar linemate in Marner, it seems more-and-more certain that Eichel will return to his dominant ways. He’ll be playing for a contract this season, and could surpass the cap hit of both Marner and Mikko Rantanen given his premium role as a top-line center. Eichel added a 45.6 faceoff-percentage and 55 blocked shots to his stat line this season. He finished third in Lady Byng Trophy voting, and fifth in both Hart Trophy and Selke Trophy voting. With a strong year next season, Eichel could end up a favorite to win multiple player trophies.

Golden Knights Sign Lukas Cormier

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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed defenseman Lukas Cormier to one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal haven’t yet been disclosed. Cormier’s last contract was a three-year, $2.38MM entry-level contract signed in December of 2020. That deal qualified for a two-year slide, allowing Cormier to remain under contract through the 2024-25 season.

Cormier joined the Vegas organization in the third-round of the 2020 NHL Draft, coming off a strong season with the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders. He signed his first pro contract two months after the draft, but continued on with Charlottetown for the next two seasons. In total, Cormier racked up 207 points across 208 junior games, including 81 points in 62 games of the 2021-22 season. That same year, Cormier joined Team Canada for the 2022 World Junior Championship, where he scored five points in seven games.

Cormier joined the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights in the following season. He recorded 35 points, 44 penalty minutes, and a minus-12 through 62 games in his rookie year. That performance was enough to show that Cormier’s puck-moving ability could translate to the pro flight. He continued to perform with 20 points in 58 games of the 2023-24 season. He also received the first two games of his NHL career that year, and recorded one assist. Cormier seemed on track to continue carving away a path to the show, until news of an undisclosed off-season injury delayed the start of his 2024-25 season to March. He managed nine points in 19 games upon returning.

The Golden Knights will bet that Cormier hasn’t lost a step due to injury with a one-year extension. That will be his runway to earning a chance at NHL minutes, and another contract when he reenters restricted-free agency next summer.

Golden Knights Re-Sign Raphael Lavoie, Jonas Rondbjerg, Cole Schwindt

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The Golden Knights announced they’ve re-signed RFA forwards Raphael Lavoie, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Cole Schwindt to one-year deals. Lavoie’s deal pays him $775K in the NHL and $235K in the AHL with a $300K guarantee, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA.  Meanwhile, PuckPedia reports that Rondbjerg gets $775K in the NHL and $250K in the AHL with a $375K guarantee.  PuckPedia also has Schwindt’s terms which check in at $825K on a one-way agreement.

Lavoie, 24, began last season in the Oilers organization. He’ll hope for more stability this year after being waived by Edmonton, claimed by Vegas, waived by Vegas, re-claimed by Edmonton, waived again by Edmonton, and finally re-claimed by Vegas before being sent directly to AHL Henderson in a matter of days last October.

Many thought the Oilers would lose Lavoie on waivers after the 6’4″ winger potted 28 goals and 50 points in 66 games for AHL Bakersfield in 2023-24. Injuries limited Lavoie’s effectiveness somewhat in 2024-25, but he still put together a decent 17-10–27 scoring line in 42 games on an underwhelming Henderson squad.

He got into nine NHL games with the Knights throughout the year but went pointless, averaging 10:05 per game. It was his second taste of NHL action after also going pointless in seven games with Edmonton the year before.

After not taking a meaningful step forward last season, the 2019 second-rounder is likely destined for waivers and a minor-league role again in the fall. He’ll battle for an extra forward spot but isn’t a candidate to begin the year in the opening night lineup unless more injuries happen, thanks to Vegas’ much-improved forward depth.

Rondbjerg, a Golden Knights draft pick in the third round of their inaugural 2017 class, is the only player from that group still with the organization. The Denmark-born winger has topped out as a serviceable fringe NHL forward, recording 10 points in 76 games for the Knights in a spattering of recalls over the past four years.

He’s cleared waivers without incident before and should do so again in the fall. The former captain of Denmark’s World Junior team is now an alternate with the Silver Knights, where he had 11 goals and 26 points with a minus-six rating in 53 appearances last year.

Schwindt is the likeliest of the trio to end up on the 23-man NHL roster in October. Vegas claimed the 24-year-old off waivers from the Flames during training camp last year, and while he wasn’t an everyday piece in the lineup, he was a serviceable extra forward for the entirety of the campaign. He made 42 appearances after seeing only seven games of NHL action over the previous three years, scoring his first NHL goal in the process and adding seven assists for eight points.

The 6’2″ Ontario native can slot in at center if needed, taking over 200 draws last season and winning 50.5% of them. A three-time 30-point scorer in the AHL, Vegas seems to like his game enough to keep him around as a 13th or 14th forward for at least one more year.

Golden Knights Looking To Trade Ben Hutton

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While the Golden Knights will be without Alex Pietrangelo moving forward, it appears that another defender could be on the move as well.  David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that Vegas is trying to move defenseman Ben Hutton.

The 32-year-old has spent the last four seasons with Vegas after signing with them as a depth option early in the 2021-22 season.  After that first year, he has signed a pair of two-year contracts with his current deal having one year left at an affordable price tag of $975K.

Unfortunately for Hutton, his role last season saw him become a sparingly used depth piece.  While he did miss 16 games with an upper-body injury, he was a healthy scratch in 55 others as he played in just 11 games during the regular season.  He had a pair of assists in those outings along with 19 blocks in a little over 13 minutes of ice time per game.  Hutton also didn’t see any action in the playoffs.

For his career, Hutton has played in 520 career NHL games with five different teams, spanning over parts of ten seasons.  The bulk of that came with Vancouver when he was used in a top-four role for good chunks of the four years he spent with them.  He has 124 points and 670 blocks in those outings with an ATOI of over 18 minutes per game, largely skewed from his time with the Canucks.  Over his four seasons in Vegas, Hutton has averaged 15:38 per game, more reflective of the sixth defender role he has held when he has been in the lineup.

As things stand, Hutton figures to be the seventh defenseman once again for the Golden Knights heading into next season so it appears that Vegas is trying to find a new team that could give him a better opportunity.  But there are several blueliners still in free agency that could conceivably take away some potential landing spots for Hutton in the coming weeks so it wouldn’t be surprising if he ultimately makes it to training camp still with Vegas.

At the moment, the Golden Knights are about $6.8MM over the cap, per PuckPedia.  That amount includes Pietrangelo’s $8.8MM cap charge which will land on LTIR, meaning that they have around $2MM of flexibility to work with.  Moving Hutton and replacing him with a player at the league minimum would only add $200K of extra room but every bit of cap wiggle room would help.  Now, the only question is whether a team is willing to trade for Hutton or if he ultimately lands on waivers in the fall if they can’t find a trade for him and want to create that small increase in cap space.

Golden Knights Sign Kaedan Korczak To Four-Year Extension, Jeremy Davies To Two-Year Deal

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The Vegas Golden Knights have re-signed defenseman Kaedan Korczak to a four-year, $13MM contract extension, per Stephen Whyno of AP News. The deal will carry an annual cap hit of $3.25MM. Vegas later confirmed the deal in a team press release. In that release, the team also mentioned they’ve signed defenseman Jeremy Davies to a two-year contract.

Korczak will earn a hardy bode of confidence with this news. He has one more season left on a two-year, $1.65MM contract signed on July 1st, 2024. With that contract in place, Korczak was promoted to Vegas’ extra defender role – marking his first season spending the full year with the NHL roster. He was often a healthy scratch over the course of the season, but still managed to record 10 assists, one penalty, and a plus-15 across 40 games. He also recorded 59 hits in his appearances — giving him the fifth-most hits per-60 minutes of ice time.

Physical hockey and strong passing were the two features that Vegas aimed to buy in signing Korczak to a multi-year extension last season. They evidently saw enough to stand confident in his abilities, and will now keep Korczak controlled through his age-33 season in 2029-30.

A hefty contract extension could be a strong indication that Korczak is set for a nightly feature in Vegas’ lineup, likely in place of fellow giant Nicolas Hague, who was recently traded to the Nashville Predators. Korczak has appeared in 77 NHL games across the last four seasons, and managed one goal, 21 points, and a plus-25. He has also recorded 39 points and a minus-three in 134 AHL games since 2020.

Vegas will find an insurance defender in the gritty Davies, who has spent the last four seasons primarily in the minor-leagues. He recorded a staggering 11 goals and 48 points in 72 games with the Belleville Senators this season – marking a new career-high. The boost in scoring came alongside a dwindling in penalties, with Davies recording 44 PIMs this year after posting 90 PIMs just two seasons ago. He’s been a fixture of the minor-leagues through his six-year professional career, so far only stepping into 23 NHL games and recording three points. A standout year with Belleville could be enough to warrant NHL attention next year, though Davies will likely have to climb his way up from a feature role with the Henderson Silver Knights.

Alex Pietrangelo Placed On LTIR, Unlikely To Play Again

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Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon stated today that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has officially been placed on LTIR and that the veteran is unlikely to play again, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. McCrimmon’s grim outlook reinforces the picture that both he and Pietrangelo have been painting in recent days regarding Pietrangelo’s future.

On Sunday, after weeks of speculation, it was announced that Pietrangelo would need to undergo “multiple major surgeries” this offseason, likely putting his 2025-26 season in jeopardy. On Monday, things became even more bleak as Pietrangelo and McCrimmon discussed the defender’s future, with Pietrangelo stating how challenging the last few seasons have been on his physical well-being.

“After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it’s been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life. This decision has been difficult to come to terms with after the last 17 years of competition and the camaraderie with my teammates and coaches. The likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family,” he said.

McCrimmon added that Pietrangelo would need to have bilateral femur reconstruction in order to resume his playing career, and that the procedure would not guarantee a return to health.

“Our hope in February during the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off was to give Alex treatment and rest to help provide relief, but instead, what we found were diminished positive results and a process that is no longer sustainable moving forward. Alex has given everything to the game and to the Golden Knights and has played through significant challenges in the pursuit of trying to win another Stanley Cup in Vegas,” McCrimmon said.

A day later, it appears McCrimmon has seemingly made Pietrangelo’s future official. If this is the end of the road for Pietrangelo’s playing career, the 35-year-old retires with 1,087 games played, 637 points, and two Stanley Cup championships.

Golden Knights Sign Dylan Coghlan, Jaycob Megna, Cole Reinhardt

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4:22 p.m.: The Knights confirmed the below signings and also announced a two-year, one-way contract for winger Cole Reinhardt. The former Senators depth piece played a career-high 17 games for Ottawa last year, scoring his first NHL goal and assist.

3:45 p.m.: Vegas has also signed defenseman Jaycob Megna to a two-year, one-way deal worth $800K per season, his agency, Bartlett Hockey, announced. He spent last season in the Panthers organization and was a post-deadline call-up, but mostly played with AHL Charlotte, where he had 16 points and a +26 rating in 64 games. The 6’6″ 32-year-old lefty has a 4-23–27 scoring line in 193 career NHL games with the Ducks, Sharks, Blackhawks, Panthers, and Kraken.

1:09 p.m.: The Golden Knights are bringing in defenseman Dylan Coghlan for his second stint in Vegas on a one-year, one-way league minimum contract, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Irfaan Gaffar.

Coghlan played through four seasons in the WHL prior to his move to pros, and went undrafted through all three years of eligibility. He was extended an invite to the Detroit Red Wings’ training camp in 2016, but wouldn’t earn his first pro contract until the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural training camp in 2017. Vegas signed Coghlan to a three-year, $2.2MM entry-level contract in 2017, and assigned him back to the WHL for his fourth and final season of juniors eligibility. When he was ready to turn pro in 2018, Coghlan was moved to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, where he managed an impressive 15 goals, 40 points, and plus-four through 66 games of his AHL rookie season. Vegas made the right-shot defender show he could match that performance in the following year. He stumbled to just 11 goals, 24 points, and a minus-nine, but still showed enough strength to join the Golden Knights as an extra defender for the shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Getting his first taste of the NHL, Coghlan posted six points, one penalty, and a minus-three through 29 games. He returned to an NHL role in 2021-22, and managed a stouter 13 points, 18 penalty minutes, and minus-five through 59 games. That season stands as the most Coghlan has played in the NHL – after a 2022 move to the Carolina Hurricanes pushed him back into competition for a fringe lineup role. Since 2022, Coghlan has recorded three points in 23 NHL games and 72 points in 112 AHL games. That includes a career-best 16 goals, 41 points, and 40 penalty minutes in 61 games of the 2023-24 season, which he spent with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.

Coghlan will offer the Golden Knights high scoring upside at the minor-league level, and a big-bodied extra defenseman at the NHL level. He could help fill the role of Nicolas Hague, who Vegas moved to the Nashville Predators in the days leading up to free agency.

PHR’s Gabriel Foley contributed significantly to this article.

Latest On Rasmus Andersson

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Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson is eligible to sign a contract extension as of today but talks between him and the team showed that there is still a considerable bridge to gap.  While GM Craig Conroy has said they’re comfortable with having the blueliner in training camp without a new deal in place, the gap in discussions has certainly fueled trade speculation.

To that end, TSN’s Darren Dreger recently reported on Edmonton Sports Talk (video link) that the Kings were believed to have a trade in place to acquire the 28-year-old but Andersson made it known that he doesn’t want to play for them.  He only has a six-team no-trade list but presumably, Los Angeles would have found out about Andersson’s lack of desire to play there when hypothetically discussing what an extension would look like.

At the moment, it appears that Andersson has his eyes set on one trade destination in particular.  Pierre LeBrun reports in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that the team on the top of Andersson’s wish list is the Golden Knights.  He adds that there have been discussions between the two teams over the past week but Calgary hasn’t been excited about the offers on the table just yet.

There’s a logical fit for Andersson in Vegas, with Alex Pietrangelo’s playing days appearing to be over now.  Pietrangelo’s absence would open up a significant hole on the right side of their back end, one that Andersson would be capable of filling.

The 28-year-old has been an all-situations player for several years in Calgary and has reached at least 30 points in four straight years.  Andersson is coming off a quieter year but he still managed 10 goals and 21 assists in 81 games for Calgary last season while logging 23:59 per night of playing time.  While he wouldn’t be quite as impactful as a healthy Pietrangelo, he would certainly be a quality replacement.

Of course, fitting him onto the books for the upcoming season is a whole other challenge.  Vegas used the LTIR relief from Pietrangelo to acquire Mitch Marner from Toronto.  Even with the LTIR savings, that will put them over the cap by the time they fill the remaining open roster spots, meaning that some salary would need to be cleared to open up room for Andersson and his $4.55MM cap charge for next season.

Meanwhile, should Andersson get moved to his preferred team, it stands to reason that an extension would need to be worked out.  Given the contracts that have been handed out to some blueliners in recent days, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could come close to doubling his current price tag on a long-term contract.

With Vegas taking on Marner at $12MM per season and Jack Eichel expected to receive an extension at some point as well, that’s a lot of money to be adding to their future books so if the Golden Knights are able to land Andersson, they’re going to have to clear up some significant cap room – both present and future – to do so.

Golden Knights Acquire, Extend Mitch Marner

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Tuesday: Both sides have officially announced the one-for-one swap.

Monday, 6:45 p.m.: PuckPedia has shared the financial breakdown of Marner’s new deal with Vegas:

  • Year 1: $4MM salary, $11MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 2: $4MM salary, $10MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 3: $4MM salary, $9.75MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 4: $4MM salary, $7.25MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 5: $5MM salary, $6MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 6: $5MM salary, $6MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 7: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 8: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause

4:07 p.m.: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vegas Golden Knights have acquired forward Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shortly thereafter, Friedman shared that Marner is expected to sign an eight-year, $96MM deal ($12MM AAV) with the Golden Knights. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Nicolas Roy is the only player headed to the Maple Leafs in the reported deal, making it a one-for-one swap.

Arguably the league’s top available free agent since Artemi Panarin in 2019, the Golden Knights have assured that Marner won’t even reach unrestricted free agency. Marner will join a star-studded roster in Nevada that already includes Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Shea Theodore.

Unlike his situation in Toronto, Marner also joins a team that’s entrenched in winning. Without question, the most successful expansion team in NHL history, the Golden Knights have qualified for the postseason in seven out of their eight seasons, reaching three Western Conference Finals, two Stanley Cup Finals, and winning one Stanley Cup.

After the money is squared away, the Golden Knights should have approximately $2MM remaining in salary cap space. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is set to miss the entire 2025-26 season, potentially longer, providing Vegas with an added $8.8 million in flexibility. Coupled with Roy’s $3MM salary, the Golden Knights had plenty of flexibility to bring in Marner on a long-term contract.

In Marner, Vegas will add one of the league’s premier playmakers to its already high-end offense. Since debuting for the Maple Leafs in the 2016-17 season, Marner has scored 221 goals and 741 points in 657 games, averaging 20:03 of ice time per night. Aside from his offensive capabilities, Marner is exceptional on the defensive puck, earning a +128 rating with a career 52.7% CorsiFor% at even strength and a 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

By re-signing Brandon Saad and Reilly Smith over the past two days, and adding Marner this afternoon, the Golden Knights have completely addressed their need for quality wingers before unrestricted free agency has even opened. Furthermore, with $2MM remaining in salary cap space, Vegas has some flexibility to add toward the bottom of their lineup, or to shore up their defensive core with cheaper deals.

Marner’s addition reaffirms the adage of the ’rich becoming richer’. The Golden Knights finished the 2024-25 campaign with the fifth-best goals scored average (3.34), third-best goals against average (2.61), second-best powerplay (28.34%), 13th-best shooting percentage (11.0%), ninth-best CorsiFor% (51.8%), and 11th-best in high-danger scoring chances (51.9%). Interestingly enough, despite being known for his offensive talents, Marner may help Vegas the most on the penalty kill, as they finished this past season ranked 26th with a 75.74% kill rate.

In terms of the salary cap, this deal is only likely to improve for the Golden Knights. Marner will earn 12.57% of Vegas’ available salary cap next year while watching that percentage drop to 10.57% in only two years. Considering that they’ll need a new contract for Eichel after next season, Vegas should be in good shape to retain both for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, Marner does carry some baggage when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Like the Maple Leafs, the Golden Knights are firmly within their competitive window and have been competing for the Stanley Cup since becoming a team less than a decade ago. Although he won’t deal with a similar media landscape in Vegas, Marner will have similar expectations regarding his postseason performances.

In fairness to Marner, he’s been a quality postseason player, just not to his standard. During his time in Toronto, Marner scored 13 goals and 63 points in 70 playoff games, achieving a +9 rating. Although this would be viewed as quality production for most players, it’s a 0.22 drop-off in point-per-game average compared to his regular-season output. Now cemented in Vegas for the prime years of his career, Marner will only have so many more chances to correct the version of himself as a player when hockey becomes as important as it ever can.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have done well by turning nothing into something. The likelihood of Marner staying in Toronto has been known for several weeks, and the Maple Leafs have made sure to get another asset in return rather than lose him for nothing. Unlike Marner, the player they’re acquiring from the Golden Knights has considerable postseason experience.

Over the last four years, Roy has become a valuable third-line center in Vegas. He can play all three forward positions and can move up and down the lineup, making him an extremely versatile forward.

Since becoming a full-time player for the Golden Knights in the 2021-22 season, Roy has scored 57 goals and 141 points in 284 games with a +26 rating, averaging 15:48 of ice time per game. His playoff scoring has declined, with five goals and 15 points in 40 games, but he contributed to the Golden Knights’  Stanley Cup victory in 2023. He should help create a stalwart third line in Toronto next to Max Domi and Scott Laughton.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Alex Pietrangelo Expected To Miss 2025-26 Season

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Monday: The Golden Knights have released statements from Pietrangelo and GM Kelly McCrimmon.  While stopping short of announcing it officially, it would appear as if Pietrangelo’s playing days may very well be over.

Pietrangelo:

The past few years have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health. After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it’s been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life. This decision has been difficult to come to terms with after the last 17 years of competition and the camaraderie with my teammates and coaches. The likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family.

McCrimmon:

Alex has our organization’s full support in prioritizing his long-term health and quality of life. Alex is dealing with hips that would require bilateral femur reconstruction, with no guarantee of success. Throughout the season, the steps that Alex needed to take to be able to play and practice began to grow and take a significant toll on his body. Our hope in February during the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off was to give Alex treatment and rest to help provide relief, but instead, what we found were diminished positive results and a process that is no longer sustainable moving forward. Alex has given everything to the game and to the Golden Knights and has played through significant challenges in the pursuit of trying to win another Stanley Cup in Vegas. He is one of the most respected players in the league, not only for his elite talent but for his character, leadership, competitiveness, and professionalism. Today’s decision is a difficult one for both Alex and the Golden Knights, but it is being made for the right reasons – so that Alex can be the family man we all know him to be.

Sunday: After weeks of speculation, it’s looking more like Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo won’t be available next season. He’s in line for “multiple major surgeries” this offseason that will go so far as to jeopardize his career, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

The news comes just days after general manager Kelly McCrimmon spoke after the draft on Pietrangelo’s future. When asked whether or not Pietrangelo would be healthy enough to play next season, McCrimmon said it was something that still needed to be sorted out.

“We’re going to know more on that in the coming days. Alex and I have had a number of discussions. There are a number of decisions that need to be made. When I spoke earlier about having a number of things that need clarity, that would be one of them,” he said.

As rumors continue to intensify linking pending free agent Mitch Marner with the Golden Knights, Vegas now seemingly also faces the challenge of replacing Pietrangelo’s leadership and production. But moving Pietrangelo to long-term injured reserve before the start of free agency may free up the space the team needs to sign Marner, as outlined by Danny Webster of Las Vegas Review-Journal. Pietrangelo has two years remaining on his $8.8MM AAV deal, and the Knights currently have just $5.615MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Pietrangelo, 35, appeared in 71 games for the Golden Knights last season, posting four goals, 33 points, and a plus-11 rating. While he missed 11 games on the year and opted out of the Four Nations Faceoff due to injury, Pietrangelo averaged over 22:24 of ice time per game on the year, showcasing his ability to log meaningful minutes when healthy. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has produced 637 points throughout his 17-year career.

PHR’s Paul Griser contributed significantly to this article.

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