Rangers Acquire Pavel Dorofeyev From the Golden Knights

Forward Pavel Dorofeyev has been traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the New York Rangers. The trade was announced during Round 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft on Friday evening. In exchange, the Golden Knights are acquiring the 26th-overall pick in Round 1 as well as the 92nd-overall pick in Round 3 tomorrow. In addition, Vegas is acquiring the Rangers’ first-round pick in the 2028 Draft.

Dorofeyev to the Big Apple

Dorofeyev scored 37 goals in 82 regular-season games for the Golden Knights this season. It was the second-straight season in which he has scored 35 or more goals, indicating he is a legitimate scorer in the league.

Doforeyev scored 12 goals in 22 playoff games for Vegas, helping them reach the Stanley Cup Final. One of his biggest moments of the playoffs was scoring the game-winning goal in Game 5 of Round 2 against the Anaheim Ducks.

Rangers Add Scorer and Extend Him

For the Rangers, this is a big upgrade to their lineup. At just 25, Dorofeyev is entering the prime of his career. For a rebuilding team, he is a great addition to the team. He will be part of their future.

He was due to become a restricted free agent. The Rangers needed to negotiate a new contract, and they have done so. Dorofeyev has signed a seven-year deal worth $11 million a season.

Vegas Clears Cap Space

The Golden Knights are not afraid to spend to the cap. Even with the cap rising, the Golden Knights would be pushing it to try and sign Dorofeyev this summer. It will be tough losing his production in the lineup, but at least they were able to move him for draft capital as opposed to possibly losing him for less via an offer sheet. If they wanted to keep him, it would have required some roster reconstruction to fit him under the cap.

Was this an ideal situation for Vegas? No. However, after two strong seasons and a great postseason, the iron was hot, and general manager Kelly McCrimmon struck.

Stay Tuned!

Draft weekend has been fun, and we are only over a hour in. Stay tuned for more updates and coverage as the fun weekend continues!