Dorofeyev missed the Golden Knights' preseason finale and is questionable for the season opener. Dorofeyev missed a big portion of the preseason due to a lower-body injury, but the Golden Knights haven't confirmed his status for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Kings. That said, Dorofoyev was a full participant at practice on Tuesday and suited up on the team's top powerplay unit.
Early in the offseason, Pietrangelo and the Golden Knights released a statement that Pietrangelo is dealing with a hip injury that would require bilateral femur reconstruction, with no guarantee of success. This week, the Golden Knights officially announced that he will be unavailable for the duration of the 2025-26 season and the playoffs. The 35-year-old Pietrangelo has 637 points (148G / 489A) in 1087 career games, leaving a notable void on the Golden Knights' blueline.
Dorofeyev missed the Golden Knights' preseason finale and is questionable for the season opener. Dorofeyev has missed a big portion of the preseason due to a lower-body injury but the Golden Knights haven't commented on whether they expect him to be in the opening night lineup or not. With Dorofeyev hurt, the Golden Knights haven't had a full lineup all camp, so there are still questions to be answered. As of Saturday, head coach Bruce Cassidy was still noncommittal on whether Shea Theodore would be on PP1 or if it would be Dorofeyev in a five-forward look.
Davies' deal is a two-day contract and provides the Golden Knights with some organizational depth on the blueline. The 28-year-old has appeared in 23 career NHL games with the Predators and Sabres, but has spent the last four seasons almost exclusively in the AHL, most recently with Belleville, where he had 48 points (11G / 37A) in 72 games.
After three successful seasons in Henderson (AHL), Lukas Cormier will return for a fourth campaign after signing a one-year, two-way contract extension with Vegas on Wednesday. The 23-year-old puck-moving defenseman only appeared in 19 games with Henderson in 2024-25 due to injury, but still picked up nine assists and a -9 plus/minus. He is expected to start 2025-26 with Henderson but will provide depth if needed for the Golden Knights.
Rondbjerg spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, where he tallied 11 goals and 15 assists (26 points) in 53 games. He's shuffled back and fourth between the AHL and NHL for four straight seasons, appeared in 76 total NHL games, posting three goals and seven assists (10 points). Expect him to be a fringe roster player again in 2025-26.
Lavoie was claimed off waivers from Edmonton in early October but appeared in just nine games with the Golden Knights, spending most of the season in Henderson (AHL). The 24-year-old forward had 17 goals and 10 assists (27 points) in 42 AHL games and will likely begin the 2025-26 season with Henderson.
Davies spent the entire 2024-25 season with the Belleville Senators (AHL), where he had 48 points (11G / 37A) in 72 games. Davies provides organizational depth on the blueline, but he'll likely start the season with Henderson (AHL).
Korczak was a full-time NHLer in 2024-25 but served as the Golden Knights' No.7 defenseman, appearing in just 40 games. He finished the season with 10 points (0G / 10A), 34 SO and 59 hits in 40 games. With Alex Pietrangelo expected to miss all of 2025-26 (and maybe retiring), Korczak should be an everyday player for Vegas this season.
Megna has played 193 career NHL games but spent most of the 2024-25 season in the AHL. The 32-year-old defenseman scored 16 points (2G / 14A) in 62 games with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL). He provides the Vegas Golden Knights with depth at the defence position after signing a two-year deal worth $800K AAV.
Pietrangelo and the Golden Knights released a statement on Monday that Pietrangelo is dealing with hips that would require bilateral femur reconstruction, with no guarantee of success. “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," Pietrangelo said. The veteran blueliner will be stepping away from hockey for the 2025-26 season, and his future beyond that is uncertain. Pietrangelo will be placed on LTIR.
By acquiring Marner's rights, the Golden Knights were able to secure an eight-year contract worth $12M AAV before free agency opened on July 1st. Marner entered the league as a 19-year-old in the 2016-17 season and played the entirety of his nine-year career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, being amongst the league leaders over that time with 741 points (221G / 520A) in 657 games. The 28-year-old Marner will be motivated to continue his point-per-game production with a new team, likely playing alongside Jack Eichel.
By acquiring Marner's rights, the Golden Knights were able to secure an eight-year contract worth $12M AAV before free agency opened on July 1st. Marner entered the league as a 19-year-old in the 2016-17 season and played the entirety of his nine-year career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, being amongst the league leaders over that time with 741 points (221G / 520A) in 657 games. The 28-year-old Marner will be motivated to continue his point-per-game production with a new team, likely playing alongside Jack Eichel.
Late Sunday, Vegas announced that they had moved the rights to Nicolas Hague to Nashville for Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons. Lauzon is a 28-year-old defenseman who appeared in only 28 games for Nashville during the 2024-25 season, struggling offensively, with a modest assist and 37 PIMs, while averaging 17:58 TOI/GP. He is expected to battle for one of Vegas' final defensive spots ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Vegas moved on from six-year veteran Nicolas Hague on Sunday when they agreed to a deal with Nashville for Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon. Sissons is a 31-year-old centre who should battle for a bottom-six position with Vegas in 2025-26. He appeared in 72 games with Nashville in 2024-25, producing his lowest goal (7), point (21) and SOG (80) totals since 2020-21.
Saad was signed mid-season after being bought out by the Blues and had 14 points (6G / 8A) in 29 games with the Golden Knights. At $2.0M AAV, Saad is a cheap middle-6 winger that can still provide some offence, having averaged 40 points (21G / 19A) per 82 games over the last three seasons.
Vegas will keep a veteran presence around after they signed forward Reilly Smith to a one-year, $2 million contract extension on Wednesday. The 34-year-old was acquired at last season's trade deadline from New York and put up three goals, 11 points and a +11 plus/minus in 21 games after returning to Vegas.
Hill allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Golden Knights' 3-0 loss in Edmonton in Game 4. Hill has allowed three-plus goals in every game this series and now Vegas finds themselves on the brink of elimination. Overall, Hill has gone 5-5 with a 3.15 GAA and .876 SV% in 10 playoff games.
Stone was absent from the morning skate and despite head coach Bruce Cassidy calling him a game-time decision, there are reports that he won't play in Game 5. Look for Victor Olofsson to move up to the Jack Eichel line and for Nicolas Roy to move up to the second-line in Stone's absence.
