Talk about a shocking development here as the 2026 NHL Entry Draft is underway, with the likes of Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg, and Caleb Malhotra, among others, already drafted. Pavel Dorofeyev has been traded to the New York Rangers from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the 26th and 92nd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, as well as a conditional 2028 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
🔄 TRADE 🔄
The Golden Knights have acquired the 26th-overall & 92nd-overall picks in the 2026 #NHLDraft as well as a 2028 first-round selection from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Pavel Dorofeyev. pic.twitter.com/9JJFpsxFdy
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 26, 2026
Pavel Dorofeyev Trade Improves New York Rangers Offence in a Big Way
Dorofeyev is a player the Rangers could really use. The Rangers struggled to score goals last season, as they ranked 23rd in the NHL in goals for per game, at 2.87 last season. Dorofeyev is an elite goal scorer, scoring 37 goals, 27 assists for 64 points in 82 games last season, along with 12 goals in 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He is set to be given a massive payday, as he is a restricted free agent this offseason. If general manager Chris Drury can nail down a solid contract extension with Dorofeyev, this could be a slam dunk of a trade. Given that they have $25.7 million in cap space, the Rangers have ample space to do so.
For the Golden Knights, this is a surprising move, as Dorofeyev has been a big reason for their success from last season. A reason why this deal could have been made is that the Golden Knights do not have much cap space. They only have $4.6 million in available salary cap space, so signing Dorofeyev to an extension would have proved difficult. It is good that they were able to leverage a solid amount of value, as they have obtained two first-round picks, as well as a third-round pick.
Plenty more coverage to come as the NHL Draft continues, and free agency is just around the corner.
Main Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
