The business of building a team heavy with superstar talent is a tightrope in a salary cap league. Decisions must be made.
Vegas Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon made such a decision on Friday afternoon, trading winger Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers for a 2026 first-round pick (26th overall), a 2026 third-round pick (92nd overall), and a 2028 first-round pick (top-10 protected).
Dorofeyev was a pending restricted free agent and McCrimmon elected to move him for the picks and salary cap flexibility rather than meet his asking price.
Shortly after the trade was consummated, the Rangers and Dorofeyev reportedly agreed to a seven-year pact with an average annual value of $11 million.
McCrimmon and President of Hockey Operations George McPhee have built three teams that have made the Stanley Cup Final in less than a decade, including a championship in 2023. They have done it based on relentless player acquisition and shrewd money management.
They have brought elite players in and also sent great players away. Dorofeyev developed into a 30-goal scorer as a member of the organization since he was drafted by Vegas, and he wanted to get paid.
McCrimmon and Dorofeyev's representatives were unable to reach a deal satisfactory to both sides, so on Friday afternoon the Golden Knights traded the Russian-born winger to the Rangers.
Dorofeyev, 25, appeared in 231 games for Vegas since making his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season and produced 149 points, including 92 goals and 57 assists). The forward was drafted by the Golden Knights in the third round (79th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft.
