The New York Rangers are finalizing a deal to acquire Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. The move appears to be a direct result of Vegas running out of room under the salary cap.
Dorofeyev is expected to become a restricted free agent in a few short days with arbitration rights. That gives the Rangers a window to add a young forward while the Golden Knights avoid a cap squeeze they could no longer manage.
Why Vegas is moving on
Vegas has only $4.6MM in available cap space heading into the offseason, and the team has reportedly been prioritizing an extension with Rasmus Andersson. That left little chance of being able to keep Dorofeyev as well, making a trade the most practical path.
Mollie Walker of the New York Post reported that the Golden Knights will receive Dallas’ 2026 first-round pick, Buffalo’s 2026 third-round pick, and a top-10 protected 2028 first-round pick. The package shows how much value Dorofeyev carried even as Vegas prepared for a difficult cap decision.
www.prohockeyrumors.com noted that more details are still to come, but the framework of the deal already makes the stakes clear for both teams. The Rangers are landing a restricted free agent with upside, while the Golden Knights are turning one roster pressure point into future draft capital.