2026-27 Vegas Golden Knights Season Preview

The Vegas Golden Knights enter the 2026–27 season saying goodbye to their leading goal scorer last year, Pavel Dorofeyev. They are hoping Victor Olofsson will replace some of that scoring, but he obviously won’t totally replace him. They should be good to make the playoffs, but they did lose some roster depth.

Key Additions

Victor Olofsson (LW) – Signed a one-year deal on July 1st. The 31-year-old scored 12 goals and 17 assists in 80 games last season with Florida, bringing power-play prowess, scoring punch, and middle-six depth.

Marc Gatcomb (C) – Signed a one-year deal on July 1st. The 26-year-old brings two-way play, versatility, and bottom-six depth, expected to play a fourth-line role.

Parker Wotherspoon (D) – Acquired from Pittsburgh on June 30th in exchange for Kaedan Korczak. The 29-year-old left-shot defenseman brings puck-moving ability, and offensive upside.

Ville Heinola (D) – Signed a one-year deal on July 1st. The 25-year-old right-shot defenseman brings depth and two-way play, expected to compete for a call-up role.

Key Subtractions

Pavel Dorofeyev (LW) – Traded to the Rangers on June 26th in exchange for the No. 26 and No. 92 picks in the 2026 draft and a conditional 2028 first-round pick. The 25-year-old scored 20 goals and 35 points in 71 games last season, a significant loss of top-six scoring and skill.

Keegan Kolesar (RW) – Traded to Detroit on July 1st for a 2027 third-round pick. The 29-year-old had 10 goals and 18 points in 68 games, removing physicality and depth from the bottom six.

Akira Schmid (G) – Traded to Florida on July 1st for a 2028 third-round pick. The 26-year-old had a 3.09 GAA and .891 save percentage in 25 games, a loss of veteran goaltending depth.

Kaedan Korczak (D) – Traded to Pittsburgh on June 30th in the Wotherspoon deal. The 25-year-old right-shot defenseman had 10 assists in 67 games, a notable loss of youth and puck-moving ability.

Colton Sissons (C) – Signed a one-year deal with Toronto on July 1st. The 32-year-old had 10 goals and 18 points in 68 games, removing veteran depth and two-way play.

John Tortorella (Head Coach) – Replaced by Ryan Craig on July 1st. The 67-year-old had a 50-26-6 record last season, a significant loss of veteran leadership and playoff experience.

Impact on 2026–27

The Golden Knights’ will remain competitive, but do they have enough to get back to the Stanley Cup final? Olofsson adds scoring punch and power-play prowess to the top nine, while Wotherspoon bolsters the defense. The departures of Dorofeyev, Kolesar, and Korczak remove veteran presence and youth. Expect the Golden Knights to be in the playoff hunt, but do they have enough to push for another deep playoff run?

Salary Cap Situation

Projected cap hit – $112,661,182
Roster – 22/23
Projected cap space -$8,661,182
Deadline cap space  -$8,661,182
Soon-to-be LTIR – $8,800,000

Vegas Golden Knights Depth Chart