Golden Knights say Alex Pietrangelo already on LTIR, ‘unlikely he’ll play again’

With the move, the Golden Knights save $8.8 million in salary cap space, a primary reason why they were able to sign winger Mitch Marner to an eight-year contract with a $12 million cap hit. However, this won’t just be the usual Vegas LTIR shenanigans like we’ve seen with captain Mark Stone, as according to McCrimmon, it’s unlikely that Pietrangelo will ever play again.

Pietrangelo and the Golden Knights released a statement on Monday announcing that the King City, Ontario product would be taking a step back from hockey. Pietrangelo was hesitant to mention any likelihood that he would return, and McCrimmon’s comments continue to back that up.

Pietrangelo has two years left on his current seven-year contract with an $8.8 million cap hit.

Pietrangelo didn’t miss too much hockey with the Golden Knights in 2024-25, as he had four goals and 29 assists for 33 points in 71 games in the regular season, and two goals and four assists for six points in 11 playoff games.

Pietrangelo did miss out on the 4 Nations Face-Off after being named to Team Canada’s roster, stating that he needed time off to recover from injuries, likely the same ones he’s dealing with now.

Should this be the end of Pietrangelo’s career, he finishes with 1,087 games played across 17 seasons in the NHL, 12 with the St. Louis Blues and five with the Golden Knights. Originally the fourth overall pick of the 2008 NHL Draft, he has 148 goals and 489 assists for 637 points in his career, and is tied for 42nd all-time in points by a defenseman.

Pietrangelo also potentially finishes with 15 goals and 65 assists for 80 points in 149 playoff games. He has two Stanley Cups in his career, one with the Blues in 2019 and one with the Golden Knights in 2023.