The Vegas Golden Knights have officially announced three players' signings to the public and have proven that their ability to retain talent is elite.
Just now, the Vegas Golden Knights announced that they have extended three players: Raphael Lavoie, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Cole Schwindt.
The trio all played with the Golden Knights last year and combined for 64 total games played, 42 of which were played by Schwindt. Considering the depth role that these players all play, the Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon was smart to retain each of these talents, as if one player at the top of the lineup were to get hurt, one of these three could substitute in and play solid hockey.
Lavoie, a 24-year-old winger with 16 games of NHL experience, was originally a second-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2019. The 6'4' winger got into nine games last year with the Golden Knights and did not score a point, but played solid fourth-line hockey when called upon. In the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights, Lavoie was far more impactful, scoring 17 goals and 27 points in 42 games. As he continues to develop, he hopes to establish himself as an NHLer full-time within the next few seasons.
Rondbjerg was originally a draft pick of the Golden Knights in 2017 and has spent his entire career with the organization. The Danish forward has 76 games of NHL experience over the last four years and has scored 10 points along the way.
Finally, Cole Schwindt also signed a contract. Despite being only 24, Schwindt has already played on three NHL teams: the Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Calgary Flames. Schwindt was one of the players that went from Florida to Calgary in the Matthew Tkachuk trade back in 2022.
Now, the Knights have ensured that their depth players have all stayed around and will look to help the team on their way to another Stanley Cup.
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