We’ll find out soon how busy the Vegas Golden Knights will be when free agency opens Wednesday.
Gears are turning after Pavel Dorofeyev was traded to New York on Friday. A sign of bigger things to come? To be determined.
Dorofeyev’s exit creates a need for a goal scorer, but not one that would break the bank like the 25-year-old will with the Rangers.
The Knights could promote from within to replace Dorofeyev. Braeden Bowman will challenge for an everyday roster spot. Trevor Connelly will push for a job, as well.
Defenseman will also need to be addressed if Jeremy Lauzon isn’t brought back. The Knights will need to look elsewhere for a third-pairing, physical presence.
There will be options when the market opens at 9 a.m. Wednesday, and you know the Knights will have irons in the fire to some degree.
Here are some names to keep in mind:
Patrik Laine
■ Age: 28
■ Position: Right wing
■ 2025-26 season: 1 assist in five games
■ Career stats: 224 goals, 422 points
■ Cap hit: $8.7 million
The ultimate low-risk, high-reward situation.
Laine checks the boxes of what the Knights need. When healthy, he’s one of the best pure shooters in the league as a former 40-goal scorer.
His 85 power-play goals are 17th-most since he entered the league in 2016 as the No. 2 pick. He had 20 goals in 52 games with the Montreal Canadiens two years ago. Fifteen of those came on the power play.
Injuries have plagued Laine the last few years, though. He missed almost all of last season with major core-muscle surgery.
Laine said after the season that he’s healthy. If that’s the case, the Knights could take a chance on him. He doesn’t need to be a top-six guy. He won’t break the bank, and he immediately goes on the top power-play unit. Problems slightly solved.
Patrick Kane
■ Age: 37
■ Position: Right wing
■ 2025-26 season: 57 points in 67 games
■ Career stats: 508 goals, 1,400 points
■ Cap hit: $3 million
The three-time Stanley Cup champion would probably like to make a run at one more title.
Kane, the longtime Chicago Blackhawks star, spent the last three years in Detroit. With the Red Wings missing the playoffs again, and captain Dylan Larkin requesting a trade, Kane may prioritize winning as he hits the twilight of his career.
Kane is a Buffalo native, so it would be poetic to see him land with the Sabres after their first playoff appearance in 15 years. Maybe that changes following Alex Tuch’s trade to Washington on Wednesday.
A team that was two wins from a championship in need of depth scoring. What better than one of the best scorers of this generation?
Oliver Bjorkstrand
■ Age: 31
■ Position: Right wing
■ 2025-26 season: 12 goals, 32 points
■ Career stats: 184 goals, 416 points
■ Cap hit: $5.4 million
It should be an interesting market for Bjorkstrand.
The Danish winger is a two-time 50-point player and a six-time 20-goal scorer. It seems forever ago when he hit that mark for three straight years with the Seattle Kraken.
Following a 32-point season with Tampa Bay and a point-less first round, Bjorkstrand might see offers coming in less than the $5.4 million he made last year.
He’s more of a playmaker, but he’s also a power-play option. Nine of his 12 goals last year came on the man advantage.
Jamie Oleksiak
■ Age: 33
■ Position: Defenseman
■ 2025-26 season: 5 goals, 15 points, plus-9
■ Career stats: 161 points, 758 games
■ Cap hit: $4.6 million
The market for stay-at-home defensemen will be something to monitor.
Oleksiak will be a coveted name as a bottom-pair player.
Oleksiak has seen ice time dip during his time in Seattle. He averaged 16:56 in 78 games with the Kraken, who continue to be sitting in mediocrity at the moment.
If the Knights need a change on the third pairing with Lauzon expected to hit the market, Oleksiak could be an option to play on the opposite side of Kaedan Korczak.
He’s also 6 feet 7 inches and 252 pounds. They don’t call him “Big Rig” for nothing.
Trevor van Riemsdyk
■ Age: 34
■ Position: Defenseman
■ 2025-26 season: 3 goals, 14 points, plus-6
■ Career stats: 161 points, 751 games
■ Cap hit: $3 million
Once upon a time, the Knights picked van Riemsdyk in the 2017 expansion draft from Chicago. He was traded the next day to Carolina for a second-round pick.
Maybe an odd full-circle moment? Van Riemsdyk has spent the last six years with the Washington Capitals and has been a steady presence on their blue line.
He has missed only 43 games the last five years, so he’s proven durable. And adding a former Stanley Cup champion may not hurt.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
