Jun 9, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) skates against Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) and defenseman K’andre Miller (19) during the 3rd period in game four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
The New York Rangers made the biggest pre-draft splash in the NHL by shipping a 2026 first-round pick (No. 25) and third-rounder, along with a 2028 conditional first-rounder, to the Vegas Golden Knights for winger Pavel Dorofeyev.
With it, the Blueshirts inked the 25-year-old to a seven-year deal worth an AAV of $11 million, ensuring that he stays on 34th St. for the long haul.
Dorofeyev appears to be on track to become an elite scorer in the NHL. He has only played two full seasons and has scored 35 and 37 goals apiece in them. He fills the high-production gap — albeit more from a goal-scoring standpoint rather than all-around playmaking — left by the jettisoning of Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings at the trade deadline.
This is the kind of talent that any rebuilding team would want to center the future around, and to do so without giving up their No. 5 overall pick at the draft on Friday night, which they used to select German defenseman Alberts Smits, is a significant win.
Yet there does appear to be a tinge of short-sightedness here from general manager Chris Drury.
The Rangers were among the worst teams in the Eastern Conference last season, and a roster filled with holes is now expending significant assets for just one talent. First-round picks are gold for teams in Drury’s situation, especially with a farm system that has been remarkably thin. But then there is finally moving out of Panarin’s 7-year, $81.5 million contract just to get under another nearly-identical deal.
They currently have a projected $15 million in cap space, and could potentially recoup some of that draft capital back should they find a suitor for Vincent Trocheck. But their defense remains suspect, and their forward depth down the middle also needs a boost.
More reinforcements are needed, specifically for Dorofeyev. It remains to be seen if he can single-handedly carry most of the load for an NHL-level offense because he was working next to superstar center Jack Eichel in Vegas. The Rangers do not have anyone near that caliber to center next to their new winger, at least yet.
For more on Pavel Dorofeyev and the Rangers, visit AMNY.com
