The beginning of the free agency period often makes it clear what vision teams around the NHL are trying to put together for themselves.
For the Vegas Golden Knights, that vision is coming together in the form of an overhaul to their depth.
In the early hours of free agency officially opening on July 1, the Golden Knights were struck with two bottom-six forwards changing addresses for the upcoming season. Colton Sissons was first to head off to the Toronto Maple Leafs on a two-year deal worth $4.25 million annually. Cole Smith would follow soon after, as the trade deadline acquisition parlayed Vegas’ Stanley Cup Finals run into a three-year deal with the Chicago Blackhawks with an annual cap hit of $3 million.
Then, the Golden Knights completed a trade with the Detroit Red Wings that saw fourth-line mainstay Keegan Kolesar head off to Hockeytown in exchange for a third-round pick in 2029 and a seventh-round pick in 2027.
Now, Vegas has an extra $2.5 million opened up on their books and a forward group now riddled with holes in the bottom of the lineup. With that in mind, what options do the Golden Knights reasonably have right now?
There was a slight bit of clarity in the chaos, as it was confirmed first by TSN’s Darren Dreger that forward Victor Olofsson was expected to return to Vegas, although the terms of the agreement are still yet to be reported. Splitting last season between the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames, Olofsson recorded 13 goals and 31 points in 79 games played. Now, the Swedish forward is on his way back to Sin City, where he potted 15 goals in 56 games for the Golden Knights in the 2024-25 season.
After that, the picture becomes somewhat murkier. Tanner Laczynski is returning to Vegas on a three-year extension worth $900,000 annually, where he will serve as another depth forward option alongside recently re-signed Jonas Rondbjerg. Pathways to the NHL are also now open for prospects such as Trevor Connelly and Braedan Bowman, both of whom are expected to compete for roster spots this offseason.
The added cap space also creates more opportunities for Vegas to look into the possibility of a trade, in the same vein as Tuesday’s trade that saw defenseman Kaedan Korczak get sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Parker Wotherspoon. It remains to be seen what will happen to other Golden Knights currently residing in trade rumors such as Tomas Hertl and Adin Hill, but Vegas is putting themselves into a position to either gain cap flexibility or attempt to make a push for a top trade option such as forward Dylan Larkin or goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
There has already been an incredible amount of movement within the Golden Knights organization over the past week or so, and every move made so far suggests the roster churn is not quite finished.