On Friday night at the NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo, the New York Rangers pulled off a draft-night jolt, landing Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights in a splashy deal. New York sent the No. 26 pick, the No. 92 pick and a 2028 first-rounder that is top-10 protected to Vegas for the 25-year-old winger, who led the Golden Knights in goals this season.
Draft-night deal
The league confirmed the transaction Friday. According to NHL.com, Vegas received New York's 26th overall and 92nd overall picks in 2026, plus a conditional 2028 first-round pick that is top-10 protected. NHL.com notes Dorofeyev set career highs with 37 goals, 27 assists and 64 points in 82 games, then added 16 points (12 goals) in 22 playoff games as Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final.
What Dorofeyev brings
Scouts and league insiders have tagged Dorofeyev as a high-volume shooter who gets to the front of the net and buries chances, traits that project to an immediate top-six role in New York, per Bleacher Report. The price, a late first, a third and a protected future first, shapes up as relatively modest for a winger coming off consecutive 30-plus goal seasons, although it still represents real draft capital spent on present-day scoring.
What it means for the Rangers
For a Rangers team that missed the playoffs again last season, bringing in Dorofeyev signals a push to reload the top six without sacrificing the No. 5 pick they still held on draft night, the New York Post reports. Dorofeyev is set to become a restricted free agent on July 1, which means New York now has to juggle an expected contract bump with the rest of its summer roster priorities.
In the short term, the move gives the coaching staff a proven finisher who can slot into established lines and juice the power play. Longer term, the Rangers will spend the summer working through negotiations and cap math. For now, one of the draft's biggest late-night surprises is clear: Pavel Dorofeyev is headed to Broadway blue.
