Trade Grades: Rangers acquire Pavel Dorofeyev from Vegas during NHL Draft
The New York Rangers entered Friday with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft — a small consolation prize after finishing last in the Eastern Conference with 77 points (34-39-9). But the Blueshirts’ biggest splash of the night came shortly after selecting Alberts Smits fifth overall..
In fact, moments after the San Jose Sharks took Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 overall, reports broke that Pavel Dorofeyev was headed to the Big Apple. Ultimately, the Rangers sent three picks, including two first-rounders, to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for the exciting 25-year-old winger.
Dorofeyev promptly signed a seven-year extension worth $11 million annually, locking up the pending restricted free agent through the 2032-33 season.
Vegas received picks No. 26 and No. 92 in this year’s draft, as well as a conditional first-round pick in 2028. New York will retain its 2028 first-rounder if it falls within the top 10.
Dorofeyev led the Golden Knights in goals for two straight seasons, notching 35 in 2024-25 and 37 in 2025-26. He proved a dangerous weapon on the power play, scoring 20 times on the man-advantage last season — the second-most in the NHL.
That scoring touch carried over into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He tallied 12 goals in 22 contests during Vegas’ run to the Cup Final, finishing two behind former Blueshirts forward Brett Howden for the NHL playoff lead.
Grading the Pavel Dorofeyev trade between Rangers and Golden Knights
New York Rangers: A
Dorofeyev checks virtually every box for a Rangers team in search of young talent and offensive game-changers. At the price it cost to acquire him, this was nothing short of a home-run for New York.
Skating and playmaking aren’t his specialty, but he makes up for that with an elite finishing touch. The Blueshirts need goal scoring, and few do it better than Dorofeyev. The Russian forward should provide an instant offensive boost and bolster a power play that was already potent, and ranked fifth-best last season, despite losing star defenseman Adam Fox for 27 games due to injury.
That alone makes him an attractive target. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he happens to be an incredibly effective two-way forward. Dorofeyev ranked in the 93rd percentile defensively last season, according to Evolving Hockey, and plays a sound game in his own zone.
It wouldn’t have come as a surprise if the Rangers needed to send their No. 5 overall pick to Vegas in order to acquire one of the game’s rising talents. Yet general manager Chris Drury managed to hold on to his top draft pick — and other valuable trade assets, like 32-year-old center Vincent Trocheck and 24-year-old defenseman Braden Schneider.
They were able to do so because this was a salary dump by a Vegas team squeezed by the cap, and still needing to sign free-agent defenseman Rasmus Andersson. Drury saw an opportunity, pounced, and capitalized.
The return for Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish later on Friday casts Drury’s work in an even more favorable light. The St. Louis Blues sent the No. 15 and No. 29 picks in this year’s draft to acquire McTavish, a former No. 3 overall pick who’s yet to establish himself as a true top-six talent. If that’s the going rate for an intriguing yet flawed reclamation project, New York should feel pretty good about what it gave up to land a bona-fide goal scorer.
That sentiment holds even after inking Dorofeyev to a lofty $11 million average annual value (AAV) extension. At first glance, it’s a steep price to pay for a winger with only two standout seasons in the NHL. But with the salary cap rising each year and star talent becoming increasingly scarce in free agency, there’s real incentive to lock up a young player whose best hockey should still be ahead of him.
That’s not to say there isn’t any risk. Dorofeyev certainly benefited from sharing a uniform with two elite playmakers in Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. The Rangers don’t have a single forward who can match their ability to move the puck. It’s worth wondering whether New York can maximize Dorofeyev’s talents as effectively as Vegas did.
And Dorofeyev isn’t a cure-all after a disastrous 2025-26 campaign. The Rangers weren’t one move away from reclaiming their status as Stanley Cup contenders. Drury has his work cut out for him, even after adding a needle-moving forward to the top six.
That doesn’t make the trade any less worthwhile, though. Dorofeyev fits New York’s timeline — whether that’s a rebuild or a retool. It’s a no-brainer.
Vegas Golden Knights: C+
Lack of leverage likely hurt Vegas in the long run.
The Golden Knights are already committed to several expensive long-term contracts — Eichel and Marner included. Mark Stone remains under contract for one more season with a $9.5 million cap hit. They simply couldn’t afford to offer Dorofeyev the $11 million AAV extension he received from the Rangers.
Vegas still has less than $5 million in projected cap space next season after the trade, according to PuckPedia. Dorofeyev was due for a major raise after earning $1.835 million annually over the past two seasons, and the Golden Knights weren’t positioned to give it to him.
Whereas the Ducks had cap space to keep McTavish but elected to move him anyway, the Golden Knights’ cap constraints forced their hand to some extent. Even still, it’s surprising to see Dorofeyev flipped for such an underwhelming package.
A pair of first-round picks isn’t anything to sneeze at, but New York comes away from this deal with a potential cornerstone piece and its top assets still in-house. Vegas must hope that New York’s malaise extends beyond 2028. Otherwise, it will be hard to recoup value through the draft.
