- Vegas signed 2026 first-round pick Juho Piiparinen to a three-year entry-level contract
- The 17-year-old Finnish defenseman is one of just two first-rounders the Knights have never traded away
- Read below for the contract terms and why Piiparinen stays overseas next season
The Golden Knights don’t usually hold onto their first-round picks. Juho Piiparinen is the exception.
Vegas signed the 17-year-old defenseman to a three-year, entry-level contract on Wednesday, the team announced. Piiparinen went 29th overall at the 2026 Draft, and now he’s under a Golden Knights deal.
Vegas has made seven first-round picks in franchise history and traded every single one away for immediate help. The only two still in the system are Trevor Connelly and now Piiparinen. For a team that treats draft capital like poker chips, keeping a first-rounder around counts as news.
The deal climbs from $922.5K in year one to just over $1 million in year three, with signing bonuses on top and an $87.5K salary if he ends up in the AHL.
Piiparinen isn’t coming over right away. The Lahti, Finland native spent last season with Tappara in the Liiga, where he picked up three assists in 29 games with a plus-6 rating as an underage player. He’s expected to stay there for another year of development in 2026-27.
His offense pops more against his own age group. He put up a goal and 13 points in 15 games in the U20 league and added two assists across 14 playoff contests, then suited up for Finland at the World Juniors. Scouts peg him as a puck-mover who’s at his best breaking the play out of his own zone rather than running a power play from the point.
He’s one of several 2026 first-rounders inking their first pro deals this week. Vegas gave fans a longer look at its pick earlier this month:
Whether Piiparinen ever plays a game in Vegas is a fair question given the front office’s history. He’s signed and developing overseas, and for once the Golden Knights held onto the guy they drafted.
