- The Rangers landed Pavel Dorofeyev from Vegas during the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft
- New York sent the 26th and 92nd overall picks plus a conditional 2028 first-rounder to the Golden Knights
- Read below for the full trade breakdown and what Dorofeyev brings to the Rangers
The New York Rangers pulled off one of the biggest moves of the 2026 NHL Draft on Thursday night, acquiring forward Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights.
New York Post reporter Mollie Walker was among the first to report the deal and its full terms:
Vegas receives the 26th and 92nd overall picks in the 2026 draft, plus a conditional 2028 first-round selection that is top-10 protected. The Rangers kept their No. 5 overall pick, which they used on Alberts Smits.
Dorofeyev, 25, turned himself into one of the league’s most dangerous goal scorers this past season. He posted career highs of 37 goals and 27 assists for 64 points in 82 games, and his 20 power play goals ranked second in the entire NHL.
The Russian winger did not slow down in the postseason. He racked up 12 goals and four assists through 22 playoff games as Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final before falling to Carolina.
GM Chris Drury announced the trade through the Rangers’ official channels shortly after it became public:
The Golden Knights confirmed the deal from their end as well:
Across five NHL seasons, all with Vegas, the Nizhny Tagil, Russia native compiled 92 goals and 57 assists for 149 points in 231 career games. Since the 2022-23 season, Dorofeyev ranked second among all Golden Knights skaters in goals and tied for fifth in points.
New York desperately needed to add a scorer this offseason after averaging just 2.86 goals per game during the regular season, which ranked 10th lowest across the league. Dorofeyev fills that gap with legitimate top-six upside and elite power play production.
The Rangers also signed Dorofeyev to a seven-year, $77 million extension shortly after completing the trade, locking him in at $11 million per year.
The price was steep, but Drury landed a 25-year-old coming off a career year with playoff production to match. Dorofeyev gives the Rangers the kind of pure goal-scoring threat they have not had since trading away their core pieces last season.
