The Vegas Golden Knights have traded defenseman Kaedan Korczak to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, the team announced Tuesday.
As part of the deal, the Penguins are retaining 50 percent of the final year of Wotherspoon’s two-year contract, which carries an average annual value of $1 million, leaving him with a cap hit of just $500,000.
The move allows Vegas to clear $2.75 million of cap space.
Wotherspoon is a solid left-handed, stay-at-home defenseman coming off a very solid year with the Penguins and is a cheaper alternative for Vegas’ third pair.
Wotherspoon, 28, will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2026-27 campaign.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound rearguard recorded three goals and 30 points with a plus-17 rating while averaging 20:10 with Pittsburgh last season, adding one assist while averaging 22:06 in Pittsburgh’s six-game playoff series against Philadelphia.
Korczak, originally drafted by Vegas in the second round (No. 41 overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft, is a few years younger at 25 and is coming off his first full NHL season.
He recorded three goals and 16 points with a plus-six rating while averaging 15:58 in 78 games in the regular season before playing in 13 of Vegas’ 22 postseason games, recording three assists while averaging 12:05 under head coach John Tortorella.
Korczak’s four-year contract with an AAV of $3.25 million, which he signed in July 2025, is set to kick in this fall.
Vegas currently has $7.375 million of cap space available, with Alex Pietrangelo’s contract likely to clear an additional $8.8 million once he is designated for season-ending long-term injured reserve.
There has been some speculation that the 36-year-old might try to return (stemming primarily from a June 14 ESPN staff article), but nothing has been substantiated. If Pietrangelo is unable to return, Vegas technically will have roughly $16.2 million of cap space.
But assuming newly-installed head coach Ryan Craig sticks with Henderson standout Braeden Bowman (who played admirably in 54 games with Vegas last year), Bowman’s $912,500 cap hit will leave the Golden Knights with roughly $15.3 million in cap space.
With free agency set to open at 9 a.m. PT on July 1, the Golden Knights have 10 forwards (including Bowman), four defensemen and two goalies signed.
Vegas’ unrestricted free agents set to hit the open market include forwards Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad, Colton Sissons and Cole Smith as well as defensemen Rasmus Andersson, Jeremy Lauzon, Dylan Coghlan and Ben Hutton.
However, Vegas is expected to sign Andersson to an extension in the $7-9 million range.
Photo courtesy of the Golden Knights