The Vegas Golden Knights have signed forward Pavel Dorofeyev to a one-year deal with an AAV of $825,000, the team announced Wednesday.
The former 2019 third-round pick (No. 79 overall) played in 18 games for the Golden Knights during the 2022-23 season, recording seven goals and nine points in a 10-game stretch from March 12 through April 3.
After missing several months with an injury, Dorofeyev scored a memorable first career NHL goal in his return to the lineup March 12 against St. Louis and collected four goals and six points in his first five games back.
Pavel Dorofeyev with the header for his first NHL goal ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/3lNK8XgCKb
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 13, 2023
The 22-year-old recorded three multi-point efforts and played in 15 of the final 16 games of the regular season. Though he did not suit up during Vegas’ Stanley Cup run, he played a key role in helping the Golden Knights secure home-ice advantage throughout the postseason.
Dorofeyev demonstrated an impressive level of skill and was dynamic and productive. Given his success in a limited stint, he’ll likely compete for a top-nine role after the offseason departure of Reilly Smith, who was shipped to Pittsburgh June 28.
Jillian Wagner
Dorofeyev scored nine goals and 17 points in 32 games with the AHL Henderson Silver Knights this season after leading the club in goals (27) and points (52) in 2021-22.
His three-year contract (AAV: $925,000) expired at the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign. Dorofeyev was a restricted free agent and one of three players – along with Brett Howden and Jiri Patera – to receive a qualifying offer from Vegas, though Dorofeyev did not file for salary arbitration.
Howden and the Golden Knights avoided arbitration by agreeing to a two-year, $3.8 million extension, also announced Wednesday.
Tom Urtz Jr.
Patera signed a one-year, $775,000 deal on July 2.
The Golden Knights also extended Ivan Barbashev (five years, AAV: $5 million), Adin Hill (two years, AAV: $4.9 million) and Brayden Pachal (two years, AAV: $775,000).
The Golden Knights have now re-signed every free agent on the roster. With Robin Lehner’s $5 million cap hit expected to go on long-term injured reserve, Vegas will have an estimated $850,000 in cap space, according to Cap Friendly. As it stands now, the Golden Knights are approximately $4.2 million over the cap, though teams are allowed to spend 10 percent above the cap ceiling in the offseason.