The Vegas Golden Knights have traded forward Keegan Kolesar to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for two draft picks, according to a report by TSN’s Darren Dreger.
In exchange for Kolesar, Vegas will receive a 2029 third-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
Kolesar has two years remaining on his contract, which carries an average annual value of $2.5 million.
The move gives Vegas a little more cap space after the club signed defensemen Rasmus Andersson and Jeremy Lauzon to seven- and six-year contracts, respectively.
Kolesar has played his entire NHL career with the Golden Knights after being drafted by Columbus in the third round (No. 69 overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft.
The Golden Knights originally acquired the 29-year-old from Columbus in exchange for a 2017 second-round pick, which they received from Tampa Bay in the Nikita Gusev expansion-draft deal.
Kolesar made his NHL debut in the 2019-20 campaign and has been a full-time member of the Golden Knights for the last five seasons. He wraps up his Vegas career with 44 goals and 120 points in 439 regular-season games as well as four goals and 11 points in 77 playoff games, including one in Vegas’ recent 22-game run.
The 6-foot-2, 216-pound winger was a member of the Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup team in 2023, finishing that postseason with two goals and five points in 22 games.
The Golden Knights are currently around $7.638 million over the salary cap. However, they should be cap compliant once Alex Pietrangelo’s $8.8 million cap hit is designated for season-ending long-term injured reserve.
Golden Knights make a flurry of moves but lose Sissons and Smith
Victor Olofsson
The Golden Knights have signed forward Victor Olofsson to a one-year contract with an AAV of $1.638 million, according to Puck Pedia.
This will be Olofsson’s second stint with the Golden Knights after the 30-year-old scored 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games with Vegas back in 2024-25.
Olofsson split his time last season between the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames, scoring a total of 13 goals and 31 points in 78 combined games.
He gives Vegas more flexibility up front and should help replace some of Pavel Dorofeyev’s production, especially on the power play, as he found similar (albeit on a much smaller scale) success with his one-timer from the right side of the net.
Dylan Coghlan
The Golden Knights also signed defenseman Dylan Coghlan to a two-year deal with an AAV of $875,000, according to TSN’s Chris Johnston.
Coghlan’s one-year contract (signed last year on July 1) expired earlier this morning, but he will remain with the Golden Knights for the 2026-27 season.
This will be chapter three of Coghlan’s second stint with Vegas after he was shipped to Carolina as part of the Max Pacioretty trade in 2022.
Coghlan played just three games for the Golden Knights this past season but appeared in 13 of 22 postseason games, finishing the playoffs with one goal and three points while averaging 14:14 of ice time per game.
However, he was quite productive during his time with the AHL Henderson Silver Knights last year, potting 14 goals and 44 points in 62 games.
Tanner Laczynski
The Golden Knights also agreed to terms with Tanner Laczynski on a three-year contract carrying an AAV of $900,000.
Laczysnki tallied five assists in 10 games with Vegas last year but had a prolific season in Henderson, recording 22 goals and 64 points in 62 games.
Jonas Rondbjerg
Further, reports indictate that the Golden Knights are planning to sign forward Jonas Rondbjerg to a one-year contract.
Rondbjerg played four games with Vegas this past season, tallying one assist.
Like Coghlan and Laczynski, though, Rondbjerg was more of an offensive contributor in his time in the AHL, scoring 13 goals and 26 points in 43 games.
Originally a third-round selection by Vegas in 2017, Rondbjerg has three goals and 11 points in 80 career NHL games, all with Vegas.
He was named to Team Denmark’s roster for the Olympics, but an injury kept him out of the tournament.
Colton Sissons, Cole Smith sign elsewhere
Unrestricted free-agent forwards Cole Smith and Colton Sissons have moved on from Vegas, however.
Smith signed a three-year deal with Chicago that carries an AAV of $3 million, while Sissons inked a two-year deal with Toronto for $8.5 million (AAV: $4.25 million).
Photo courtesy of the Golden Knights