Everyone knows that Kelly McCrimmon loves a big move or two. The Vegas Golden Knights general manager isn't afraid to swing a big deal to make the team better, whether it's Mitch Marner or Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames.
Well, the Golden Knights general manager got some great news on the salary cap front. The salary cup numbers for 2026-27 came in and everything is coming up Vegas.
NHL officially informs teams of the 2026-27 Salary cap and payroll range:
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 6, 2026
Floor: $76.9M
Midpoint: $90.4M
Ceiling: $104M
Maximum salary: $20.8M
Cue the 31 other teams crying "salary cap circumvention" because this looks good for the Golden Knights.
The news opens up close to $14 million in cap space with Alex Pietrangelo's hypothetical move to season-ending LTIR. In turn, the Golden Knights can actually make a few moves to benefit the roster. Who knew that the heavens would open up for Vegas when they needed it?
What's more is that this helps two specific players about to hit the free agent market. The Golden Knights would love nothing more than to keep the pair around for the long term and they have a golden opportunity to do so. Of course, this should come as no surprise, considering that both players are extremely important to the team's operations...
1.) Pavel Dorofeyev
Dorofeyev showed tremendous value in the first round against the Utah Mammoth, scoring four goals. The series was seen as an emergence of sorts, establishing himself as a key piece on the Golden Knights' attack. Most of all, he set the single-season franchise record for the most power play goals in 2025-26 (20).
Therefore, the latest cap news will benefit the Russian winger immensely. With Pietrangelo potentially added to the season-ending LTIR space, it'll give Dorofeyev plenty of wiggle room in negotiations. Now, his price tag isn't seen as too gaudy for the Golden Knights, putting McCrimmon in a better space.
On top of that, it leaves more room for depth pieces to be signed. Now, the Golden Knights can address problematic areas and add to their roster with cheaper players. It's a win-win for Vegas as they look to keep their Stanley Cup contention window open, satisfying both parties.
2.) Rasmus Andersson
On that note, the Golden Knights also have room for a friendlier deal for Andersson himself. When Vegas acquired the Swedish Olympian from the Calgary Flames, the intent was to get him a contract extension.
The biggest concern was Dorofeyev's rising play and Andersson's struggles. What was the team going to do with the former Flame if he didn't pan out? Would he not get his wish of sticking around in Sin City?
Well, that's less of a possibility. Now, the Golden Knights can structure a friendly deal for both sides, giving McCrimmon some leeway in a contract extension. Vegas could use a good puck-moving defenseman for the current window and Andersson provides that.
Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising to see both sides work out a deal. Everyone knows that Kelly McCrimmon is the master of creating cap space, specifically to get key players locked up for the long term. That should be the case here for Andersson, who wants to stick around for a while.
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