Well, what a difference literally less than a day makes. I thought my Pavel Dorofeyev prediction aged poorly, with his trade to the Rangers coming just a few days after the first part of this series. However, the Golden Knights have now one-upped themselves, with Akira Schmid traded to the Florida Panthers literally 10 hours after I predicted he'd extend with Vegas. Best of luck, Schmiddy.
Anyways, this article isn't meant to analyze that trade, but instead to analyze the variety of AHL free agents we've got in our system at the moment. Time to see if any are worth making the cut! Given I'm not often able to watch/follow the AHL, this one may be a little more surface-level than the other two, but I'll try my best. I was also going to cover Carl Lindbom here, but he got an extension in late last night, so he's already de facto been addressed.
A semi-Original Misfit: Jonas Røndbjerg (UFA)
After years of RFA status and extensions, we come to this: 2017 third-rounder Jonas Røndbjerg, the sixth draft pick of the Golden Knights' inaugural class, is finally an unrestricted free agent. To be blunt, Røndbjerg isn't exactly great, having spent the vast majority of his Vegas tenure in the minors.
The most games he's played in a single season was 30, during our injury-ravaged 2021-22 season, and he's only had 80 total NHL games in his near-decade under contract. This year marked the fewest games he'd ever had since his NHL debut, getting just four games in between his call-up and his injury at the hands of Radko Gudas. Said injury caused him to miss the Olympics, which is a bummer.
All of the above said, nobody is too picky with AHL depth. Røndbjerg's been around Henderson for a long time now, is familiar with the coaching staff and management, and has hung on this long without being traded or disqualified as an RFA. It could go either way.
Prediction: Røndbjerg signs a league-minimum two-way deal to stick around in Henderson for at least another year or two.
A veteran center: Tanner Laczynski
Laczynski came to Vegas on a two-year deal in 2024, as one of the few entries amidst our wave of departures that offseason. He's been a solid fill-in when needed, with a goal and five assists in 18 games primarily on the fourth line. His three-point effort against the LA Kings was another fun footnote in this season—who would've thought he could do that? In addition, he's been nearly a point-per-game player in the AHL with Henderson, posting 64 points in 62 games this past year after 37 in 41 last season.
However, he's 29, and, unlike Jonas Røndbjerg, hasn't been in the organization too long. Given the various center prospects in our system, barring a surprise, I think Tanner's the latest in a line of short-term Knights a la Cal Burke or Tomas Jurco.
Prediction: Laczynski walks.
Young guns with potential: Raphaël Lavoie (UFA) and Lukas Cormier (RFA)
Unfortunately, given he's 25, has played less than 80 NHL games, and has more than three professional seasons under his belt, Lavoie is a Group 6 unrestricted free agent, rather than a restricted one. He hasn't exactly done a lot with Vegas proper, featuring in only ten total games since his merry-go-round of waiver claims in 2024. However, he was electric in the AHL this past season, posting 30 goals and 56 points in just 45 games, and adding another three in the playoffs. Given his age and lack of a true NHL shot, I think Vegas tries to hold on to him and see if he can convert those gaudy AHL numbers into NHL success.
Cormier, meanwhile, narrowly avoids Group 6 status by virtue of still being 24. The defenseman feels stuck to an extent; though his impressive QMJHL scoring generated hype, and his AHL scoring totals have been some of the best in that league, he still hasn't been able to crack Vegas' defensive corps.
His 47 points tied him with teammate Jeremy Davies for fourth among AHL defensemen this season. Still, his skill set also feels somewhat redundant with the likes of Shea Theodore and (possibly) Rasmus Andersson on the roster. That said, he was issued a qualifying offer today, so barring something unexpected, he should be in Henderson next season. Then again, so was Akira Schmid, so who knows.
Prediction: Lavoie signs for near-league minimum on a two-year deal, while Cormier signs his QO.
Pure depth: Jakub Brabenec, Jakub Demek, and Joe Fleming (all RFAs)
Not a lot to write about here, honestly. All three were issued qualifying offers, though Brabenec has already signed in Czechia, so he's unlikely to actually sign his QO.
Demek had an unremarkably rookie season, posting 16 points in 55 AHL games, before showing some promise in jumping to 19 in 31 the following year. However, he's heavily struggled with injuries, having missed a chunk of last season and all but four games of this season. Hopefully, his QO gives him a shot at bouncing back.
Fleming, meanwhile, is chaos embodied. Originally signed as a defenseman, he converted to forward this past year, and said conversion successfully graduated him from ECHL Tahoe to AHL Henderson. He's pretty much a pure grinder; even with said promotion, he posted just 14 points in 60 games, with his 158 penalty minutes being the more impressive thing. He was a fan favorite last preseason, and while I doubt he ever makes the NHL, he seems fun to have around.
Prediction: Demek and Fleming sign their QOs, while Brabenec's flutters away a la Ivan Morozov.
Add us as a preferred source on Google