When Pavel Dorofeyev scored 13 goals and 11 assists in 2023-24, Vegas Golden Knights fans were shocked. They saw an emerging player come from the shadows like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle and save the day. It also made life much easier regarding a certain Misfit. No longer are you saddled with a middling player until he's 38!
But there was a different kind of pressure on Dorofeyev. Now, he had to deliver. The 24-year-old got a promotion to the second line and was playing with prominent figures like Tomas Hertl.
That's right. There's no looking back. Now's the time to prove you're worth keeping in the top-six forward group for years to come. Either put up or shut up, as the old expression goes.
Would our beloved hero put up as he was intended to do? Or would he falter under the bright lights? Well...
...It's an interesting tale of sorts. It was a story of two different seasons. One was an incredible run where he nearly broke a franchise record. The other was marred with injuries and an absence on the power play. Can you guess which one was which?
Breaking down the 2024-25 season for Pavel Dorofeyev
First, Pavel Dorofeyev was an absolute unit on the power play. He scored 13 goals and led the group to the second-best mark in the league (28.3%).
It turns out that having a left-handed shot on the power play paid dividends for the Golden Knights. How were opposing teams going to account for a blistering shot from the other side? On top of that, how were they going to tackle Hertl in the slot?
The dynamic duo unleashed a new side of the power play never seen in Las Vegas. That franchise-best mark of 22% in 2019-20? Shattered.
Part of that comes from the Russian winger. He faced a raging bull known as the mediocre Golden Knights' power play, grabbed it by the horns, and tamed it. Nobody's ever done that until Dorofeyev and Hertl came in and reinvented the game.
Grading Dorofeyev's season with the Golden Knights
While his regular season was excellent, the winger wasn't present during the second round. No points. No goals. No assists. But does it matter in the grand scheme?
Dorofeyev didn't show up for the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, scoring one goal and one assist on the power play. That didn't help the lack of forward production for the Golden Knights, as it eliminated them in the second round.
However, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here. Why? First, it was his first true foray into the playoffs. Second, he dealt with an injury that kept him out for a chunk of the second round.
All is forgiven for now as Dorofeyev gets an A-. He reinvented the power play alongside Hertl and led the team in goals scored. That's good enough to earn a high grade, especially for a 24-year-old. Here's hoping he can build off that momentum and break the single-season goals record next season!