Kaedan Korczak was set to be a free agent after the 2025-26 season. That would've been a shame considering he earned his defenseman spot in the lineup. Scoring 10 assists in 40 games will raise some eyebrows in the organization, after all.
That's why the Vegas Golden Knights agreed to a four-year deal worth $3.25 million AAV. The 24-year-old will become a free agent in 2030, making him a lineup staple in Las Vegas.
Jeremy Davies was also given a two-year bump. The journeyman defenseman has played 23 career games, scoring three assists with the Nashville Predators and the Buffalo Sabres.
Vegas has had a busy offseason with its blue line being completely reinvented. First, Alex Pietrangelo took a step back from hockey after announcing he needed numerous surgeries. Then, Nicolas Hague was traded to the Nashville Predators, reuniting with Jonathan Marchessault to watch some SEC football.
Kaedan Korczak earned his cut with the Golden Knights
The move is a promising deal for the young blue liner, who had a solid campaign with the Henderson Silver Knights in 2023-24. Here, he scored a goal and eight assists in 26 games, providing offense for an anemic Silver Knights team. He also had a stint with the Golden Knights that year, where he scored... one goal and eight assists in 26 games.
Some things were meant to be, such as literally matching the goals and assists totals for your AHL and NHL clubs in one year. But there's more to the extension than showing you're a viable two-way forward. Korczak loves engaging with opposing attackers, making them work for their cuts and movements. It's the type of defensive play the Golden Knights need after losing two of their best defenders from the past three seasons.
It also shows that McCrimmon has faith in the 24-year-old. He's given the chance to prove he's capable of handling a larger workload, which shouldn't be a problem.
Now? Korczak's ready to jump into the lineup and make that happen. He'll give superstars like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews fits, making them work for their passes and shots at every juncture. But having a nice payday with that is also nice.