So, remember when the Vegas Golden Knights traded Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers during the summer? The premise was that seven years for $11 million per year was a bit... excessive. Like, why would you pay that to a power play merchant who set the single-season team record?
Apparently, that's the case, as *surprise* Kelly McCrimmon looks like a genius... Once again. Dorofeyev only has one goal and two assists in seven games played, leading to some concern from Rangers fans. As for Golden Knights fans? Well, there are some somber feelings of missing the guy. But it's also a bit of, "Hey, our general manager knows what he's doing."
How long until #NYR Pavel Dorofeyev’s goal total is a problem?
— Matthew P. Mugno (@mugnoma) October 12, 2026
1-2-3 in 7 GP, top-sixer (17:01 AVG TOI), PP1, demoted to PP2 halfway through game No. 7.
NYR traded the 2026 R1.26 pick, 2026 R3 pick, and a conditional 2028 R1 (top-10 protected) for him and he’s on an 11x6 deal.
Now, there are a few caveats. For one, Dorofeyev is third-best on the Rangers for expected goals with 2.7, according to MoneyPuck. While he's not getting much in the high-danger department (0.61 high-danger xgoals, according to MoneyPuck), his main issue's that nothing is dropping.
Still, that has plenty of Rangers fans perked up for the wrong reasons. The Golden Knights received a nice haul for the Russian winger, consisting of three draft picks (two being in the first round). When you give up that kind of draft capital, you expect a solid return on your investment. So far, that's not coming in the Big Apple.
Moreover, McCrimmon seems to have found a solid replacement in Trevor Connelly. That's right, he happened to come across another young winger who can produce at a high clip. That rookie has more points than Dorofeyev (two goals and two assists), although that's by a mere point.
How Trevor Connelly is helping Kelly McCrimmon look like a genius after trading Pavel Dorofeyev
So, I popped some stats into Puck Savant to do a little more research on the topic. I wanted to see how well Connelly was doing compared to Dorofeyev. Well, it turns out that the rookie has surpassed the former Golden Knight in numerous facets (five-on-five situations).
Player | Individual Expected Goals | Goals Above Expected | Shooting Percentage | Goals Per 60 Minutes | Expected Goals Per 60 Minutes | Shots Per 60 Minutes | High-Danger Shots Per 60 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trevor Connelly | 1.37 | -0.37 | 8.3% | 1.03 | 1.41 | 12.37 | 1.03 |
Pavel Dorofeyev | 1.32 | -0.32 | 6.7% | 0.65 | 0.86 | 9.80 | 0.65 |
Only the goals above expected category favors Dorofeyev and that's not by much. What you see from the chart is a more aggressive Connelly taking charge and attacking the net far more than Dorofeyev is doing.
That's funny to say, considering that the Russian winger developed a reputation for attacking the net in Vegas. Last season, he had the second-most shots on goal at 250. But scoring on the power play? You'd be surprised to see that this favors Connelly, too.
Player | Individual Expected Goals | Goals Above Expected | Shooting Percentage | Goals Per 60 Minutes | Expected Goals Per 60 Minutes | Shots Per 60 Minutes | High-Danger Shots Per 60 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trevor Connelly | 0.62 | 0.38 | 33% | 3.92 | 2.43 | 11.76 | 3.92 |
Pavel Dorofeyev | 0.91 | -0.91 | 0% | 0.00 | 2.66 | 17.56 | 2.93 |
Look at the high-danger category for a second. That's what matters the most here. Suddenly, you have two notable threats in this spot: Tomas Hertl and Connelly. Dorofeyev could do his damage from afar. But it's the Golden Knights rookie who adds more near the slot.
What does this all mean for the Golden Knights moving forward?
For one, it's still early in the season. Golden Knights fans shouldn't look too far into this yet. As mentioned, shots haven't fallen for Dorofeyev to the point where he's simply been unlucky.
But you can't discount how McCrimmon handles wingers in terms of moving on. He showed Jonathan Marchessault the door after contract negotiations fell apart and the Misfit is still chasing 2023-24. Max Pacioretty was showing wear and tear, so he was shown the door.
The overall synopsis? Everything's going to be alright. Vegas always finds someone to step up and score goals and that's no different with the young Connelly on board. It's almost like McCrimmon has a crystal ball and he knows when to fold 'em.
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