Rangers get: Left winger Pavel Dorofeyev

Golden Knights get: 2026 first-round pick (No. 26), 2026 third-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick (top 10 protected)

Mark Lazerus: We can debate all day long about whether the New York Rangers should have gone big-game hunting this offseason or attempted a more methodical, long-term restructuring of a team that’s going nowhere slowly. In the past year, they shipped out aging stars Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, and Vincent Trocheck very well could be next.

But the fact is, Chris Drury wanted to make a big addition to expedite the process and cushion the blow of losing so much scoring talent. And getting Dorofeyev without having to give up the fifth pick in this year’s draft is an unequivocal victory. Dorofeyev priced himself out of Vegas with back-to-back 35-goal seasons and a stellar 12-goal postseason run this spring. He’s a pure sniper, a power-play specialist who can pick a corner from just about anywhere on the ice. And he still fits a retool/rebuild timeline at just 25 years old. There are concerns here — Dorofeyev has never proven to be a play-driver and he’s not the quickest skater. And in New York, he’ll have to be the primary point-producer as opposed to in Vegas; he had the benefit of sharing the load with (and taking the passes from) the likes of Mitch Marner, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone.

But for this price? It’s an absolute no-brainer for the Rangers. The No. 26 pick is a dart throw, and the 2028 first-rounder is a million years away in New York terms. To have that 2028 pick be top-10 protected makes it even easier to swallow, given the very real possibility the team is still pretty lousy by then. The contract is steep, but that’s the going rate for star players, and Dorofeyev is an excellent one to build around.

For Vegas, one of the few teams left in a true cap crunch in this rising-cap era, it’s the cost of doing business. Vegas is not a sentimental franchise, and Golden Knights fans, in their short time, have grown callused to the ruthlessness that comes with going for it every single year. But it’s still a bitter pill. Dorofeyev was one of the franchise’s first drafted, home-grown stars, a third-round pick who turned into an elite scorer. Now armed with a first-round pick in this year’s draft, and a second first-rounder in 2028, the Golden Knights surely will find a way to convert them into another win-now player — either this weekend or at next year’s trade deadline.

Rangers grade: A–
Golden Knights grade: C

Shayna Goldman: Every summer, it’s only a matter of time before the Golden Knights send cap out to balance the books and make everything fit. This year, it surprisingly starts with Dorofeyev.

That next contract was always going to be risky because Dorofeyev’s not the most well-rounded offensive threat. He isn’t a play-driver and doesn’t get a ton of puck touches on a nightly basis. Then again, those puck touches tend to be his shots, which is incredibly effective. Talented goal scorers of Dorofeyev’s caliber don’t grow on trees.

It’s just whether that was worth the $11 million extension he is about to sign in New York. It’s above what AFP Analytics and Evolving-Hockey projected for him, but it’s actually in line with his projected market value over the next seven seasons.

There’s reason to think it’s worth it because if any team knows how to get the best out of Dorofeyev, it’s Vegas — a team with two-way talent and elite passers who can constantly tee him up to do some damage. Instead, the Golden Knights are selling high after his breakout in the playoffs.

Draft picks are generally just considered to be trade capital for Vegas, so it’ll be fascinating to see what this team does with them, and whether it can bring back another goal scorer who either brings more to the table or comes with cost certainty. It would be really surprising to see the Golden Knights just use these picks as they’re intended, so for now, things feel incomplete.

On paper, the price of two firsts, plus, may seem counterintuitive for the Rangers. But late firsts aren’t guaranteed needle-movers. So flipping those picks, after drafting No.5 tonight, for a 25-year-old makes sense for a team that’s retooling (and not rebuilding).

There are some potential drawbacks here. The skating is one concern because New York needs more footspeed and pace. Then there’s the question of whether the Rangers can help Dorofeyev play to his strengths like the Golden Knights did because the foundation isn’t nearly as strong. If they can — and it’s a big if, considering how things have gone these last few years — it’s a great fit because New York craves a player with Dorofeyev’s goal-scoring ability.

The Rangers’ scoring fell below expectations at five-on-five this year, and in each of the last two years on the power play. Chris Kreider was never adequately replaced and Mika Zibanejad has shifted toward more of a playmaking role in recent seasons. So while there’s risk, in Dorofeyev’s game, especially at $11 million, this is the type of player the Rangers should be adding if they’re serious about turning things around in the next year. But that’s the going rate for top-line talent in today’s NHL — it’s better to invest it in a 25-year-old, versus a player nearing 30 in free agency.

Rangers grade: A–
Golden Knights: C+