The Vegas Golden Knights recently opened training camp for the 2025-26 season. At the end of the 2024-25 season, Alex Pietrangelo said he was stepping away from hockey to focus on his health. His latest comments suggest he may not be ready to fully hang up the skates yet.
“Nothing is really concrete. I'm just going to continue to take it day-by-day and see where it goes,” Pietrangelo said at training camp, according to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN. This was a slight departure from his previous comments made to the media in June. “The likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play.” Still, the defenseman said low possibility, and did not make a defensive retirement announcement at the time.
The injury is to his hip, and according to Golden Knights' GM Kelly McCrimmon, it “would require bilateral femur reconstruction, with no guarantee of success.” This means repairs would need to be done to both legs through surgery.
The impact of the Pietrangelo injury
Pietrangelo joined the club in the 2020-21 season and has been in the top rotation of the blue line. He has amassed 33 or more points in each of the last four seasons, while also averaging over 30 assists. Further, he is one of the best defenders in the NHL. He led the Golden Knights to be ranked third in the league in goals against per game.
There is also a major impact off the ice. Pietrangelo has a salary cap hit of $8.8 million this year. The Golden Knights are currently $7.6 million over the salary cap. If Pietrangelo is going to miss the entire season, then the team can go over the cap by $8.8 million, which keeps them salary cap compliant. If there is the possibility he could return during the season, the team can exceed the cap by just $3.8 million. This means if Pietrangelo might return this year, the Golden Knights will need to make moves to get under the salary cap.
Either way, Pietrangelo has been a major face of the Golden Knights franchise. His getting back on the ice would be great for the fans.
