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The Vegas Golden Knights had a disappointing postseason exit in 2025. Vegas felt as if it could contend for the Stanley Cup once again. And they eliminated the Minnesota Wild to move past the first round after a one-and-done postseason run last summer. However, they fell flat against the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, leaving the Golden Knights to prepare for NHL Free Agency earlier than they wanted.
Vegas is a very prideful organization, which makes sense given their short history. The Golden Knights have not even made it to their 10th season on the ice in the NHL. And yet, they already have two appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, and of course, a Stanley Cup as well.
In the last two seasons, though, they've fallen well short of their ultimate goal. Vegas expects to compete for the Stanley Cup every single season. They have made the conference finals, or the equivalent round, in four of their seven postseason runs. The last time Vegas didn't make the conference finals prior to 2023 was 2022, when they missed the playoffs for the first and only time in history to date.
The overall point here is that the Golden Knights do not want to fall short again. And their one significant move in NHL Free Agency may ensure they don't. Vegas signed Mitch Marner to an eight-year contract this summer. He joined on a sign-and-trade agreement with the Toronto Maple Leafs that sent Nicolas Roy to Toronto.
Marner was an easy move for this team to make. However, what other moves should this team have made? Let's take a look at one move the Golden Knights should have made during the 2025 NHL offseason.
Golden Knights did not replace Alex Pietrangelo this offseason
This summer has not been all sunshine and rainbows for the Golden Knights. They received some unfortunate news regarding future Hall of Fame defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. The veteran rearguard is dealing with a significant injury. And it's an injury that could very well end his career.
“The past few years have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health,” said Pietrangelo in a statement, via VegasGoldenKnights.com. “After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it’s been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life.”
This leaves a huge hole on the right side of the Vegas defense. Zac Whitecloud is slated to fill in as the second-pairing right defenseman. He certainly could become a solid top-four option. However, he may be better suited for a third-pairing role in the long run.
The Golden Knights have tried to patch this hole, to be fair. Vegas has reportedly engaged the Calgary Flames in trade talks for Rasmus Andersson. Andersson is a legitimate top-pairing defenseman who would represent a huge acquisition for this blueline. However, he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this upcoming season.
As a result, it may be worth it for Vegas to see if they can sign him on the market. Moreover, they could swing a smaller trade at the NHL Trade Deadline for his services. The Golden Knights are a very good team, so there's not massive pressure to make a move for the sake of it. However, it would be smart to add a right-shot top-four defenseman before the 2025-26 season begins.
