Two weeks into free agency, the shape of the 2026-27 Golden Knights is coming into focus. The front office added seven prospects at the draft in Buffalo, made one trade, let five veterans walk, locked up its top defensive pairing for the better part of a decade, and restocked the depth chart with a wave of two-year and one-year deals. Here is the full rundown of every move so far, followed by the dates that still matter this summer.
The Draft Class: Seven Picks in Buffalo
Vegas came out of the June 26-27 draft with seven new prospects, and the haul leans heavily toward size on the back end: four defensemen, all 6'3" or taller.
- Juho Piiparinen, D - Round 1, 29th overall. A 17-year-old right shot from Lahti, Finland (6'3", 203 lbs). Already playing men's hockey: 29 Liiga games with Tappara last season (three assists, +6), plus 13 points in 15 games for Tappara's U20 side and a spot on Finland's roster at the 2026 World Juniors.
- Benjamin Wilmott, F - Round 3, 92nd overall. A 19-year-old Seattle native who put up 66 points (27 G, 49 A) in 66 OHL games split between London and Barrie, then added 22 points in 20 playoff games during Barrie's run to the 2026 OHL Championship series.
- Sean Burick, D - Round 3, 95th overall. The most eye-catching frame in the class: 6'8", 214 lbs, right shot, from San Clemente, California. Posted a +25 rating in 50 games for the Penticton Vees and helped the WHL expansion team reach the semifinals in its first season.
- Jonah Sivertson, F - Round 4, 113th overall. A 17-year-old from Regina who broke out with 53 points (24 G, 29 A) and a +46 rating in 66 games for Prince Albert, then produced 10 points in 20 playoff games on the Raiders' run to the 2026 WHL Championship series.
- Will McLaughlin, D - Round 5, 159th overall. A left-shot defenseman from Canmore, Alberta, with 30 points in 68 games for the Portland Winterhawks and a Hlinka Gretzky Cup gold medal with the United States in August 2025.
- Matthew Minchak, G - Round 6, 191st overall. A 6'5" netminder from New Jersey who posted a 2.91 GAA and .910 save percentage across 30 OHL games for the Kingston Frontenacs.
- Noel Pakarinen, F - Round 7, 207th overall. A Palo Alto-born forward developing in Finland's Kiekko-Espoo system, where he was named U20 SM-Sarja rookie of the year and helped the club win the league title with 10 points in 15 playoff games. Also represented Finland at the 2026 U18 World Juniors.
The Trade: Wotherspoon for Korczak
The lone trade of the summer came on June 30, when Vegas sent Kaedan Korczak to Pittsburgh in exchange for defenseman Parker Wotherspoon. Korczak, a homegrown draft pick, gets a bigger opportunity with the Penguins, while Wotherspoon brings a steady, defense-first game to the left side. We broke down what he adds to the penalty kill in our full profile.
The Departures: Five Veterans Hit the Market
When free agency opened at noon on July 1, five Golden Knights became unrestricted free agents and were not re-signed:
- Reilly Smith, RW - an original Misfit and a name forever tied to the 2023 Cup run.
- Brandon Saad, LW - veteran scoring depth on the wing.
- Colton Sissons, C - the reliable bottom-six center and penalty killer signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- Cole Smith, LW - signed a three-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, meaning Vegas will see him again on opening night.
- Ben Hutton, D - the long-serving seventh defenseman.
That is a lot of experience out the door at once, and it explains the theme of the signings that followed: younger, cheaper, and hungrier.
The Big Money: Andersson and Lauzon Locked Up
The two most consequential moves of the summer kept the blue line intact. On July 1, Rasmus Andersson re-signed on a seven-year contract, taking the biggest question of the off-season off the board within hours of the market opening. A day earlier, on June 30, Jeremy Lauzon agreed to a six-year extension. Together, the two deals commit the core of the defense corps through the early 2030s.
The New Faces: Five Arrivals
Vegas added five players from outside the organization, and we have profiled every one of them:
- Ville Heinola, D - a former first-round pick on a one-year deal, betting on a fresh start after seven years in the Winnipeg organization. Read why this could be the steal of the summer.
- Antti Tuomisto, D - a 6'5" right shot with a booming point shot, signed for two years. Our profile of the towering Finn.
- Adam Ginning, D - a safety-first shutdown defenseman on a two-year contract. Meet the newest shutdown specialist.
- Marc Gatcomb, C - an undrafted forechecker signed for two years at $875,000 per season to replace the physicality lost up front. His full story.
- Victor Olofsson, RW - "Vegas Vic" is back on a one-year, $1.638 million deal to restore power-play scoring. Why the reunion makes sense.
The Depth Chart: Familiar Names Return
Beyond the headliners, the organization kept most of its depth in place:
- Carl Lindbom, G - a three-year extension (June 29), two-way in year one.
- Tanner Laczynski, C - back on a three-year contract.
- Dylan Coghlan, D - re-signed for two years.
- Jonas Rondbjerg, RW - back on a one-year, two-way deal.
- Jakub Demek, C - re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract.
- Lukas Cormier, D - re-signed July 6 on a one-year, two-way contract.
- Raphael Lavoie, C - re-signed July 3 on a one-year contract.
- Juho Piiparinen, D - the first-round pick wasted no time: signed to a three-year, entry-level contract on July 15.
You can see how all of this fits together on the updated roster page, and follow how the newcomers perform once the puck drops via player trends.
What's Next: Key Dates Ahead
The off-season is not over. Here is what remains on the league calendar - the full breakdown lives in our 2026 NHL Off-Season Calendar:
- July 20 - August 1: Salary arbitration hearings across the league, with the walkaway threshold set at $4,950,080.
- Second buyout window: Opens for 48 hours at 5:00 PM on the third day after a team's final arbitration case is resolved.
- September 29 - Opening Night: Now confirmed: the Golden Knights will be part of an opening-night tripleheader broadcast on ESPN in the U.S., opening the season against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Ten weeks until Vegas and Chicago drop the puck. The roster that takes the ice that night is, for the most part, already built.