The Vegas Golden Knights forward recorded a hat trick on opening night and hasn’t slowed down since.
Dorofeyev found the back of the net 37 times in the regular season and has added 10 more in the playoffs in just 14 games. That includes six in his past five contests. He’s proving his 35-goal campaign in 2024-25 was no fluke and is cementing himself as a top-line player for Vegas next to Jack Eichel.
Dorofeyev will be a restricted free agent this summer and currently makes just $1.8 million, so he’s in line for a massive raise. That could make things complicated for the Golden Knights’ cap situation as Eichel’s extension kicks in next year and Rasmus Andersson needs a new contract. Vegas may have a tough time fitting everyone under the cap and it could make them vulnerable to an offer sheet where Dorofeyev is concerned.
Dorofeyev is a prime offer sheet candidate
Every year we think there’s going to be a bunch of offer sheets and it never happens.
The hardest thing to do in the NHL is score goals and Dorofeyev does it in bunches. Top-six wingers that can hit 35-40 goals annually don’t grow on trees and there may not be any available in free agency.
Alex Ovechkin is technically a free agent but it’s hard to imagine him playing anywhere other than the Washington Capitals if he returns for another season. Alex Tuch could be an option (more on that later), though he may not make it to market on July 1.
There’s going to be plenty of teams that strike out in their search for scoring help that could turn to Dorofeyev, so Vegas should be prepared for an offer sheet.
Vegas could have a hard time matching an offer sheet for Dorofeyev if it’s a big number. If a team offered Dorofeyev $9.5 million a season it would cost them a first-, second- and third-round pick should Vegas decide not to match. As well, somewhere around $11 million per season would require a pair of firsts, a second and a third as compensation if Vegas walks away from Dorofeyev.
That’s a steep price, but he’s only 25 years old and if he can keep up this production it would be worth it. There could be a desperate-enough team that’s in win-now mode willing to go for it that would put Vegas in a bind.
What’s complicating matters for the Golden Knights is the looming Andersson extension. They gave the Calgary Flames a big haul to get him, so letting Andersson walk after less than a season wouldn’t be ideal. If they wanted to try to keep both Andersson and Dorofeyev it wouldn’t be impossible, but tricky.
It would require them to move some money off the books and the most obvious candidate would be Adin Hill. Carter Hart has taken over the No. 1 duties and Hill makes $6.2 million for another five seasons with a 10-team no-trade list. Moving that entire deal without some retention wouldn’t be easy.
The other thing to consider is that the cap is skyrocketing and teams are going to have to spend money this summer. If they miss out in free agency they can look at offer sheets as a creative alternative. I don’t think it’s impossible for Vegas to match a Dorofeyev offer sheet, but it would take some gymnastics to pull it off.
Avalanche won’t be able to rally and takedown Golden Knights without Makar
The Colorado Avalanche are feeling the pressure for the first time in these Stanley Cup playoffs. Vegas is up 2-0 on the Avs in the Western Conference Final as Colorado is in real danger of watching an historically good season come to close earlier than it’d like.
Part of the challenge for Colorado is it’s without star defenceman Cale Makar, who hasn’t played in the series yet due to an injury. You can just see how massive the loss is for the Avalanche as Makar was able to help them maximize their speed and would’ve forced Vegas to play more on its heels. Instead, the pace of the game has become far more even in Games 1 and 2, playing more into the hands of the Golden Knights.
With Colorado’s back against the wall, it’s hard to imagine the Avs winning four of the next five games against the Knights without Makar.
While it would be a huge uphill climb minus Makar, it’s not impossible.
The scoreboard hasn’t been kind to the Avalanche so far, but it’s not like they’ve been outplayed in the first two games. Colorado has outshot Vegas 68-53 in the series and the Golden Knights have also been forced to block 39 shots across the first two games. Also, Vegas also has 34 giveaways compared to just 25 for the Avs. Colorado isn’t playing poorly, but Hart has been outstanding and the Avalanche aren’t capitalizing on their chances.
Where Makar’s loss is most noticeable is breaking out of the zone. Vegas has owned the neutral zone so far and Makar’s ability to transition the puck up the ice to players like Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas has been sorely missed. There’s a good chance Makar makes it back at some point in this series but until then Colorado has to find a way to make smoother zone entries into the Vegas end.
If Colorado can gain some traction in that area it can get back into the series, with or without Makar.
Ehlers is the difference maker Carolina has been looking for
It’s been no secret the Carolina Hurricanes have been looking to add an elite talent for years.
They traded for Jake Guentzel in the hopes they could sell him on Carolina long-term, but he ended up being a rental. Meanwhile, Mikko Rantanen’s stay ended up being even shorter.
The Canes added Rantanen in a blockbuster but quickly flipped him to the Dallas Stars when he wouldn’t commit to an extension. That led them to sign Nikolaj Ehlers last summer, who doesn’t have the production of the other two more-marquee names but is still a very good player.
Ehlers finished with a career-high 71 points this season and has added four goals this post-season, including a pair of massive tallies that helped Carolina level its series with the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. It’s clear that Ehlers could be the difference that gets the Canes over the hump and into the Cup Final this spring.
It’s not just the numbers where Ehlers is concerned, it’s the way he’s creating offence. Those two goals against the Canadiens on Saturday came thanks to a great bit of individual skill.
Ehlers showed off incredible stickhandling on the first one and then used his elite speed to separate on the overtime winner. That type of dynamic was something the Canes were missing in past playoff exits.
Without Ehlers, it’s very possible Carolina is down 2-0 to Montreal and in a really tough spot.
Crosby will finish his career as the second all-time leading scorer
Crosby is currently over at the World Championships and despite the fact he’ll be 39 in August, he still feels like he has a lot left to give. That’s great news for hockey fans who enjoy watching him play, and it brings up the question of where Crosby could end up on the all-time scoring list when all is said and done.
The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar currently sits seventh all-time and while no one is catching Wayne Gretzky, Crosby could be in striking distance of the second spot if he continues to play at his current level for a few more years.
Crosby is sitting at 1,761 points, which is 10 behind Marcel Dionne and 37 behind Ron Francis. He should easily catch both, not too far into next season.
Gordie Howe, Mark Messier and Jaromir Jagr are a little further in the distance, but given that Crosby has been scoring at roughly a 90-point pace for the past four seasons, he should be able to overtake all three in a few seasons’ time, even accounting for some regression.
In fact, Crosby is 160 points away from Jagr for the second spot, so as long as he stays healthy, there’s a reasonable chance he could accomplish the feat over the next two campaigns.
Tuch’s poor series against Canadiens will cost him in free agency
The Buffalo Sabres scored 23 goals in their series against the Canadiens, including eight in Game 6, and Tuch didn’t factor into any of them. Tuch went pointless in seven games and was a minus-nine as the Sabres saw their season come to a close.
Now Tuch is headed for free agency on a sour note and the lasting memory prospective suitors will have of him is that disappointing finish to the post-season – if he even makes it to market, of course.
There’s still a good chance Tuch could extend in Buffalo prior to July 1, though that could also lead to some awkward conversations. Tuch is likely looking for a massive raise, but Buffalo, or any team for that matter, may not be so keen to break the bank given those playoff shortcomings are so fresh in their minds.
As tough as his post-season was, I can’t see teams not pursuing Tuch hard considering his talent.
The Sabres forward also does have a decent playoff resume outside of this spring. Tuch scored 19 goals across four post-seasons with Vegas, including one run where he tallied eight in 20 games. Plus, this year’s free-agency class is thin and you could make an argument that Tuch is the best player available.
Top-six wingers that are good for 60-70 points per season are hard to find, so Tuch is going to be in high demand, regardless.
Buffalo is, ultimately, probably the best fit for Tuch, especially with how well he’s played with the Sabres over the past few seasons and keeping in mind that he’s from Western New York. If he re-signs, he’ll likely be playing in the post-season for years to come in Buffalo and get several cracks to make up for this year’s disappointment.