The Golden Knights' limited cap space next season could make it difficult for them to match an offer sheet for Pavel Dorofeyev. Meanwhile, could the Wild shop goalie Jesper Wallstedt?
Once the Stanley Cup playoffs end, the focus of fans and pundits will shift toward the business of hockey, including the draft, free agency and the off-season trade market.
The off-season is also when RFAs can sign offer sheets from rival clubs.
It's a rarely used tactic with a low success rate. Since the implementation of the salary cap in 2005, 12 players have signed offer sheets, with only four being successfully signed away.
Because of the rising salary cap for 2026-27, most NHL clubs will be flush with cap dollars this summer, making it easy for them to match offer sheets for their top RFAs. However, a few cap-strapped teams could be targeted.
The Athletic's Shayna Goldman and Jesse Granger raised that possibility for Pavel Dorofeyev of the Vegas Golden Knights.
The 25-year-old right winger has tallied 35 or more goals in each of the last two seasons. He's been on a tear this post-season, leading all goal-scorers with 10 thus far.
Dorofeyev will be an RFA with arbitration rights on July 1. He's completing a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.835 million.
The Golden Knights are projected to have around $11.7 million in cap space once they place sidelined defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on long-term injured reserve again on July 1. They must also re-sign UFA-eligible blueliner Rasmus Andersson.
Goldman and Granger estimate it could cost the Golden Knights around $16 million to re-sign Dorofeyev and Andersson.
Given the lack of scoring talent in this summer's UFA market, Goldman and Granger suggested Dorofeyev could become an enticing offer-sheet target if the Golden Knights struggle to free up sufficient cap room to sign him.
However, Dorofeyev must be willing to sign an offer sheet. If he is, interested teams must move quickly when free agency starts on July 1. If he files for arbitration by the July 5 deadline, he'll be ineligible to receive an offer sheet.
Shifting to the Minnesota Wild, there is ongoing speculation that they might pursue a first-line center in the trade market.
GM Bill Guerin reportedly made an unsuccessful offer to the St. Louis Blues for Robert Thomas before the March trade deadline.
Dane Mizutani of The Pioneer Press believes Guerin must find that center, whatever the cost, if it helps turn the Wild into a Stanley Cup champion. He recommended including promising goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in a trade package to address that need.
Wallstedt was the subject of trade speculation during this season as Guerin scoured the market for that elusive first-line center before the trade deadline. However, the Wild GM is unlikely to consider moving him until starter Filip Gustavsson has fully recovered from off-season hip surgery.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.