As the offseason progresses, the Vegas Golden Knights continue to shed salary. In their most recent cap dump, they traded forward Keegan Kolesar to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a third-round pick in 2029 and a seventh-round pick in 2027. 

Kolesar has played 439 regular season NHL games, all in a Golden Knights sweater. In those 439 games, he scored 44 goals and 76 assists. He was part of the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2023 and played a total of 77 postseason games with the Golden Knights.

Kolesar is the definition of a grinder, and he can never be accused of taking a shift off. He’s fast, relentless on the forecheck, and doesn’t shy away from dropping the gloves when needed. The Golden Knights will miss Kolesar’s physicality. He’s one tough customer and led the team in hits in each of the last five seasons with 270, 237, 277, 279, and 246, respectively.

However, for all of his strengths, Kolesar makes $2.5 million for the next two seasons. This is a business, and no one understands that better than the Golden Knights. This team loves taking big swings, and even in a rising cap world, getting Kolesar’s cap hit off the books is no small victory. 

The Golden Knights are no strangers to salary cap dumps, and they’ve had varying degrees of success in the past when doing so. This time, they move out $2.5 million and gain draft capital in return. For years, the Golden Knights have been in win-now mode, and they’ve mortgaged their futures to remain that way. Shedding salary and getting two draft picks in return is a win in their books.

Kolesar’s energy and physicality will be missed. But the Golden Knights were paid handsomely to part with him, both in return assets and salary cap relief.