When Pavel Dorofeyev led the Vegas Golden Knights with 37 goals last season and scored 12 more on their run to the Stanley Cup Final, he did so as part of a stacked lineup featuring Mitch Marner, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone.
Traded to the New York Rangers, who signed him to a seven-year, $77 million contract, Dorofeyev will be counted on to lead the way. The shoot-first winger has no fear of being the guy.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
“You just have to be a man and accept the challenge and do your best,” he said.
Dorofeyev, who turns 26 in late October, is one of several familiar faces in a new place this NHL season.
After spending his first eight years in the league in Ottawa, Brady Tkachuk asked for a trade and ended up with the Panthers and brother Matthew. As if a team with one Tkachuk and Sam Bennett needed more toughness, but Florida got it.
“It’s way better to have them on the same team than playing against you,” said captain Aleksander Barkov, who is returning after missing all of last season with a torn ACL and medial collateral ligament in his right knee. “Knowing how tough it always was to play against Brady, he’s one of the guys you always circle from the lineup. You need to be aware of him. Literally anything he does is dangerous, and he can score, he can make you pay, he plays physical, aggressive and he has that skill, too, so I’m really excited to have him on the same team.”
After winning the Stanley Cup back to back in 2024 and '25 and missing the playoffs last season, the rejuvenated Panthers are favored to hoist the trophy again.
The goalie known as “Bob” who backstopped Florida to those titles left in free agency to sign a three-year, $21 million contract with the Maple Leafs, who are banking on him at 38 to bounce back from a subpar season.
“As he’s aged and how he takes care himself, it’s become kind of legendary,” Toronto center John Tavares said. “Really excited to be around him because of, I think, the skillset, the pedigree, what he’s going to bring to the team and then the quality of goaltenders he is.”
Bobrovsky is one of several additions made by new general manager John Chayka, who also did a sign-and-trade for defenseman Darren Raddysh and acquired forward Nick Paul from Tampa Bay.
After helping Buffalo end the longest playoff drought in league history, Alex Tuch worked out an eight-year, $84 million deal with Washington as part of a sign-and-trade. Tuch is coming off a 66-point season.
The Capitals also dealt for winger Jordan Kyrou from St. Louis and signed forward Boone Jenner and defenseman Vincent Desharnais to load up for what may be Alex Ovechkin's final chance at making another deep run.
“As a player, if you see your organization going out and trying to get the best players available, it’s a really good feeling,” winger Tom Wilson said. “It’s our team, our organization saying 'We’re here. We want to win now. Let’s try and go get this thing.' And as a player, that’s all you can ask for.”
The Rangers' summer of changes included sending center Vincent Trocheck to the Mammoth. Trocheck and Anders Lee, signed in free agency after the Islanders let their longtime captain go, could be key role players for Utah as it looks to become a perennial contender.
“We have a young core, but I think it’s good to have some guys that have been in a lot of different situations where us young guys could kind of lean on them,” forward Logan Cooley said.
___
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
