NHL Rumor Roundup: What Next For The Hurricanes And Golden Knights?
The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights gave hockey fans a memorable, action-filled Stanley Cup final.
With the series over and both clubs heading into the off-season, their respective managements will be busy preparing for next season.
For the Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes, they're in a good position financially to keep their championship window open. They have nearly $12 million in projected salary-cap space for 2026-27.
Post-Mortem: Where Do The Vegas Golden Knights Go From Here?
The Vegas Golden Knights lost in the Stanley Cup final because their best players weren't their best players, for starters. But there was more to it, and more questions about their future to address.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights could be missing a couple of significant players when their season begins next summer.
Shilton's colleague, Ryan S. Clark, pointed out they must address their salary cap issues if they hope to re-sign pending UFA defenseman Rasmus Andersson and RFA Pavel Dorofeyev. They have $4.625 million in projected cap room for next season, but it could cost them over $14 million to sign Andersson and Dorofeyev to new contracts.
Their limited cap space could also make Dorofeyev a tempting offer-sheet target. A rival team seeking scoring depth could find a 25-year-old right winger coming off back-to-back 30-plus goal seasons irresistible.
The Golden Knights are allowed to exceed the salary cap by 10 percent during the off-season, but they must be cap-compliant when their regular season begins in October. They could free up an additional $8.8 million for next season if sidelined defenseman Alex Pietrangelo remains on long-term injury reserve.
To create sufficient room for Andersson and Dorofeyev, the Golden Knights could be forced to shed a couple of salaries. Clark wondered if former starting goalie Adin Hill might become a trade candidate.
Hill has five years left on his deal with an average annual value of $6.25 million and a 10-team no-trade list. Despite Hill's struggles this season, the limited depth in available goalies could draw interest from clubs seeking an experienced starter.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. 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.
The Hockey News
This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 8:34 AM.