Red Wings acquire Keegan Kolesar from Golden Knights for picks
While July 1 is known across the NHL as the beginning of the free agent frenzy, there are always several notable trades in store as well.
That proved true on Wednesday, as according to TSN insider Darren Dreger, the Detroit Red Wings made a move to bolster their forward depth by acquiring winger Keegan Kolesar from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a pair of draft picks, a third-rounder in 2029 and a seventh-round pick in 2027.
Keegan Kolesar traded to Detroit for a 3rd in 2029 and a 7th in 2027.
Kolesar, an effective bottom-six winger who was originally drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the No. 69 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, has spent the entirety of his career at the NHL level with the Golden Knights.
He has been the model of health and availability, as he’s appeared in all 82 games in both of the past two seasons and played in 77, 74 and 79 in the three years prior.
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This past season, he potted six goals and dished out 11 assists for a total of 17 points, a decline from his career-best offensive output in 2024-25 that saw him reach the 30-point mark for the first time in his career on 12 goals and 18 assists.
Kolesar has two years remaining on his contract that carries a salary cap hit of $2.5 million. For Vegas, pressed up against the salary cap, clearing any space at all is valuable.
Detroit is in need of forward help as general manager Steve Yzerman looks to piece together a roster capable of snapping the longest postseason drought in the NHL.
Captain Dylan Larkin has requested a trade, making the task of walking out of the offseason with a better forward group a tall task, but Yzerman began chipping away at it Wednesday by acquiring Kolesar and adding veteran scoring winger Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year contract in unrestricted free agency.