The Vegas Golden Knights haven’t even started the 2025–26 season, and they’ve already been hit with a gut punch that could take one of their top defensemen out of the lineup. After finishing last season with the third-best defense in the league in goals allowed, this could turn into a major setback.
The player in question is Alex Pietrangelo, who was identified in a report by David Pagnotta as the defenseman expected to undergo multiple surgeries—an outcome that would remove him from the Golden Knights’ plans for the upcoming NHL season.
“I’m hearing Vegas defenceman Alex Pietrangelo is dealing with serious injuries and is going to require multiple major surgeries this summer, which will result in missing the entire 2025–26 season, at least,” Pagnotta wrote on X.
What happened to Pietrangelo that requires multiple surgeries?
There’s no detailed report yet on the exact procedures Pietrangelo will need, but it’s known that he played through injuries for most of last season. He also had to withdraw from the Four Nations tournament due to ongoing physical issues.
Alex Pietrangelo #7 of the Vegas Golden Knights waits for a faceoff in the first period of a game against the Minnesota Wild as he plays in his 1,000th career regular-season NHL game at T-Mobile Arena on February 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wild defeated the Golden Knights 5-3.
One thing working against the Vegas blueliner is his age—at 35, recovery from multiple injuries becomes significantly more challenging. Despite battling through pain, he still managed to appear in 71 games last season, scoring 4 goals and tallying 29 assists.
How much time is left on Pietrangelo’s contract with Vegas?
Pietrangelo joined the Golden Knights in the 2020–21 season on a 7-year, $61.6 million contract. He still has two years remaining—covering the 2025–26 and 2026–27 seasons. With the upcoming surgeries, it’s likely he’ll only be available for one of those two.
