Pavel Dorofeyev

May 2023 – Dorofeyev saw more time with the big club this season as an injury recall, and came on particularly strong in his latest call-up of the year. He spent time in that stretch on a line with William Karlsson (who described Dorofeyev at the time as “hotter than burnt toast”) and Reilly Smith, where he did not look out of place in the Knight’s top six. You would not expect the shooting percentage to stay where it was in the NHL this season (above 17%), although it may be reasonable a few years out to see Dorofeyev in an Ivan Barbashev-esque mold in terms of his shooting ability and ability to slot anywhere in the lineup. Dorofeyev’s season is still technically ongoing at the time of writing as a black ace for Vegas, and we will likely see him become an NHL regular next season. Taylor Davis

June 2022 – Dorofeyev closed out his 2021-22 AHL season at nearly a point-per-game pace, notching 52 points (27G, 25A) in 63 games played in the regular season; he also notched a single goal in two playoff games played. Vegas’ 79th overall selection in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft has succeeded with every jump he has made to a higher league over the past four or so years in the VHL, MHL, and KHL before successfully transitioning to North American hockey in the AHL in 2020-21. Dorofeyev has surely firmly planted himself in the running to crack the Golden Knights’ roster at the beginning of the 2022-23 NHL regular season, and should be on every Vegas fan’s radar heading into training camp in just three or so short months. Matt Nidiffer

December 2021 – Dorofeyev has racked up points at a reasonably impressive rate over the past two AHL campaigns. With six goals and six assists in 16 contests this season, Vegas’ 2019 third round selection (79^th overall) leads Henderson in points, and is tied with Ben Jones for first on the team in goals scored. This puts the 21-year-old on pace for a slight increase over his 2020-21 AHL output (9G, 4A in 24 games). A highly regarded prospect, particularly for his offensive potential, the 2021-22 season has also seen Dorofeyev’s NHL debut on opening night for VGK against the Kraken. While his promotion was largely a product of VGK injuries and salary cap concerns, it also suggests that he is not all that far from playing, at minimum, a fourth-line role for Vegas if the need arises. Kevin Wickersham

October 2019 – Dorofeyev is off to a fantastic start in what is considered his rookie season in the KHL. Although he did play 23 games in a limited role last season for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, he has quickly posted six points in 17 games, including four goals, some of which were a highlight reel. Dorofeyev has a knack for finding the back of the net and has been given more responsibility with every passing game. Many considered him the steal of the draft after he fell to the third round and he is making 30 other NHL teams eat humble pie with his play since getting selected by Vegas. The young sniper will be looked at to carry a very solid Russian team at the U20 World Junior Championship in December and January if Metallurg decides they can find success without him. Mason Black

June 2019 – Pavel Dorofeyev was drafted by the Golden Knights with their third-round selection at 79th overall. Several draft prognosticators had him pegged as a late first-round pick, but the lack of game viewings at major international tournaments may have caused him to slip to the third round. He has a decent offensive upside and even saw time in the KHL this season. While playing in the MHL – the top junior league in Russia – he dismantled the opposition by collecting 17 goals and 31 points in only 19 games. Mason Black

June 2019 – Dorofeyev was officially measured at 6-foot-0.75 and 176 pounds at the NHL Draft Combine.  Pat Quinn

February 2019 – Dorofeyev has been destroying the Russian junior league MHL this season – and he had a very strong season there already a year ago. He’s also played about half of this season with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL but his ice time has been very limited there. He’s one of the older players for his draft class which is not a bad thing but should be taken into consideration. Dorofeyev is a very talented offensive player with upside to become a productive top-six winger. He has great vision and puck-skills but also has a very good shot. He’s also a hard worker who isn’t a liability defensively. He’s not big but has decent size as well. Dorofeyev might slide down a bit in the NHL Draft because of the Russian Factor but he should be drafted early in fantasy hockey drafts. He will likely spend another year or two in Russia before crossing the pond.  Pat Quinn