Golden Knights Free Agency

REPORT: Friedman Doubles Down on Pietrangelo Injury Concerns

Published

4 weeks ago

June 16, 2025

Alex Pietrangelo suspension, Vegas Golden Knights, Edmonton Oilers

Vegas Golden Knights' Alex Pietrangelo plays during an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

On Monday, Elliotte Friedman joined Matt Marchese and Mike Futa on The FAN Hockey Show to discuss the 2026 Olympic preliminary rosters and the Mitch Marner conundrum. While on the show, Friedman once again expressed concern regarding the health of veteran defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.

The NHL Entry Draft is just 11 days away, and Free Agency begins in 15 days. Every year, it’s all the same– rumors fly at this point in the season. But according to Friedman, the rumor mill is particularly chaotic this year.

“You’re always trying to say things that you believe are true,” Friedman began. “I think this year it’s harder; you have to be a lot more careful.”

Ever since the dawn of time– okay, it’s only been eight years– the Vegas Golden Knights have been a team of intrigue and mystery. They’re perennial Stanley Cup contenders with a penchant for making big, bold trades. Every team wants to be the last on the ice in June, and the Golden Knights do whatever they think is necessary to do so.

Recently, there’s been smoke between the Golden Knights and top pending Free Agent Mitch Marner.

“I think there’s a lot of teams that want to take runs at [Mitch Marner],” said Friedman. “A lot of my eyes are on Vegas, and we’ll see.”

Last week, Elliotte Friedman added fuel to the fire when he implied that Alex Pietrangelo might not be healthy for the start of the 2025-26 season. He doubled down on that report on Monday’s episode of The FAN.

“Especially with what sounds like it’s going to happen with [Alex] Pietrangelo, a lot of teams are [saying], ‘what’s Vegas going to do here?’” finished Friedman.

Friedman was likely referring to the Mitch Marner situation, but I think there was a double meaning there. The Golden Knights are in a tricky spot; they have little salary cap space and even less draft capital. If Friedman’s report about Pietrangelo’s health is true, the Golden Knights will be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Pietrangelo is a top-four, minute-munching, veteran defenseman. If other teams wrote his health off already, that’s probably not a good sign.