Alex Pietrangelo Considers Surprise Return to the Golden Knights
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo has left open the possibility of returning to action this season, as he continues his recovery from a prolonged hip injury. In June, both 35-year-old Pietrangelo and the Golden Knights announced that he would take a break from the “intense pace of hockey” to see if his injured hip could improve and allow him to have “a normal quality of life.” General Manager Kelly McCrimmon stated at the time that the injury “would require a bilateral reconstruction of the femur, with no guarantee of success.” Several reports indicated that Pietrangelo, the team’s number 1 defenseman, would miss at least the entire 2025-26 season. The defenseman himself commented in June that “the probability is low that my body will recover to the level required to play.” However, Pietrangelo revealed on Monday that he has chosen not to undergo surgery and is following a rehabilitation program that has given him positive results. When asked if a return this season was ruled out, Pietrangelo did not rule it out.Pietrangelo explained that the hip problem started years ago, but that last season “was when it really took its toll on me.” He played despite it, even missing the 4 Nations Face-Off to focus on the Stanley Cup playoffs. In total, he played 71 games and then 10 more in the postseason, averaging 23:03 minutes of ice time in the playoffs. A 17-year NHL veteran, Pietrangelo led the St. Louis Blues (2019) and the Golden Knights (2023) to Stanley Cup championships. He has accumulated 637 points in 1,087 career games. Pietrangelo has two years left on his contract, signed as a free agent with Vegas in 2020, with a cap hit of $8.8 million. The Golden Knights have limited cap space after acquiring star winger Mitch Marner from Toronto with a new contract that has a $12 million cap hit. Vegas will begin the season with Pietrangelo on long-term injured reserve. Recently, the NHL and NHLPA agreed to expedite changes to the collective bargaining agreement that address salary cap benefits for players on LTIR and establish a salary cap for the postseason.Nothing is truly definitive. I’m just going to keep going day by day and see how it evolves
Alex Pietrangelo
