Lavoie, Heinola among 11 Golden Knights signings
The Vegas Golden Knights have added a few more depth players to their organization on the opening day of NHL free agency.
Along with the signings of defensemen Rasmus Andersson and Dylan Coghlan, as well as forwards Tanner Laczynski, Jonas Rondjberg and Victor Olofsson, general manager Kelly McCrimmon announced that the Golden Knights have also signed forwards Jakub Demek, Marc Gatcomb and Raphael Lavoie, as well as defensemen Adam Ginning, Ville Heinola and Antti Tuomisto.
Terms for the contracts have yet to be disclosed by the team.
Lavoie had himself a wild few days in October of 2024. After being re-signed by the Edmonton Oilers to a one-year contract, he was placed on waivers prior to the regular season, but was claimed by the Golden Knights. The following day, he was put on waivers again, only to be re-claimed by the Oilers. Then, the next day, Edmonton put him back on the wire, only for Vegas to snag him once again. He was able to move to Nevada for good, as he split the 2024-25 season between the Golden Knights and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. This past season, he appeared in just one game for Vegas, while scoring 30 goals and 56 points in 45 games for the Silver Knights. Lavoie hasn’t registered a point in 17 games in the NHL, but he has 118 goals and 214 points in 289 regular-season games in the AHL, with another nine points in 16 Calder Cup Playoff games.
Heinola comes to Vegas from the Winnipeg Jets, where he spent the first six years of his pro career. While he played most of the time with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, he appeared in 58 games with the Jets, scoring a goal and 12 points. In 198 regular-season games with the Moose, posting 26 goals and 124 points, with eight more points in 11 playoff contests.
Tuomisto was once regarded as a top defensive prospect with the Detroit Red Wings. However, he never found an opportunity with the big club, spending just about all of his time with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. The NCAA champion has scored 16 goals and 73 points in 185 regular-season games, with two assists in 19 playoff contests.
Gatcomb became an unrestricted free agent after the New York Islanders didn’t extend a qualifying offer to him earlier in the week. Unlike other names in this piece, the 26-year-old has spent a lot of time in the NHL with the Isles. This past year, he scored three goals and seven points in 49 games. In 88 career games on Long Island, he potted 11 goals and 16 points. In 162 regular-season contests in the AHL, Gatcomb has scored 25 goals and 53 points, with two goals in 12 playoff appearances.
Demek was taken by the Golden Knights in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft, but he has been in the minors for his two years in the pros. A lower-body injury kept him out for the first half of the 2025-26 campaign, leading to him playing in just four games with the Silver Knights, posting an assist. In 90 games, he has registered 13 goals and 36 points.
Ginning had been with the Philadelphia Flyers for the first four years of his pro career in North America. The Swedish blueliner appeared in five games with the club this past year, but saw 42 games with its AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scoring two goals and eight points. Ginning has one goal in 16 NHL games, while he’s totaled nine goals and 63 points in 253 points in the AHL.