Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) moves the puck under pressure from Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) during the first period of their first-round NHL hockey playoff game at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

The eyes of the hockey world are glued to City National Arena right now.

The Golden Knights are at the center of the NHL’s rumor mill with free agency set to open at 9 a.m. Tuesday. The Knights continue to be linked with right wing Mitch Marner, the top player available on this year’s market.

Acquiring Marner’s rights would give the Knights an exclusive window to negotiate with him before the free agent market opens. It would also give them the ability to offer him an eight-year contract extension. Marner would only be eligible to sign a seven-year deal as a free agent.

Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) passes the puck to right wing Keegan Kolesar (55) during the first period of the NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas.

Center Nicolas Roy is expected to be part of a Knights trade with the Maple Leafs if it comes to fruition, according to multiple reports. There is a chance defenseman Nic Hague, a pending restricted free agent, could also be involved, according to one NHL source.

The Knights are juggling their pursuit of Marner with questions surrounding defenseman Alex Pietrangelo’s status for next season.

Pietrangelo, 35, missed 11 regular-season games last year due to various injuries and pulled out of the 4 Nations Face-Off in February because of an undisclosed ailment. The two-time Stanley Cup champion has an $8.8 million cap hit the next two seasons, so placing him on long-term injured reserve would give the Knights a lot of extra spending power to sign Marner.

Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (7) holds his ear after taking a blow during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas. Pietrangelo would later return to the game.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon is expected to provide an update on Pietrangelo after the beginning of free agency Tuesday.

“Alex and I have had a number of discussions,” McCrimmon said Saturday. “There are some decisions that need to be made.”

Remaining business

The Knights still have other items on their offseason to-do list as well.

The team has $5.615 million in cap space as of Sunday afternoon with 11 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders under contract.

The Knights re-signed right wing Reilly Smith and left wing Brandon Saad to one-year, $2 million deals, but they still have three pending unrestricted free agents in goaltender Ilya Samsonov and left wings Victor Olofsson and Tanner Pearson.

Samsonov is not expected back. The 28-year-old, who signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract last offseason, went 16-9-4 with an .891 save percentage his first year with the Knights. He served as Adin Hill’s backup most of the season but was demoted to No. 3 by the playoffs in favor of Akira Schmid.

Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) looks on after giving up a goal to the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period of an NHL hockey game at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto

Schmid, 25, impressed in his limited NHL opportunities last year. He went 2-0-1 with a .944 save percentage in five appearances, which should pave the way for him to enter training camp as Hill’s No. 2.

Olofsson and Pearson, like Samsonov, are expected to test the market Tuesday.

Olofsson, 29, scored 15 goals in 56 games last season after joining the Knights on a one-year deal. Pearson, 32, made the team out of camp after arriving on a professional tryout contract. He scored 27 points in 78 games for the Knights.

The team could always circle back to Olofsson and Pearson depending on how things shake out. Olofsson had a $1.075 million cap hit last season, while Pearson’s was $775,000.

It does seem like the Knights are planning to spend their money elsewhere, however. Marner, 28, had a $10.9 million cap hit on his previous contract and is expected to earn a raise after scoring a career-high 102 points last season.

The Knights could also need more help on the blue line if Pietrangelo is unable to play and Hague is traded to Toronto or elsewhere.

Golden Knights goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) and teammates defend the net with a shot by Pittsburgh Penguins center Tommy Novak (18) during the first period of their NHL game at the T-Mobile Arena on Friday, March 07, 2025, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Golden Knights left wing Tanner Pearson (70) skates with the puck against Nashville Predators defenseman Andreas Englund (8) during the third period of the last home game of the season on Saturday, April 12, 2025 at T-Mobile Arena.

Golden Knights left wing Tanner Pearson (70) sends a pass across past Edmonton Oilers center Adam Henrique (19) during the third period of game one in their Stanley Cup Playoffs second round at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images

Golden Knights forward Victor Olofsson (95) during the third period of the NHL hockey game against the TKTKTK at T-Mobile Arena, Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Las Vegas.

Golden Knights right wing Victor Olofsson (95) skates with the puck during the first period of Game 5 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Las Vegas. (Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @csstevensphoto