Golden Knights’ Pavel Dorofeyev returns for Game 3 versus Oilers; Brayden McNabb day-to-day

The Vegas Golden Knights will have a new-look like for Game 3 of their second-round series versus the Pacific Division rival Edmonton Oilers.

Up front, left winger Pavel Dorofeyev is set to return after being sidelined for the past three games due to an undisclosed injury. At morning skate Saturday, Dorofeyev was part of the Golden Knights’ second line alongside fellow forwards Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson, reports Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Veteran forward Brandon Saad is considered day-to-day and will exit the lineup in place of Dorofeyev.

Through five appearances in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Dorofeyev has collected one goal and one assist for two points following a dominant regular-season performance in which he tallied 52 points including a team-leading 35 goals coming in 82 games.

Originally chosen by the Golden Knights in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, the 24-year-old Russian-born forward has since skated in part of four seasons with the club where through 149 career contests he has registered 55 goals and 30 assists for 85 points. Last spring, Dorofeyev made his postseason debut, seeing a lone contest.

While Dorofeyev will return to the lineup Saturday, the Golden Knights will be without veteran defenseman Brayden McNabb who sustained an injury in Game 2 following a hit by Oilers forward Viktor Arvidsson.

In eight games this postseason, McNabb has registered three assists, a minus-three rating, and six penalty minutes while averaging 21:14 in time on ice per game, fourth most among Vegas defensemen.

A veteran of 822 career contests counting stops with the Buffalo Sabres, Los Angeles Kings, and Golden Knights, McNabb has totaled 33 goals and 146 assists for 179 career points. The 34-year-old native of Davidson, Sask., closed out the 2024-25 regular season with 20 points counting five goals and 15 assists coming in 82 appearances.