Golden Knights Sign Former Stanley Cup Champion

The 2024-25 NHL season is officially underway and teams are still ironing out their final rosters. The Vegas Golden Knights are one team that doesn't make its regular season debut until Wednesday, giving head coach Bruce Cassidy a few more days to come up with the optimal lineup.

The Golden Knights took a step closer to finalizing their opening lineup on Friday. The club took to social media to announce that veteran forward Tanner Pearson, who played with Vegas on a professional tryout (PTO) in September, has been signed to a one-year contract .

According to the news release, Pearson's contract carries an annual value of $775,000.

Looking to add to their forward depth, the Golden Knights signed Pearson to a PTO toward the end of August . The 32-year-old two-way winger struggled to garner attention as a free agent after spending the last six seasons north of the border with the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks.

Pearson made the most of his latest opportunity, though. Skating in four preseason games with the Golden Knights, the ex-2012 first-rounder scored two goals while adding an assist. He also spent some time on the power play, indicating that the Vegas coaching staff is comfortable with putting him in various roles.

After suffering a first-round playoff elimination this spring, the Golden Knights hope that Pearson can help them make a deeper postseason run in 2025. The Kitchener, Ontario native won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 and has nine goals and 14 assists in 51 career playoff games.

The Golden Knights will play their preseason finale against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, giving Pearson one more chance to improve his spot in the lineup before the real action begins on Oct. 9.

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