LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that the team has signed forward Tomas Nosek to a one-year contract through the 2019-20 season worth an average annual value of $1,000,000 and signed forward Brandon Pirri to a two-year contract through the 2020-21 season worth an average annual value of $775,000.
Nosek, 26, recorded a career-high 17 points (8 G, 9 A), including one shorthanded goal, to go with 18 penalty minutes in 68 games during the 2018-19 season with the Golden Knights. He led the team in face-off win percentage at even strength at 62.1 percent, amongst players who took at least 100 face-offs during the season. The Pardubice, Czech Republic native was originally selected by the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2017 Expansion Draft on June 21 from the Detroit Red Wings.
Pirri, 28, matched his highest point output since the 2015-16 season in half as many games, finishing with 18 points (12 G, 6 A) to go with six penalty minutes in 31 games with the Golden Knights. Prior to being recalled by Vegas, the Toronto, Ontario native led the American Hockey League with 42 points (18 G, 24 A) in 29 games with the Chicago Wolves. Pirri made his first career NHL Playoff game appearance in Game 7 against the San Jose Sharks on April 23, 2019. He originally signed with the Golden Knights on October 4, 2017 as a free agent and re-signed as a free agent with the team on July 1, 2018.
The team has also signed forwards Patrick Brown and Tyrell Goulbourne each to a two-year contract through the 2020-21 season worth an average annual value of $700,000 and signed defensemen Brett Lernout and Jaycob Megna each to a one-year contract through the 2019-20 season worth an average annual value of $700,000.
Brown, 27, helped lead the American Hockey League’s Charlotte Checkers to the 2018-19 Calder Cup championship after recording 35 points (19 G, 16 A) in 70 games during the regular season. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan native finished with 10 points (5 G, 5 A) to go with 18 penalty minutes in 11 Calder Cup playoff games. The Checkers’ captain has appeared in 28 NHL games, all with the Carolina Hurricanes, and has recorded two points (1 G, 1 A) to go with eight penalty minutes. Brown also appeared in eight games for Carolina during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Goulbourne, 25, recorded 18 points (9 G, 9 A) to go with 135 penalty minutes in 63 games for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms during the 2018-19 season. He has appeared in a total of 11 games for the Philadelphia Flyers in parts of two seasons, including two games during the 2018-19 season.
Learnout, 23, recorded nine points (4 G, 5 A) to go with 41 penalty minutes in 74 games with the AHL’s Laval Rockets during the 2018-19 season. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native has appeared in 21 NHL games in parts of three seasons, all for the Montreal Canadiens, including 18 games during the 2017-18 season, where he recorded one assists to go with six penalty minutes.
Megna, 26, captained the AHL’s San Diego Gulls during the 2018-19 season and recorded 13 points (2 G, 11 A) to go with 20 penalty minutes in 38 games. He also appeared in 16 Calder Cup playoff games for the Gulls and tallied two assists to go with 10 penalty minutes. The Ft. Lauderdale, Florida native also appeared in 28 NHL games for Anaheim Ducks during the 2018-19 season, finishing with four points (1 G, 3 A) to go with 12 penalty minutes. Megna has suited up for the Ducks in parts of three seasons, skating in a total of 43 career games.
In other news, the Chicago Blackhawks have signed former Sharks and VGK player center Ryan Carpenter. Carpenter accepted a three year, $3 million deal with the team, according to Chicago Tribune.
Carpenter played in 68 games last season and scored 18 points. He will compete for the fourth-line center role in Chicago, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
Additionally, center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare has reportedly signed a 2-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche worth $3.6 million.
VGK defenseman Colin Miller was traded to the Buffalo Sabres last week. Also, the team traded forward Erik Haula for forward Nicolas Roy and a conditional fifth round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Information about all transactions can be found by clicking here.
