The Vegas Golden Knights agreed to terms with forwards Brandon Pirri and Tomas Nosek on Monday, the first day of NHL free agency. The Golden Knights, who are partners with the Western Conference champion Chicago Wolves, also penned two-year deals with forwards Patrick Brown and Tyrell Goulbourne and signed defensemen Brett Lernout and Jaycob Megna to one-year contracts.
All six players boast NHL experience.
Pirri, who racked up 42 points in 29 games with the Wolves in 2018-19 before being called up to the Golden Knights for good on Jan. 6, signed a two-year contract with Vegas after scoring 12 goals and adding six assists in 31 games for the Knights last season. The 28-year-old Toronto native joined the Vegas organization in 2017 as a free agent and re-signed as a free agent on July 1, 2018.
Nosek earned a one-year contract after recording a career-high 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) for Vegas in 2018-19. The native of Pardubice, Czech Republic, was selected in the 2017 Expansion Draft from the Detroit Red Wings, scoring seven goals and eight assists in his first season with the Golden Knights.
The 27-year-old Brown captained the Charlotte Checkers to the 2019 Calder Cup and posted 35 points (19G, 16A) in 70 regular-season games before scoring five goals and five assists in 11 postseason contests. The Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, native signed with Carolina as an undrafted free agent and has played for the organization for the past five seasons.
Goulbourne, an Edmonton native, has played the majority of the last four seasons with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms while appearing in 11 games over two seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers. The 25-year-old posted nine goals and nine assists in 2018-19 to go with 135 penalty minutes. Goulbourne was a third-round draft pick in 2013 for the Flyers.
Lernout, a 23-year-old Winnipeg native, played all of the 2018-19 season with the Laval Rocket and collected nine points (4G, 5A) and 41 penalty minutes in 74 contests. Lernout was a third-round selection for the Montreal Canadiens in 2014 and has played 21 NHL games for Montreal over three seasons.
Megna, 26, captained the San Diego Gulls to the Western Conference Finals in 2018-19 as he recorded 13 points (2G, 11A) in 38 games before notching a pair of assists in 16 postseason games. Megna grew up in the Chicago area and played for the Glenview Stars along with Team Illinois and the Chicago Mission. Megna has 43 NHL games under his belt, all with the Anaheim Ducks.
The Wolves host their 2019-20 home opener on Saturday, Oct. 5, at Allstate Arena.
