Golden Knights claim former first-round pick off waivers from Panthers

The Golden Knights claimed forward Grigori Denisenko off waivers from the Florida Panthers on Saturday, the team announced.

Denisenko, 23, was taken No. 15 overall in the 2018 NHL Draft by the Panthers but hasn't panned out at the NHL level. He played 26 games in three years with Florida, totaling seven assists.

The 5-11 Russian forward had 36 points (12 goals, 24 assists) as a top option with AHL Charlotte last season.

The intrigue of adding Denisenko is he plays left wing, the position the Golden Knights are trying to fill with their last roster spot. The race has appeared to have dwindled down to two with Paul Cotter and Pavel Dorofeyev leading the charge.

Former Anaheim forward Max Comtois is still with the team on his PTO.

Denisenko is the latest player in a line of potential reclamation projects from the Golden Knights. They acquired Brett Howden, a former first-round pick from 2016, in a trade with the New York Rangers in July 2021 after 49 points in three seasons.

Howden turned into a reliable complement with Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone on the third line and contributed into Vegas winning the Stanley Cup this past summer. He was rewarded with a two-year extension on July 19.

Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.