Updated 5x at 6:47 PM: Per TSN’s Darren Dreger:
Keegan Kolesar traded to Detroit for a 3rd in 2029 and a 7th in 2027.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2026
Kolesar, 29, stands at 6’2″ and 214 pounds, and he’s in year 2 of a 3-year contract that pays him $2.5 million per season.
Some jam for the Red Wings' bottom-six. Kolesar was 7th in the NHL in hits last season with 270 https://t.co/wHlYys5UzZ
— Max Bultman (@m_bultman) July 1, 2026
TRADE: The Red Wings have acquired forward Keegan Kolesar from the Golden Knights for a third round pick in 2029 and a seventh round pick in 2027, reports @DarrenDreger pic.twitter.com/k9tp6i9Brz
— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) July 1, 2026
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🔁
— Winged Wheel Podcast (@WingedWheelPod) July 1, 2026
The Detroit Red Wings have acquired forward Keegan Kolesar from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2029 3rd round pick & a 2027 7th round pick. #LGRW
Thoughts on Yzerman adding Kolesar’s grit down the lineup? ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/f5jw9o2jIM
The Red Wings land one of the NHL's toughest players 😳
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) July 1, 2026
Vegas trades Keegan Kolesar to Detroit in exchange for a 3rd-round pick and a 7th-round pick 🔄 pic.twitter.com/Py5qVHunYr
Update: From the Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker:
Selected with the 69th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets while playing in the WHL for the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Brandon, Manitoba native was eventually traded to the Golden Knights in 2017.
He made his NHL debut with the Golden Knights in 2020, and would soon become a regular in their lineup.
Kolesar lifted the Stanley Cup with the rest of his Golden Knights teammates in 2023 after defeating the Florida Panthers; he contributed two goals and three assists in 22 postseason games during their title run.
Update #2: Confirmed from the Vegas side:
The Vegas Golden Knights have traded Keegan Kolesar to the Detroit Red Wings for a 3rd in 2029 and a 7th in 2027.
— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) July 1, 2026
Update #3: From the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan:
Kolesar played all 82 games last season, with six goals and 11 assists for 17 points and a minus-14 rating and 55 penalty minutes.
The 6-foot-2, 216-pound wing is known for his forechecking, ability to win board battles and ability to deliver hits.
The Wings added to their lineup Wednesday, signing forward Viktor Arvidsson, goaltender Daniil Tarasov and defenseman Jacob Bryson, along with re-signing forward Carter Mazur.
The Wings are awaiting word on veteran forward Patrick Kane, who hit the free agent market but has not ruled out a return to Detroit.
Update #4: Here’s the Free Press’s Helene St. James:
Kolesar, 29, has spent his entire NHL career with the Knights, appearing in 439 games since making his debut in 2019-20. He recorded personal highs in 2024-25 with 12 goals, 18 assists and 30 points in 82 games. Last season he had six goals and 11 assists, along with a minus-14 rating. He has also logged 77 career playoff games, with 21 of them coming last season, in which he registered one point and a minus-2 rating.
Kolesar is entering the second year of a three-year deal that carries a $2.5 million annual average value.
Last season he averaged around 11:30 of ice time per game, including about half a minute killing penalties.
Update #5: Here’s even more from MLive’s Ansar Khan…
The Detroit Red Wings acquired gritty, physical right wing Keegan Kolesar Wednesday from the Vegas Golden Knights for a third-round pick in 2029 and seventh-round selection in 2027.
Kolesar, 29, appeared in 82 games last season, collecting six goals, 11 assists and 55 penalty minutes. He appeared in 21 playoff games in the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final, picking up just one point (a goal).
Kolesar (6-2, 216) ranked seventh in the NHL with 270 hits last season, providing a much-needed element for a team that needs to be harder to play against.
He has two years remaining on his contract at $2.5 million per season.
Kolesar had spent his entire six-year career with Vegas, appearing in 439 games and tallying 44 goals, 76 assists and 323 penalty minutes.
And Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen:
Detroit Red Wings’ GM Steve Yzerman, embracing an objective to be a tougher team, acquired 218-pound Las Vegas Golden Knights winger Keegan Kolesar who posted 270 hits last season.
Kolesar, 28, has been a regular for the Golden Knights for six seasons, and has averaged 262 hits per season over the past five years. He ranked seventh in the NHL in hits last season.
Yzerman gave up a third-round draft pick and a seventh rounder to land the fourth-line energy forward. He has two seasons remaining on a contract that pays him $2.5 million per season. He has averaged seven goals a season in Vegas with a high of 12 in 2024-25.
He was one of four veterans acquired by Detroit Wednesday, joining forward UFA signees Viktor Arvidsson, defenseman Jacob Bryson, and goaltender Daniil Tarasov.
97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield also weighed in:
For too long, the Red Wings have been the nail. They’ve finally added a hammer.
Detroit has acquired bruising forward Keegan Kolesar from the Golden Knights in exchange for a third-round draft pick in 2029 and a seventh-rounder in 2027.
The 6’2 Kolesar is third in the NHL in hits over the last five seasons, tallying well over 200 each year. He won’t chip in much offense — averaging eight goals per season over that stretch — but he’s been a bottom-six mainstay on number of good teams for Vegas, including two that reached the Stanley Cup final and one that won it.
Kolesar will add some of the heaviness and physicality that the Red Wings have been lacking. Detroit was 29th in the NHL in hits and fights last season. Their leader in hits was second-year forward Marco Kasper, with 186. Kolesar had 270 for Vegas.
Their leader in fights was departed defenseman Travis Hamonic, with three. They had 11 as a team. Kolesar dropped the gloves five times himself, four more than any returning Red Wings player.
