Brendan Brisson has the most pressure on him of the Vegas Golden Knights prospects. The No. 29 2020 NHL entry draft pick completed his first full professional season with the Henderson Silver Knights last year. The 21-year-old had 37 points (18 goals) in 58 games.
Odds are that Brisson will not make the Golden Knights opening-day roster. He would have to pass up Brett Howden, Michael Amadio, Pavel Dorofeyev, and Paul Cotter on the depth chart. Max Comtois in Vegas on a PTO further complicates Brisson’s chances.
Brisson is doing whatever he can to make an impression. He was pushing extremely hard in Friday’s practice, almost too hard. Brisson turned the puck over in a number of drills and was opting to shoot instead of passing to open teammates.
Brisson made a splash the moment he hit the ice on Thursday by wearing the number 19, Reilly Smith’s former number. Smith reportedly went through the proper channels before changing numbers. He spoke with at least one current Golden Knights player and Smith himself before making the change.
Brisson does not mind the pressure he is putting on himself to make an impression.
Tuomas Uronen
Uronen was the No. 192 overall pick of the Golden Knights in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He is someone that stood out in Friday’s practice based on his speed.
Elite Prospects describes Uronen as, “Uronen’s game is built around his hockey sense and sneaky-good skill level. He anticipates the play in advance, takes intelligent routes both with and without the puck and manages the puck well during in-zone play. He’s inside-driven, never cycling the puck needlessly and has a knack for playmaking from below the goal line especially.”
The 18-year-old has a long way to go to become an AHL or NHL player. Perhaps Uronen can follow another Golden Knights path to the NHL level from being a sixth-round draft pick? Captain Mark Stone was taken in the sixth-round in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Ottawa Senators.
Could it be captain Uronen for the Golden Knights in the year 2030?
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