Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden had a solid first year with the team when he was healthy.
Howden was acquired by Vegas in a trade with the New York Rangers just over a year ago that included former Golden Knights defenseman Nick DeSimone and a fourth-round pick from this year's draft.
The four-year NHL forward scored nine goals and added 11 assists for a total of 20 points in a career-low average time on ice of 10:39 minutes last season. He also recorded 36 blocks, 62 hits, and 13 takeaways.
Howden got off to a slow start with the Golden Knights, having not scored a single point until his eighth game, a 5-1 victory for Vegas against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 4.
His play really picked up in late January and earlier February. From Jan. 24 to Feb. 8, the center scored at least one point in five-straight games, including a goal in four-straight contests. The Golden Knights attained four wins in that five-game stretch, the only loss coming in overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Howden would then only score three points the rest of his season.
In the first period of the Golden Knights' March 24 matchup with the Nashville Predators, Howden would suffer a season-ending injury from a scary collision with Nashville forward Filip Forsberg.
The setback added to the numerous injuries that had plagued Vegas all season long.
As a prospect from the WHL's Moose Jaw Warriors, Howden was drafted in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played for the club's AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, before he was traded to the Rangers in February of 2018.
Howden registered 49 points (16 goals and 33 assists) in the 178 games he played with New York.
Now, after an inaugural season in Vegas that was cut short, the center sits as a potential option on the Golden Knights' checking line.
The 24-year-old is still a young asset who could have a bright future in Sin City, and it seems the organization knows it.
The Golden Knights signed Howden to a one-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.5 million, the club announced last week.
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