The Vegas Golden Knights have not held on to a lot of their draft picks since they joined the NHL. In order to keep their competitive window open as long as possible, general manager (GM) Kelly McCrimmon has mortgaged their future and brought in an incredible amount of talent to elevate their roster. While it’s a style of management that isn’t popular in the NHL, it ultimately resulted in them winning the Stanley Cup quicker than almost any team in the league’s history.
Brendan Brisson is one draft pick that the Golden Knights have chosen to hold on to. He was selected 29th in the first round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, and is currently the only first-round selection the Golden Knights haven’t traded away. The 22-year-old is entering the final year of his entry-level contract and has only played 15 NHL games in his career, but signs are pointing to the fact that he could become a regular in the NHL next season.
After acquiring so much high-end talent over the past few seasons, the Golden Knights are entering a pivotal free agency period this summer. With a list of nine pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) that includes Anthony Mantha, Chandler Stephenson, and Jonathan Marchessault, they are going to likely see some serious roster changes ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Related: Evaluating the Golden Knights’ Free Agent Decisions
Additionally, the Golden Knights’ lack of cap space means getting contributions from players with smaller contracts will be extremely valuable, and arguably necessary. Pavel Dorofeyev is one recent success story for the Golden Knights, and as one of the top contributors on the Henderson Silver Knights, Brisson should be offered a similar opportunity next season.
Brisson’s 2023-24 Season
With the Golden Knights’ roster being riddled with injuries, Brisson’s 15 NHL games were scattered throughout the 2023-24 regular season. However, he made the most of the opportunities he was given, recording two goals and eight points in that span while also earning himself some time on the power play.
As for his time in the American Hockey League (AHL), Brisson finished with 19 goals and 38 points in 52 games, recording just one more point than he did in the 2022-23 season. While he didn’t make the offensive jump that second-year players typically do, he’s been a top-three scorer on a lacklustre Silver Knights team from the moment he joined in a full-time role. That’s worth something.
In terms of his style of play, Brisson’s standout trait is his shot. He has a quick release that allows him to score from a variety of areas in the offensive zone, but he often elects to stand in the faceoff circle where he opens himself up for one-timer opportunities. He doesn’t drive plays on his own as often as he should, but he’s shown an ability to excel in a complementary role, which is why he’s played so well with better teammates in his short time in the NHL.
The biggest thing Brisson needs to do to become a regular in the NHL is round out his game. With high-end scoring talent surrounding the Golden Knights’ roster, he’s not going to get a lot of chances to break into the top-six right away. Being a one-dimensional scoring threat will only get you so far, and if he can find ways to add value, he’ll have a better shot at taking on a bigger role in the lineup next season.
Final Thoughts on Brisson
With the Golden Knights’ management philosophy, they haven’t shown patience with almost any of their prospects except Brisson. They clearly see something in him that they believe can help their roster in the future, and this could be the season that we see Brisson get his shot.
Player development isn’t a linear process. It’s not always the wisest decision to throw players directly into the NHL, even if their reputation as a first-round pick may warrant that expectation. Ultimately, Brisson’s small sample size of NHL experience makes it difficult to have a decisive opinion on whether or not he’s able to make the jump permanently, but his skills are undeniable.
Being the Golden Knights’ best prospect, there’s still a realistic scenario where he gets traded to bolster their lineup like we’ve seen many times before. However, their prospect pool would look very bleak if they decided to do so. They have to look to the future at some point, and Brisson could join Dorofeyev as the start of a younger wave of players to contribute to their team.
