Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit (39) is shown during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena Wednesday, Feb.16, 2022.
Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022 | 11:26 a.m.
With the emergence of two young goaltenders guiding the Golden Knights to a league-best 12-2-0 start, Vegas has placed veteran goalie Laurent Brossoit on waivers.
Brossoit will either be assigned to Henderson on a full-time basis or any of the other 31 teams can claim him and absorb his entire cap hit. Brossoit is in the final year of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.325 million he signed with Vegas in July 2021.
The Golden Knights assigned Brossoit to Henderson on a conditioning loan on Oct. 31 to get him his first game action since March after undergoing offseason hip surgery. Brossoit allowed nine goals in two starts with the Silver Knights, including four in the first period Tuesday in San Diego before being pulled from the game.
The decision doesn't come as a surprise, given how well Logan Thompson and Adin Hill have played to give the Golden Knights the best record in the NHL through the first two weeks of November. Thompson, who is projected to start tonight in Buffalo (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+/Hulu), is off to a 7-2-0 start with a 2.12 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. The 25-year-old Thompson has won five starts in a row.
Hill was acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks prior to training camp and has also performed admirably when called upon. Hill, 26, is 5-0-0 with just a 2.17 GAA and a .925 save percentage despite allowing a season-high four goals Saturday in a win in Montreal.
Given there are teams in need of goalies — such as the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks — there is a chance a team could claim Brossoit. But his performance in Henderson suggests he'll need more than two starts to get back into game shape and could very well go unclaimed.
If Brossoit does clear waivers, he will be the No. 3 goalie in the organization and can be called back up if things in Vegas go haywire.
The next round of waiver announcements will be at 11 a.m. Friday.
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
