Goaltender Jesper Vikman (32) skates during Vegas Golden Knights rookie practice at City National Arena in Summerlin Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.
Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 | 11:12 p.m.
Putting stock in a game featuring two teams of rookies can be a dangerous slope. But it’s one of the few times fans can see players before going back to their junior teams, or elsewhere.
The Golden Knights have that mix of prospects who are on the rise for an NHL spot, and those still years away. Vegas opened its Rookie Faceoff tournament with a 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks at The Dollar Loan Center on Friday night.
Brendan Brisson scored a power-play goal, and Ty Cheveldayoff added a tally in the third period for the Golden Knights, but it was an up-and-down game that saw Vegas get better as it went on. Jesper Vikman made 25 saves in the loss.
“Our guys battled tonight,” said Silver Knights coach Ryan Craig. “We battled until the end. We can clean up some of those penalties and some of those details, but I thought guys battled hard.”
The Golden Knights play two more games over the next three days before training camp opens at City National Arena on Thursday. Vegas plays the San Jose Sharks in Henderson on Saturday at 7 p.m.
But Vegas wasn’t playing an Anaheim team with unknowns. Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 overall pick in this summer’s draft, had an assist in the first period to help the Ducks take an early 2-0 lead.
Though the Golden Knights rallied to tie it in the third, the Ducks tacked on two more in the third to put the game out of reach.
Some notable players on the Vegas side.
Brendan Brisson
Good things happen when Brisson has time and space to shoot, especially on the power play. If the Golden Knights’ top prospect is to make the NHL club this fall, that’s one way to help his cause.
Brisson scored Vegas’ first goal in the second period just seconds into a power play. He received the puck from Lukas Cormier at the right circle and beat goalie Calle Clang.
Much has been made about Brisson’s commitment to being a better all-around player. There were signs of that improvement on Friday. He showed a willingness to take part in 50-50 puck battles and hustled on the backcheck.
Those traits will define if he beats out the competition ahead of him for the open roster spot in Vegas. This was a good start for him, though playing against fellow rookies doesn’t completely move the needle. The real test comes in a little more than a week when preseason starts.
“You can see he’s conscious of it,” Craig said. “He’s working through it. This is just the start. He’s doing the right things, he’s saying the right things. We’re just going to continue to work with him.”
Lukas Cormier
Much like eyes are on Brisson entering his second pro season, the same can be said for the 21-year-old defenseman.
Cormier had 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) with the Silver Knights last season. Numbers wise, that’s an impressive first season. There’s no denying his offensive talent. Defensively, at 5-foot-10, trying to win puck retrievals and being stronger against an opposing forecheck is still an issue.
The 68th pick in the 2020 draft had an assist on Brisson’s goal, but there weren’t many eye-popping moments that he’s capable of providing.
“These tournaments are always fun, getting the legs back under you after the summer,” Cormier said. “The first game isn’t always the best one. You want to get better as you go.”
Cormier’s size won’t be a detriment. So long as he has that offensive knack, there’s reason to believe he’ll break through to the NHL at some point. With the likes of Kaedan Korczak and Brayden Pachal ahead of him, this second pro season will be good for Cormier to continue that development.
Jesper Vikman
There were pockets of good and bad for the Swedish goalie taken.
Vikman’s rebound control wasn’t great. He looked shaky at times, and his side-to-side action in the crease looked off. The goals allowed would’ve looked worse if not for a couple posts and misses that were just wide. It also didn’t help the first shot he saw was a shorthanded goal to get Anaheim on the board.
After allowing two goals in the first, Vikman looked more comfortable in the second and third. He made some notable saves, including a stop with his right pad late in the third on an Anaheim power play.
“I thought Jesper settled in very well,” Craig said. “Not an easy thing when one of the first shots he sees is a shorthanded breakaway, but I thought he battled and worked hard through traffic.”
It wasn’t Vikman’s fault. The Golden Knights struggled with Anaheim’s pressure most of the night. Too many extended shifts in the defensive zone eventually wore down the group, and Vikman eventually faltered because of it.
This tournament is a good test for Vikman to see where he lands in the organizational pecking order in net. Isaiah Saville is the clubhouse leader to be the backup in Henderson to Jiri Patera, but Saville isn’t playing this weekend due to injury. Vikman and ECHL Savannah goalie Jordan Papirny are getting the game reps.
There is a lot of promise with Vikman, a 6-foot-4 goalie who moves well in the crease. There will be some of those up-and-down moments as the weekend continues.
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
