Comtois aims to make roster with strong play

24-year old forward scored 86 points during five seasons with Anaheim.

Max Comtois finds himself on a PTO contract, battling two other players for the one of the final two forward spots on the roster.

LAS VEGAS — Max Comtois joined the Vegas Golden Knights with the hope of making the team and cracking an established lineup.

He has a few options this summer, but felt that Vegas was the best place for him to try his luck.

“It just seemed right from the start,” he said. “I had some some other options, but to me it was the best team. Obviously they won the [Stanley] Cup last year, but, just as a play style for me, they felt like I was at the right place here.”

Comtois is competing for one of two known forward spots on the team with Paul Cotter and Pavel Dorofeyev. One is the battle for Reilly Smith’s vacant spot on William Karlsson’s left wing, and the other is the extra forward Vegas plans on carrying on its roster.

In 210 career NHL games, Comtois has 38 goals and 48 assists. He spent his entire career in the Anaheim Ducks organization before not reaching an agreement this summer, leading to signing with Vegas on a professional tryout contract.

He envisions being a player akin to a Ivan Barbashev - a physical, net front presence that scores goals below the dots.

“It’s a team that plays in straight line, north-south hockey. There's obviously have some guys with talent, but they play the game the right way,” he said. “They play heavy. They play fast. That's the kind of game that I like as well. That’s the kind of game that I'm good at, I'm just trying to push those guys and try to make the team, and try to find my place in that lineup. Hopefully it goes well.”