Can Brendan Brisson Step Up To Be A Full-Time NHLer Next Season?

Brendan Brisson played in 15 games for the Vegas Golden Knights last season and may find himself on the opening night roster next season.

In the 15 games Brisson played in he scored two goals and eight points. His games were scattered throughout the year due to injuries and played with multiple different linemates in different roles. 

With the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, Brisson scored 19 goals and 38 points in 52 games. He finished third on the team in both goals and points.

The 22-year-old was selected with the 29th pick in the first-round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He's currently the only Golden Knights first round pick to not be traded. 

The Golden Knights are heading into this offseason very tight to the cap limit with multiple available roster spots. Veteran forwards like Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, Michael Amadio, Anthony Mantha, and William Carrier are all UFAs and need contracts. The Golden Knights will only be able to keep one or possibly two players out of the five. 

Because of their salary situation, the Golden Knights need players on low salary contracts and entry-level contracts to outperform and give them lots of value. Brisson is one of the top candidate's in the organization to do so. 

The American-born winger is incredibly talented with a wicked shot. He isn't the fastest skater on the ice but his shot makes him a threat any time he steps over the blue line. In his two seasons with the University of Michigan, he scored 31 goals and 63 points in 62 games. He was the number one shooting option during his sophomore year on a stacked Wolverine's power play that featured the likes of Owen Power, Luke Hughes, Matty Beniers, Kent Johnson and Thomas Bordeleau.

Brisson won't find himself in prime goal-scoring positions like he has throughout his career but his skillset can make him an effective player. He's at his best getting power play opportunities but a team with Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, William Karlsson and Tomas Hertl, it will be hard to give him the reps he would like. 

The next step in his development would be to round out his game and if he's able to do so in training camp and preseason, Brisson could be a full-time NHLer for the Golden Knights. 

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