Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

With Golden Knights’ goalie battle up in the air, Thompson looking to ‘prove people wrong’

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David Becker/AP

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson (36) makes a save against the Nashville Predators during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 24, 2022, in Las Vegas.

Logan Thompson got a chance to reflect this summer.

First, the good: He enjoyed his time in Finland playing with Team Canada. Thompson helped lead his team to the gold medal game in the IIHF World Championships, an experience he’ll never forget.

The bad: The Golden Knights’ goalie wondered if he did enough to keep his team from missing the playoffs for the first time last year, despite an astonishing run to help Vegas stay alive until the final few days of the regular season.

“That kind of was my mindset, and the fuel in me to have a good season and prove people wrong,” Thompson said.

As the Golden Knights opened the on-ice portion of training camp Thursday at City National Arena, the immediate attention was on who wasn’t at camp. Outside of the ongoing contract discussions with restricted free agent defenseman Nic Hague, Vegas officially began the new year without goalies Robin Lehner and Laurent Brossoit.

Lehner is out for the season after undergoing double hip surgery. Brossoit, also recovering from a hip procedure, will not participate in camp, general manager Kelly McCrimmon said.

The No. 1 goalie job is Thompson’s for the taking if he has a strong camp and preseason. Thompson, who went 10-5-3 in 19 appearances in his first taste of NHL action, will split reps with the recently acquired Adin Hill over the next two weeks.

“I think I have the confidence in myself. I think the guys in the room have the confidence in me, and I think that’s really all I need,” Thompson said.

Who is Thompson trying to prove wrong? After all, he’s only appeared in 20 NHL games.

He’s not shy in admitting that he sees what the “keyboard warriors” and “these guys on Twitter” have to say about him.

“It’s hard to stay off it,” Thompson said. “There’s always noise you’re going to hear. It fires me up. I’ve had that my whole career, and I think everyone’s always doubted me. At the end of the day, they can be right, or we’ll see how the season goes.”

McCrimmon said the expectation is that Thompson and Hill will get plenty of reps in the coming days, and could play the bulk of the preseason. The Golden Knights open the preseason Sunday in Colorado and follow that with four straight home games.

Vegas would not have acquired the 26-year-old Hill from San Jose in exchange for a future fourth-round pick if not for needed insurance. While McCrimmon did not confirm if Brossoit is out long term, but Hill is a capable NHL goalie who has yet to play on a playoff contender.

At the very least, it’ll be friendly competition between the goalies. Hill and Thompson have known each other since they were 10 years old and went to middle school together in Calgary.

“I’m really happy he’s here,” Thompson said. “To have someone here I know is comfortable so there’s no awkward meeting stage.”

Much like Thompson, Hill also has much to prove. Vegas is his third team since 2018 and has yet to become a full-time starter. The Sharks signed Hill to a two-year contract ($2.175 million AAV) to compete for that with veteran James Reimer.

When the Sharks acquired Kaapo Kahkonen from Minnesota at last season’s trade deadline, that left Hill as the odd man out.

Coach Bruce Cassidy said each goalie will get a fair amount of games in the preseason, but trying to evaluate who has the leg up in the competition will likely carry into the regular season.

It has the same feel to what Cassidy had in Boston last year with then-rookie Jeremy Swayman and veteran Linus Ullmark. When Tuukka Rask retired, Cassidy split the starts down the middle between the two.

“I don’t think two, three weeks you can say this guy is definitive, or this guy isn’t,” Cassidy said. “That will sort itself out.”

Stone, Brisson in non-contact

Mark Stone was a non-contact participant Thursday, but the Golden Knights’ captain said it felt good to feel a different kind of sore.

Stone had back surgery this summer, but is expected to be ready for opening night.

“This is probably the hardest skate I’ve had since the last day of the season,” Stone said.

Stone said the next three days will be crucial to see where he’s at. He’s not likely to play Sunday, but if he feels well, he’d like to play in one of the games next week.

“I'm definitely anticipating and I'm hoping to play. I've missed preseasons before. It's not the greatest thing in the world,” Stone said. “You always feel a little step behind so it'd be nice to get at least one or two games moving forward.”

Top prospect forward Brendan Brisson also wore the red non-contact sweater. Brisson sat out of the final game of the rookie tournament in San Jose. He looked better in drills and could be a full participant in the coming days.

Patrick out for year

Forward Nolan Patrick, who has dealt with chronic battles of migraines and other injury issues, will not play this year, McCrimmon confirmed.

The No. 2 pick of the 2017 draft was acquired by the Golden Knights in a three-team trade with Nashville and Philadelphia last year, and then signed a two-year contract at $1.2 million per year.

Patrick missed the entire 2019-20 season due to migraine issues. He played 52 of 56 games in 2021, but was limited to just 25 games in his first season with Vegas. Patrick had seven points (two goals, five assists).

“This is all about just real life for now, getting Nolan healthy, day-to-day,” McCrimmon said. “I think [being out for the year], that’s a sobering reflection on where this is at for Nolan and our hopes are let’s just get Nolan healthy and see what the future holds.”

Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on Twitter at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.