Disaster is avoided in Vegas thanks to this unexpected element!

PUBLICATION

MarcO
October 29, 2022 (10:50)

SHARE THIS STORY

The Vegas Golden Knights entered the new campaign with a huge weight on their shoulders. With an overflowing payroll, expensive assets in the organization, a very questionable trading history, and a last season that was well below expectations, there was a ton of pressure going into the season for them.

Plus, before the season even started, the Knights learned that they would be without their number one goalie, Robin Lehner, for the entire season due to several key injuries.

New Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy had to fall back on a very inexperienced goaltending tandem with Adin Hill and Logan Thompson. If at first glance, disaster seemed inevitable, the opposite is true since the beginning of the season.

Both goaltenders have been extremely solid and have given their team a boost, currently sitting in first place in the Western Hockey Association with a 7-2 record.

Cassidy has relied primarily on Thompson as the number one goaltender since the beginning of the season, even though he had only 20 games of NHL experience prior to this year.

In six games so far, the 25-year-old has a .943 save percentage and a 1.69 goals-against average. These statistics place him in the top-4 of NHL goaltenders.

Never drafted in the National Hockey League, Thompson had an unusual career after his junior stint in the WHL. He played one season in the Canadian university system before signing a professional contract the following year in the ECHL.

After dominating that league, the Knights offered him a contract in the AHL in 2020-2021. His meteoric rise and dominance in the AHL saw him play 20 games with the big club last year. A year later, he became a full-time NHL goalie.

The Canadian goalie's great story continues as he has been one of the big bright spots in Vegas' early season. Being signed for three seasons at less than $800,000 a year, if he keeps it up, he could become the biggest bargain in the NHL.

Disaster seems to be avoided in Vegas!