In this edition of Vegas Golden Knights News & Rumors, we highlight Nolan Patrick, who said he’s excited to join the team after being acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers this offseason. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights lost a player to the Flyers last week when forward Patrick Brown was claimed off waivers. In other news, Mattias Janmark missed the home opener against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night due to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols.
Patrick Excited for New Beginning
It’s been a frustrating few seasons with the Flyers for Patrick. The 23-year-old has struggled to live up to high expectations as the second-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. His first two seasons in the league were up and down, and then he was forced to miss the entire 2019-20 campaign due to migraine issues. Thankfully, he returned last season but struggled immensely, scoring just four goals and nine points in 52 games.
Joining the Golden Knights has given him the fresh start he so badly needed, and, perhaps more importantly, it reconnected him with Kelly McCrimmon, his general manager in the Western Hockey League with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
“He’s obviously the smartest hockey mind I’ve ever been around throughout my hockey career, and you can obviously tell how smart he is the way he’s built this team and the success they’ve had,” Patrick said. “I’m obviously really happy to be playing under him and enjoyed my time with him in Brandon a lot, so I was excited when I heard the news.”
Patrick is expected to center the third line from the start of the season, with Peyton Krebs and Evgenii Dadonov as his wingers. It is a solid position for him to get his career back on track. If he can regain his confidence, he could be a huge pickup for the Golden Knights.
Brown Claimed off Waivers
The Flyers scooped up some depth from the Golden Knights on Monday, claiming Brown off waivers. The 29-year-old had a good camp in Vegas but was a casualty due to the numbers game. He will get a shot with the Flyers to begin the 2021-22 season, but whether or not he sticks remains to be seen.
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While it’s always nice to have organizational depth, this isn’t a huge loss for the Golden Knights. At age 29, Brown has played just 33 career NHL games in stints with Vegas and the Carolina Hurricanes. In those 33 contests, he has a goal and three points.
Janmark Placed on Covid Protocol List
The Golden Knights had to play their home opener on Tuesday night without Janmark, who was placed on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list. The 28-year-old was acquired late in the 2020-21 season from the Chicago Blackhawks and signed a one-year, $2 million extension with Vegas this summer.
Janmark won’t be in the lineup Thursday night versus the L.A. Kings, as he did not make the road trip with his team. That means his next chance to make his season debut will be on Oct. 20, when the Golden Knights return home to take on the St. Louis Blues.
Up Next for Golden Knights
After the Golden Knights take on the Kings on Thursday, they will be off until Wednesday of next week when they face off against the Blues. From there, they will battle the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night and the New York Islanders on Sunday in home games. They will look to build off of their first game of the season, a 4-3 win against the Kraken.
