Vegas Golden Knights Report Card: Brandon Pirri
Brandon Pirri couldn’t stick in the NHL on a consistent basis in 2018-19 but he now has a big opportunity ahead of him after being awarded a new deal in the offseason.
Brandon Pirri: Grade D+
We roll on with our 2018-19 Vegas Golden Knights Report Cards today as we turn the magnifying glass on Brandon Pirri, who endured a mixed year in the NHL as he continues to try and prove that he’s got what it takes to succeed in the big leagues.
His Season
Since being signed by the Vegas Golden Knights as a free agent on Oct, 4, 2017, Brandon Pirri has shown flashes of being able to take the NHL by storm, although those moments have been fleeting on too many occasions.
Take this stat for instance; during his two-years in Vegas Pirri has recorded 94 points (47 goals, 47 assists) in 86 games for the Chicago Wolves, compared to just 21 points (15 goals, six assists) in 33 games for the Golden Knights in the NHL.
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That perhaps best sums up Pirri’s career so far, prolific in the minors but unable to translate that productivity to the majors on a consistent basis. He is capable of providing offense in the NHL, though, as backed up by his 24 points in back-to-back seasons for the Florida Panthers between 2014-16.
As already mentioned, the 28-year-old has impressed in streaks for the Golden Knights in the NHL, helping his team outscore the opposition 11-1 during 173 minutes of even strength play alongside Alex Tuch in 2018-19, while he and Cody Eakin had one of the best goal-share totals of any line on the team last year, albeit it was a very small sample size. That is especially interesting when you consider that the trio are expected to be put on the third-line together to start 2019-20.
Pirri finished 2018-19 with 12 goals and six assists for 18 points in 31 games for the Knights, posting a plus/minus rating of +7 in addition to tallying four points (three goals, one assist) on the power play. He logged an average of 14:07 minutes of ice time per night with a 57.0 CF% and a 62.4 oZS%, which is impressive.
Another stat that stands out is Pirri’s three game-winning goals, which ranked tied-sixth on the team, along with his 14.6 shooting percentage. He also had a winning percentage of 44.1 in the faceoff circle, in addition to 13 blocked shots, 29 hits, 14 takeaways and just 11 giveaways.
Those stats on their own look solid enough for a bottom-six forward, and the eye test would also back up the fact that Pirri can provide secondary scoring and is a dangerous scorer in the NHL when he’s playing at the peak of his powers.
But, that is the main caveat at play here. Pirri can have three or four nights in a row where he stinks the place out, and that consistency you need to be a dominant force in the NHL just hasn’t been there. Whether or not it will arrive at 28-years of age, well only time will tell.
And the inability to perform at a high-level night in and night out hurt Pirri, and he ended up spending a chunk of time in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves in 2018-19, tallying 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 29 games, in addition to racking up 37 penalty minutes and finishing with a plus/minus rating of +7.
Pirri was a healthy scratch for all but one of the Golden Knights’ seven postseason contests against the San Jose Sharks in the First Round, with the wing being brought in to spark the offense into life in Game 7, although he was held without a point.