Braeden Bowman had a solid debut for the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. The Henderson Silver Knights superstar had four shots on goal, kick-starting a slumbering Golden Knights offense into getting a point. Did Vegas lose the game in overtime? Sure. But that doesn't mean Bruce Cassidy didn't take notice of the prospect.
Per the game preview on https://t.co/2553Hxt4wB, Braedan Bowman took line rushes on the top line with Eichel and Barbashev. Marner is with Hertl and Dorofoyev. No changes to the bottom-six or defense.
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Schmid will start for the second straight game.https://t.co/Vjze6XYsf3
Bowman got the lineup promotion with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev during Saturday's line rushes, indicating that bigger things are on the horizon. After all, scoring seven goals and five assists in 12 games with the Silver Knights will garner all sorts of attention.
Of course, this isn't the first big experiment for the Golden Knights rookie. He got the call-up to the first power play unit, hoping to ignite the dormant unit. That's not even mentioning the other accolades before getting the call-up.
Bowman was also a former captain of the Guelph Storm, scoring 97 goals and 83 assists in four seasons. He carried that over to the AHL easily, notching 21 goals and 27 assists in two seasons with the Silver Knights. It seems like this kid has a bright future with the Golden Knights, especially with the latest line promotion.
Why Braeden Bowman getting a potential line promotion with the Vegas Golden Knights makes perfect sense
Kelly McCrimmon talked about the need for someone to shoot the puck with Mitch Marner on board. Although Jack Eichel had no problem doing that (233 shots on goal last season), the Golden Knights couldn't just rely on him to do that. That meant trying to get more from Ivan Barbashev, who already has seven goals entering Saturday.
So, why not Bowman on the top unit? The Silver Knights' hotshot is well-versed in shooting the puck, whether it's from the point or with a one-timer. Although Marner's not joining Bowman and Eichel here, you have a more aggressive attack that can pepper goaltenders and keep them on their toes.
Speaking of Marner, he was reunited with Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev at practice. According to MoneyPuck, the unit had the fourth-highest xGoals% (minimum ice time of 50 minutes) in the NHL at 70.8%. The former "Core Four" member returns to having many scoring options, whether in the slot or near the weak side.
As for Bowman, well, let's be honest here. The kid's earned it. Not many people expected him to rise this quickly, especially with names like Trevor Connelly in tow. However, he's done his due diligence in ensuring that he has a future spot on the Golden Knights.
In fact, the early impression left will make him a future star. His tenacity and intangibles make him a perfect fit while lessening the blow of losing big names like Mark Stone in the future. It looks like the kids are alright, after all.