Before signing with the Vegas Golden Knights, Tanner Pearson was a nobody on the Montreal Canadiens. How anonymous was he? He scored five goals and eight assists in 54 games for the Canadiens in 2023-24. Nobody remembers a hockey player with those stats, especially if they're buried beneath the other lines. Therefore, they should simply retire and find a desk job, right?
The forward earned his spot with the Golden Knights on Friday. He turned a professional tryout into a one-year deal, netting himself an important position along the way. The contract is worth $775,000 this season, giving him some incentive to prove himself at the NHL level again.
Pearson is no stranger to hoisting the Stanley Cup, doing so with the Los Angeles Kings in 2013-14. The former first-round pick has 138 goals and 147 assists during his NHL career, making him a solid scoring option. Overall, he'll provide another offensive choice for Bruce Cassidy on the lower lines if he cracks the starting forward group.
What does his new deal mean as the newest tenured member of the Golden Knights? How will he factor into the team's plans heading into the 2024-25 season? What does the deal mean for other players such as Tanner Laczynski and Brendan Brisson? Let's see what the contract means for Pearson as he gets into his new digs.
What the new Vegas Golden Knights contract means for Tanner Pearson
Tanner Pearson should provide Kelly McCrimmon with financial flexibility heading into 2024-25. The former Montreal Canadiens forward is on a low-budget "prove it" deal for the general manager, helping him save salary cap space for another big move. Will that result in McCrimmon moving yet another former Golden Knights first-round pick in Brendan Brisson for a superstar? Stay tuned.
Speaking of Brisson, he's likely to spend another season in Henderson for further development. The University of Michigan alum started the preseason shaky, attracting countless penalties for the Golden Knights. His raw skills and decision-making haven't helped quell the fears of Vegas's personnel, even with a stellar performance on Tuesday.
As for other forwards like Tanner Laczynski and Zach Aston-Reese, that could lead to some bad news for them regarding a roster spot. Pearson's contract could secure the former Stanley Cup champion a forward spot on the roster, leaving the other two on the outside looking in. That also goes for Jonas Rondbjerg, who was hoping to crack the team's bottom six.
Making the Golden Knights after being forgotten on the Montreal Canadiens is remarkable
Regardless of what happens next with Tanner Pearson, he's earned his new contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Scoring two goals and an assist during the preseason impressed Vegas's front office personnel enough that he got himself staying power. When you have something to prove, you can do anything you want.
It's a far cry from being forgotten on the Montreal Canadiens, where he was relegated to doing dirty work on the bottom six. Granted, there's nothing bad with such a role in the NHL, as long as the team's a perennial playoff franchise. That's not the case with the Canadiens, who've been mired in a rebuild sans a magical 2021 Stanley Cup Final run.
Most people take working hard and focusing on your goals for granted these days. They've fallen victim to the eternal trap of giving up hope and being stuck in a monotonous hell. But there are cases like Pearson's new contract where you can achieve anything you please. That is, if you're willing to put in the effort and time.