Three stars for the Vegas Golden Knights at the Rookie Faceoff
The Vegas Golden Knights swept the Rookie Faceoff, indicating a bright future's ahead. But who stole the show for the Golden Knights?
Finishing undefeated in any competition is an amazing feat. You made it through a flawless tournament or season, vanquishing every team. Teams could shut out every opponent if they wanted to go the extra mile. Granted, that's even tougher to do than simply going undefeated. However, the latter is still impressive, for you've put in tremendous work to win every game.
That's true for the Vegas Golden Knights during the 2024 Rookie Faceoff, where they swept the triple billing. They handled teams like the hosts, the Los Angeles Kings, easily during their tenure, leaving them stymied in front of the net. It feels like the last opponent will send shivers down a person's spinal cord... or their head. However, they didn't flinch, impressively beating the Utah Hockey Club.
For the Golden Knights, that consisted of excellent performances by rookies like Carl Lindbom and Braeden Bowman. Some prospects had something to prove, including Jakub Brabenec and Bear Hughes. Whatever the case, the challenge had something positive for every Golden Knights fan. The future looks bright in Sin City regarding the NHL landscape!
With that are three stars for the tournament, where hockey fans will remember these names. These stars were excellent during every part of the faceoff, going above and beyond for the Golden Knights organization. When you've done well for a prestigious franchise like Vegas, you know you've done well. Here are the three stars who stole the show during the 2024 Rookie Faceoff.
Carl Lindbom
Carl Lindbom has received the lion's share of accolades and compliments from the Vegas Golden Knights. He's been impressive despite his 6'0" stature, relying on his quick movements and hockey intelligence to be efficient. So far, it's worked out well for the Swedish prospect, for he's had an excellent showing for the Golden Knights.
He's put together solid performances when he's been on the ice, including a 14-save job against the Los Angeles Kings. Here, he was tasked with handling late-game pressure, fending off shot after shot when Los Angeles was down, 2-0. Lindbom kept up with every puck put in front of him, making each shot look easy with his agile movements.
The goaltender position will be of great question for the future. Adin Hill is in the last year of his current $9.8 million deal, where a subpar season could mean a new future starter. That could be Lindbom's position to lose, for he's continuing his ascent through the prospect rankings. Combine that with a solid Rookie Faceoff showing and he's one step closer to earning that spot.
Jakub Brabenec
It's been mentioned how Jakub Brabenec needed an excellent tournament showing to garner consideration for a future roster position. He was falling to the wayside and not getting further up in the farm system rankings. The Czech forward didn't want to become trade bait or worse... A lifetime AHL player for a hockey team.
However, he's one step closer to not having this happen. He scored two goals during the tournament, making himself a key factor in two wins. First, it was a one-timer set-up that opened the scoring against the Los Angeles Kings. Next, it was part of an early barrage that put the game out of reach against the Seattle Kraken.
Fans might've forgotten who Brabenec was before the tournament happened. He wasn't as beloved of a figure in the prospect scene as Carl Lindbom or Mathieu Cataford. However, a resounding performance changed everything, which happened with Brabenec after the prospect challenge in El Segundo. Now, fans will pay attention to what the young star can do for Vegas.
Braeden Bowman
Perhaps the biggest offensive superstar has been none other than Braeden Bowman. He's shown great poise as a prospect, handling scoring opportunities without any sweat. The Kitchener native has also crashed the net numerous times, making him a scoring threat. It's a promising display of courage and confidence to see the farm hand become offensively capable, especially with a shortage of established forwards.
Like Jakub Brabenec, Bowman was responsible for the bulk of the scoring for Vegas during the tournament. He chipped in an impressive goal vs. the Kings, squibbling a puck through a deceptive tactic. He did the same thing against the Kraken, going glove-side for a deciding goal. Performances like this will be rewarded by the coaching staff with more playing time, giving him more exposure.
look at this absolute beauty from Braeden Bowman 🔥👏 pic.twitter.com/pPyU6p9o5O
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) September 14, 2024
He can shoot up the rankings if the Vegas Golden Knights get more plays from him during his developmental phase, Lindbom was also a forgotten prospect like Bowman was, being neglected for his goaltender size. However, he played on his strengths and made that his main focus, boosting his ranking. That's what Bowman can do as a goal-scorer, using his creative puck handling and skills to become a regular lineup fixture.
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