Vegas Golden Knights fans have watched Braeden Bowman blossom into a fully functioning hockey player. He already has two goals (both on the power play), making him one of the most surprising players on the roster. However, a fellow Henderson Silver Knights star doesn't seem to be far behind. His name? Tuomas Uronen.
If you've seen the Finnish forward, you know that he's one of the most electrifying players in the Golden Knights' farm system. That's why the AHL rookie has seven goals and two assists in 11 games this season, leading them to a record of 8-5-1 and 17 points. Looking at his highlight tape shows why the future's bright for him.
I'd like to point you to the first goal of that hat trick, where he pounces on a backhanded pass. He crashes the net and finishes, putting the Kingston Frontenacs. Funny enough, he does something similar on the second goal and gets a redirection in the slot.
Most of all, he makes this look effortless. The 20-year-old is great at positioning himself and reading the incoming play, even in tight spaces. That's why he's carried those scoring habits over to the AHL with little trouble, quickly becoming one of the most reliable Silver Knights around.
Tuomas Uronen is no stranger to setting the hockey world ablaze with his play
If Bowman's sudden ascension is any indication, the Golden Knights have some gems stashed in the Silver Knights roster. This season, the Golden Knights' rookie has done well with the AHL club, scoring seven goals and five assists in 12 games. But that's something that could also apply to Uronen.
Before setting the OHL world on fire with a spectacular showing with the Frontenacs (38 goals and 52 assists in 63 games), he was dominant with HIFK's (Finland) U20 club in 2022-23. The forward scored 20 goals and 23 assists in 39 games, making him one of the most dominant forces in Finnish hockey.
That's mainly from an innate hockey sense and knowledge of the game, mind you. It's something that Bruce Cassidy has adored about Bowman's game. If Uronen can continue to impress the Golden Knights, he could have a similar story to Bowman.
Suddenly, the Golden Knights have gems like Braeden Bowman and Tuomas Uronen that they can lean heavily on
For the longest time, the Golden Knights have been chided for not having the most attractive prospect system. Sure, there have been outliers, such as the goaltender group being solid. But the overall structure hasn't appealed to many scouts and experts.
Still, that could change with the sudden emergence of prospects such as Bowman and Uronen. The forward group has been especially chastised, specifically with players like Matyas Sapovaliv underachieving in the points department.
If anything, Kelly McCrimmon has cheaper options that he can work with for a few years. Having younger scoring options has proven to pay dividends for the Golden Knights. Just look at what's happening with Pavel Dorofeyev this season (11 goals and four assists).
Most of all, it makes replacing outgoing players like Mark Stone and William Karlsson easier. That saves up room to address other problem areas that the Golden Knights might have. The 31 other NHL teams know what McCrimmon likes to do with any available cap space...