LAS VEGAS –Normally, it may take a bit for first-round draft picks to develop and find their place in the NHL.
In Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden’s case, he might be finally doing so in his seventh season.
Howden is one of the team’s best 200-foot players thus far this season. He has six goals in 12 games and is on pace to set career highs in goals and points.
“He’s finding his offensive game a little more,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said, following the team’s 4-3 overtime victory against Utah where Howden scored the game-winner. “You’re a first-round pick, and you go through some things, and maybe you have to change your game. Now the confidence is coming back for why he was selected there because he had some finish. We’re trying to tap into that and allow him to free him up a little, play him higher in the lineup so he gets some of those opportunities.”
Howden credits his start to gaining more confidence in his game through his first six seasons. But he also credited playing alongside experienced center Tomas Hertl and up-and-coming winger Pavel Dorofeyev as reasons why he’s started off so strong.
“It goes a lot to your linemates too. The way they play,” Howden said. “So, I’m just trying to balance some energy and play a good two-way game and try to bring offense when I can.”
Howden has played on the second, third, and fourth lines throughout his career with Vegas. He’s an excellent forechecker, good in the defensive zone, and has the speed to cover plenty of ice.
“He’s a guy that does a lot of things well,” Cassidy said. “I don’t know if he’s got one thing that’s like his master craft, so to speak.”
Hertl added that he “loves” playing with Howden because of those traits, and the chemistry between the two is building.
“It’s easy to talk to him about the game. He understands well,” Hertl said. “We, over the last couple of games, built some chemistry, and are starting to know what we’re kind of doing. Hopefully, we can push it and get every game even better.”
Howden’s offensive surge is vital for Vegas. The departure of goal-scoring threats like Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson left the offense needing to be picked up.
“We’ve talked about it enough that we need some people internally to step up to replace goals that left town, and he’s one of the guys we identified,” Cassidy said. “Good on him.”
Even if the offense wasn’t there, Cassidy said that Howden would still find the ice because of being an all-around player.
“He’d still be playing and playing a good role for us because he’s physical, he checks, he’s a great teammate, good on the PK, so there’s still a lot of good things,” Cassidy said. “There are just a lot of situations where, as a coach, you’re comfortable using him.”
Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_.
