Brisson has tools to play pivotal future role for Golden Knights

LAS VEGAS -- Brendan Brisson has yet to appear in his first NHL game, but the 21-year-old center prospect already is filling the mold as a potential leader for the Golden Knights one day.

Selected by the Golden Knights in the first round (No. 29) of the 2020 NHL Draft, Brisson stepped into a leadership role during Vegas development camp last month as one of a few players returning from the camp the previous year and took time to mentor some of the younger players and welcome them.

"There's a lot of young guys here and a lot of new faces," he said. "So I've just been trying to be an easy guy to come talk to for questions and just showing an example. It's been pretty fun to get to know all the guys."

Golden Knights director of player development Wil Nichol said Brisson's experience after two seasons with Henderson of the American Hockey League and as one of the extra skaters during Vegas' run to the Stanley Cup last season proved vital in his development.

"Those things are extremely important for him to be a part of that," Nichol said. "In terms of his game, you can tell that he's got a year of pro hockey under his belt. He's a little bit stronger than he was a year ago. He's got some things that you just can't teach."

Brisson, the son of Creative Artists Agency hockey division co-head Pat Brisson, a prominent NHL player agent, took in every detail he could last season with Henderson, where he was fifth on the team with 37 points (18 goals, 19 assists) in 58 games.

"I feel like I worked on [living the pro life] a lot, and once I got better at that, offense started to come," he said. "Playing on both sides of the ice was important for me to work on, and I feel like I did that too. Just at the end of the day, it helped me generate more offense."

But offense isn't necessarily the issue for Brisson; it's why Vegas drafted him. It's his play in his own end that he focused heavily on during the season. He watched tape and considered his defensive game "pretty solid."

"It's just details," he said. "Just being in the right spots and not drifting, so it's pretty much an easy fix. I'm proud of where my game is at right now."

Brisson (5-foot-11, 179 pounds) understands what he needs to do in order to make his NHL debut this season. He plans on continuing his improvement over the rest of the summer and expects to come in training camp prepared to compete for a spot on the Golden Knights roster and help them make a run at a second consecutive Stanley Cup.

"Watching them celebrate really gave me motivation," he said. "It was a great year for me. I learned a lot and I'm just looking forward to, you know, bringing everything I learned and worked on in September.

"I'm planning on having a big summer getting better, getting stronger and forcing their hand a little bit in camp, and I'll be coming into camp ready."