Golden Knights roster review: William Carrier

Background

If there was such thing as a hockey dictionary, a photo of a half-shaven Carrier probably would pop up next to the word “grinder.”

The 25-year-old epitomizes what many teams look for in bottom-six players. He plays hard. He’s tough. And he doesn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities looking for a few extra points.

That allowed Carrier to earn a role in the Knights’ first two seasons as a fourth-line wing that complemented fellow bruiser Ryan Reaves. Then, this season, he reached for a little more.

Performance

Carrier, despite his NHL role, isn’t bereft of talent. He scored more than a point per game in three straight seasons with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. He was a second-round pick in 2013.

He adjusted his game to stick in the pros, but his natural ability has shined through this season.

“The first couple of years, you just try to stay in the league,” Carrier said in February. “Try to get a role. That’s the role (grinder) they (the Buffalo Sabres, his first team) wanted me to play. Obviously, now the offense is coming back in.”

Carrier has posted record offensive numbers while showing off his speed and skill a little more. He has recorded 12 assists, quadruple his previous career high. He has more than doubled his career high in points with 19. And he has done so without sacrificing his identity.

Carrier is sixth in the NHL in hits (213) and ninth in hits per 60 minutes (18.23) among players who have appeared in more than five games. For a guy who is averaging 9:52 of ice time, it’s hard not to be impressed.

“I just think the players he was passing to last year didn’t always bury, and the guys he’s passing to this year are putting them in the back of the net,” said Reaves, who admitted he was one of those players. “I think sometimes his skill surprised me last year, and I wasn’t always ready for it. So now this year, I know he’s coming for me.”

Future

The Knights were ecstatic about the new, more offensive version of Carrier they saw this season.

They signed him to a four-year extension in February with an average annual value of $1.4 million. The deal makes Carrier one of only seven players under contract through the 2023-24 season.

The pact makes it clear the Knights see Carrier as part of their long-term plans. And with the way he brings offense and toughness to their bottom six, it’s not hard to see why.

“He’s a key piece,” coach Pete DeBoer said after Carrier signed his extension. “He’s a big part of the identity of what this team stands for and how it plays and how we want it to play.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.