Knights goaltender feeling better than ever after surgery

Laurent Brossoit said it was a “few dominoes” that fell.

He said he suffered an acute injury to his abdomen late in his first season with the Golden Knights. That put extra pressure on his hip. Then throughout his back. It made it impossible for the goaltender to continue.

Brossoit made his last appearance for the Knights on March 15. He visited a few physicians before identifying the exact problem that needed fixing. His hip, one that he believes he first hurt in junior hockey, had to be surgically repaired.

The subsequent recovery time forced Brossoit to miss training camp. With goaltenders Logan Thompson and Adin Hil performing well in the NHL, he was put on waivers shortly after he was ready to play.

But Brossoit, now that he’s had time to heal, feels better than he ever has as a professional. His results speak to that. He was named the American Hockey League’s player of the week Dec. 19, after posting back-to-back shutouts.

“You’re never going to be 100 (percent), but I’m definitely closer to it than I’ve ever been in my NHL career,” Brossoit. “I’m getting pretty excited because each day and each week there’s kind of a new layer that I uncover on the left side of my body that starts to feel better that I didn’t really anticipate getting better.”

Brossoit, 29, has played eight seasons in the NHL. He’s had good ones, too. He posted a .925 save percentage in 19 starts with Winnipeg in 2018-19 and a .918 in 11 starts two years later.

The Knights liked his track record enough to sign him to a two-year, $4.65 million contract July 28, 2021. Still, that whole time, Brossoit said “I was always dealing with the stuff I ended up fixing over the summer.”

Last season it finally got bad enough that he was forced to address it. Brossoit was 8-3-1 his first 11 starts with the Knights with a .900 save percentage. He then missed almost all of January while hurt. He was 2-6-2 after coming back with an .888 save percentage before getting shut down.

Brossoit gave up four goals on 13 shots his final game in Winnipeg. That led to a search for answers that resulted in surgery.

“During that process, it was very stressful,” Brossoit said. “But looking back, it’s kind of what needed to happen, you know?”

On Nov. 5, 236 days after that Jets game, Brossoit stepped back in the crease on a conditioning loan with the Silver Knights. It didn’t go well.

He gave up five goals on 25 shots in a 6-3 loss. He allowed four first-period goals his next appearance Nov. 8. Coach Manny Viveiros pulled him from the game, but blamed the team’s poor defensive effort afterward.

Brossoit was placed on waivers two days later. He needed more time to recover, and Thompson and Hill each had .925 save percentages at the time. There was no room for him in the NHL.

“If I was in (general manager Kelly McCrimmon’s) shoes, I probably would have done the same thing,” Brossoit said.

He cleared and was sent to the Silver Knights. There, rather than sulk, he’s leading a young team by example. Viveiros raved about Brossoit’s professionalism and how much he’s helping his teammates learn. He spends time with the Knights’ defense prospects teaching them about breakouts. He shows them how a pro eats, trains and rests to stay sharp.

“That’s way better than any coaching we can give these kids,” Viveiros said. “You have someone that’s been there, that’s been successful. You just get to see it.”

Brossoit has also turned his game around now that he’s knocked off some rust.

He said he feels more fluid in the crease, and it shows. He’s 4-1-1 his last six starts and has allowed only six goals. His save percentage is .967 in that span. Silver Knights captain Brayden Pachal said Brossoit has been the best goaltender in the AHL the last month.

“I think anytime you come off an injury it’s hard to get back into it,” Pachal said. “(He had) his little grace period there and he’s been unreal since. It’s pretty fun to watch.”

It remains to be seen if and when Brossoit will get another NHL opportunity. Thompson and Hill have helped the Golden Knights post the eighth-best team save percentage in the league and both have stayed healthy so far.

History says Brossoit is still likely to get a chance. The Knights have never used fewer than three goaltenders in a season. Getting him healthy again is huge for the organization’s depth.

“Laurent looks fully recovered from surgery,” McCrimmon said. “He looks like he’s at the top of his game, which is what we were hoping when we re-assigned him. That’s really encouraging to see.”

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