Tanner Laczynski is happy for the opportunity.
The 27-year-old’s career hasn’t panned out the way he would’ve hoped so far. He has offensive ability, but hasn’t been able to be part of an NHL lineup consistently.
Laczynski is attempting to change that this year with the Golden Knights. The forward is auditioning to make the team out of training camp, and made a strong first impression Wednesday with a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
“It’s a little bit of a confidence boost for me, personally,” Laczynski said. “Just want to come in, play my game and be myself. Wherever the pieces fall, they fall.”
Laczynski, from Minooka, Illinois, is battling experienced players like Tanner Pearson, Jonas Rondbjerg and Zach Aston-Reese for a roster spot.
Pearson started camp on the fourth line with center Brett Howden and right wing Keegan Kolesar. Rondbjerg joined that line in Thursday’s practice, meaning he could get a look there in Friday’s preseason game against the Utah Hockey Club at T-Mobile Arena.
Still, Laczynski stands out because his game is unique.
He’s always been a decent goal scorer thanks to his strong shot. He put up good offensive numbers in junior hockey with the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel, then was a strong point producer in four years at Ohio State.
Laczynski showed what he could do Wednesday by zipping a shot past King goaltender Carter George, who had no chance of stopping the puck.
“Just tried to catch the goalie off guard,” Laczynski said. “Just shot the puck hard.”
Laczynski, for all his gifts, has yet to make an impact at the NHL level. He has just two goals in 38 games, all with the Philadelphia Flyers.
He did seem to find his scoring touch in the American Hockey League last season. He finished with 17 goals and 44 points in 49 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Laczynski seems to be adjusting to his new organization well so far. It’s just a matter of whether there’s room for him on the roster.
He’s a natural center, and the Knights are one of the NHL’s deepest teams down the middle thanks to the presence of Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, Nicolas Roy and Howden. That leaves Laczynski to fight for a spot on the wing, but the open job on the fourth line will require him to be more than a shooter. He’ll have to show he can forecheck and help the group possess the puck.
“If you’re playing behind the Eichels in the world and you’re still in the NHL, then you’ve got to bring something else,” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “That’s where guys’ careers evolve. Sometimes that happens, sometimes that doesn’t. That’s how I see him right now, and that’ll be the messaging to him.”
Laczynski will have the rest of the preseason to show he can adapt his game to fit what the Knights need. That way he can put himself in position to make the roster, or at least be one of the team’s first call-ups from Henderson.
“You have to be able to check in this league if you’re not going to get those offensive roles,” Cassidy said. “He obviously has a real head of the game on the offensive side of things. He’ll have to keep building that if he’s going to be part of that because of what we have down the middle.”
Contact Danny Webster at [email protected]. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
