Stanley Cup champ, now healthy, excited for opportunity with Knights

Tanner Pearson has spent “about 90 percent” of his career in the Pacific Division between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks.

That’s one of the reasons why it made sense for the 32-year-old to sign a professional tryout deal with the Golden Knights and compete for a roster spot.

Pearson, who has played 11 NHL seasons, is one of a number of forwards competing for the Knights’ opening at fourth-line left wing after Original Misfit William Carrier signed a six-year deal with Carolina on July 1.

He’s getting the first crack at the job, as he opened camp on a line with fourth-line forwards Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar.

“I think I’ve always felt more comfortable with the Western (Conference) style of play,” said Pearson, who won the Stanley Cup with the Kings in 2014. “I think it fits better than when I was in the East, but I still got to compete.”

A roster spot would be a heck of a reward for Pearson given how the last few years have gone for him.

He suffered a hand injury during the 2022-23 season with the Canucks that took five surgeries to correct. He was traded to Montreal last summer and suffered an upper-body injury that kept him out for a month.

The result was that Pearson, who played 68 games in 2021-22, played just 68 games the past two seasons. He scored only six goals in that span after scoring 132 the first 576 games of his career.

Pearson said all that is behind him now. He’s feeling better than he has in some time.

“Trained all summer, and I was healthy all summer, which was a plus,” Pearson said.

The Knights want their fourth line to be an “identity line,” which means it needs to set a physical tone and establish puck possession with a strong forecheck.

Coach Bruce Cassidy would love to find a Carrier clone for that group, even though he knows things don’t always work out that way. Pearson, however, seems like a strong fit if he stays healthy.

He’ll still face plenty of competition for a roster spot. Left wing Jonas Rondbjerg and veteran pick-up Zach Aston-Reese should also get their chance to audition for the job during the preseason.

There’s always a chance Nicolas Roy — who is starting camp at third-line right wing — moves back to fourth-line center and causes a shakeup as well.

But Pearson and his line got off to a strong start Sunday in the Knights’ 4-2 road win over the San Jose Sharks in their preseason opener.

Howden scored on a breakaway in the second period and Pearson added an empty-net goal with 10 seconds remaining in the third.

“I’m looking for someone that can wear teams down. That type of mentality,” Cassidy said. “We have to figure out where they all fit and what makes us best. That will take some time.”

It helps Pearson’s case that Howden is familiar with him.

Howden’s older brother Quinton played with and was roommates with Pearson during the 2011 World Junior championships with Team Canada.

“It’s pretty fun to be able to play with him now,” Howden said. “It’s a small world how it all comes together.”

Pearson wouldn’t be the first forward that has success after being given a second chance by the Knights.

Right wing Michael Amadio and center Chandler Stephenson were both low-cost additions at one point. Amadio was a waiver claim and Stephenson was acquired for a fifth-round pick. Amadio left the Knights this summer to sign a three-year, $7.8 million deal with the Ottawa Senators, while Stephenson got a seven-year, $43.75 million contract from the Seattle Kraken.

Pearson could be the next player to revitalize his career with the team if he takes advantage of his opportunities.

“Even though I didn’t get the sign-on-the-dotted-line kind of contract, I still went to the gym and skated a lot this summer,” Pearson said. “Tried to stay with it and stay positive if something were to come up.”