There is no such thing as too many goaltending candidates for the Vegas Golden Knights. They have a wide range of talent, including Isaiah Saville and the recently drafted Pavel Moisevic. The variety of options makes future decisions at the goaltending position easier, but in some ways it also makes it more difficult.
There is another goaltender who could potentially make a place in the Golden Knights lineup. His name is Jesper Wikman, who played for the Henderson Silver Knights and Savannah Ghost Pirates last season. In the 2023-24 season, he appeared in 15 games for the Ghost Pirates, posting a 3.01 GAA and a .899 save percentage.
His tenure with the Silver Knights was tougher, with Vikman posting a 3.48 ERA and .891 save percentage. It wasn't the most notable season for the Swedish goaltender, as Henderson is still learning how to use his body in goal.
Still, Vickman has a chance to take the next step within the Las Vegas organization. His development will help the team do its best to find another first base goaltender. Instead, they'll have a lineup similar to last season with Adyn Hill and Logan Thompson. So what does this prospect need to do to solidify his future?
The Vegas Golden Knights love to use big goalies, and Hill is 6-foot-4 and is the team's starter. The British Columbia native has thrived when healthy and is part of a long line of big goalies, including recently traded Logan Thompson, who also stands 6-foot-4.
Jesper Wikman is 6'3″ and has the poise to be a good goalie, but he needs to see the shot better and adjust to the level of play. That will be harder in the AHL, where competition is more intense than in the ECHL.
Further complicating things is the Henderson Silver Knights' deep goalkeeping corps. The Swedish goalkeeper will be accompanied by newly acquired Akira Schmidt and fellow Swede Carl Lindbom. So Vikman will have to stand out and use his size to take up space. He can use his athleticism and poise to control the Silver Knights' goal.
The Vegas Golden Knights currently have a number of goalies in their system. Bruce Cassidy and the team plan to use Adyn Hill for one more season and possibly bring him back next summer if all goes well. If Ilya Samsonov doesn't work out, there could be an opening at the backup position.
However, that position may go to Schmidt, who is bigger and fits the defensive system better. Schmidt is similar in build to Hill and has a lot of potential. That's why Jesper Wikman is likely to sit out the NHL this season.
But the Swedish prospect can take that first step with a good season with the Henderson Silver Knights. If he can put together some solid numbers and take better advantage of his size, the Golden Knights will have more incentive to keep him. It would also significantly improve their goaltending corps, which is a good problem for Vegas to have.
