Injury designations for the Vegas Golden Knights are interesting and funny. A player on a "maintenance day" means they'll probably be out a couple of weeks. For a player out on a day-to-day basis, that means they're missing a month. Week-to-week? Shut 'em down for the entire season. There's no way they're coming back from that.
One of the Golden Knights got slapped with such a designation. His name? Cole Schwindt, and he's labeled with the dreaded week-to-week signage. Why, you ask? Because of a lower-body injury.
In all seriousness, the 23-year-old has seven assists in 38 games this season. He's seen time on the fourth line with players like Tanner Pearson, getting his cuts while grinding out shifts. The native of Kitchener, Ontario, has fit into his grind line role well with 15 blocked shots and 36 hits.
Overall, Tuesday's practice was another minor setback for the struggling Golden Knights. They've lost six of their last seven contests and were clinging to a one-point divisional lead (62 points). But the freshly suspended Connor McDavid could allow the Golden Knights to gather more points and extend their Pacific Division lead.
But what does the loss of Schwindt mean for Vegas? Will William Karlsson and the lower lines suffer without the 23-year-old forward forechecking and playing solid defensive hockey? Believe it or not, there are some consequences to losing the former Calgary Flames prospect. It's time to dissect this latest news and see what's in store for the Golden Knights.
What Cole Schwindt's injury means for the Vegas Golden Knights
Surely, Cole Schwindt would've loved to remain healthy. He was doing well on the lower lines as a defensive forward, fitting in well within Bruce Cassidy's system. The forward grew with each passing game, putting in productive shifts for the Vegas Golden Knights. Getting seven assists during his ample ice time is also a promising sign.
But the obvious answer is the Golden Knights will be down a forward. The lower lines won't have a hard-working player to accompany Keegan Kolesar and Tanner Pearson depth-wise. Without another grinding player, players like Kolesar must work harder to cover his absence. The good news is Vegas hasn't been hampered by injuries so far, where the impact will be lessened.
It also means Alexander Holtz will be under a microscope. The struggling winger (three goals, seven assists this season) has already been axed from the lineup in the past week, meaning his leash with Bruce Cassidy is extremely short. The Swedish star must pick up the play and put in more productive shifts. That means no more bad penalties like the one he committed late in the second period against St. Louis on Monday.
Overall, the injury news won't mean much to the Golden Knights. Schwindt is a fringe player ready to step in if someone goes down or underperforms. That's the same role Ben Hutton has as the seventh defenseman. He provides key depth at a solid position, making the Golden Knights more versatile. Therefore, such injuries don't have as much of an impact as Jack Eichel or William Karlsson in hypothetical scenarios. As for the 23-year-old? Well, let's hope the past designations aren't dragged out further.