Christmas is rapidly approaching and Vegas Golden Knights fans seem to have gotten an incredible gift. The team's back to being the Golden Knights, thanks to the emergence of Carter Hart. Surely, that momentum should carry over into the holidays, right?
First, there's Jack Eichel, who was given a day-to-day designation. He's battling a rabid illness that has left him as sick as a poor mutt. Considering how he's the team's leading scorer (41 points), you'd want him for the upcoming two-game Alberta trip. Sadly, that's not the case, as Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Friday that he'll miss that trip.
But Vegas got more bad news involving Shea Theodore. Remember that upper-body injury that was plaguing the Original Misfit on Tuesday? Well, it appears that the injury has him on a week-to-week designation.
Theodore is week-to-week. Eichel is day-to-day with an injury. Neither will travel.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) December 19, 2025
Cassidy clarified that Eichel left practice with the illness but also has an injury.
Full quote coming shortly...
To clarify, Eichel also has a lower-body injury to add to the woes. However, Theodore's injury comes at the worst time. He was rolling in December with a goal and five assists during the month. Overall, he has four goals and 16 assists, making him one of the better puck-moving defensemen around.
But it also affects the power play, where he has a goal and three assists. How do the Golden Knights rebound without the man who sets up scoring opportunities and rebounds? It'll be tough to adjust, specifically if the Golden Knights want to win on the upcoming road trip.
Of course, this isn't the first time this has happened, either. Golden Knights fans will remember the 4 Nations Face-Off, where Theodore suffered a wrist injury. That put a damper on Vegas offensively, leaving them handicapped in many ways.
This time appears to be no different, where you're losing one of your better offensive pieces. But it also hurts from a defensive perspective, where Theodore has vastly improved. Since Alex Pietrangelo left the team, the Original Misfit has excelled in the 1D role, playing better stay-at-home defense for the Golden Knights.
The injury causes problems for a Vegas team that isn't historically apt to playing in January. The team wishes that it could have its top stars for the dreaded month, giving them an edge along the way. However, the latest Theodore news is like getting coal in your stocking. Or worse, getting doggy doo-doo in your stocking.