Wednesday wasn't the best night for the Vegas Golden Knights. They lost controversially to the New Jersey Devils off a no-goal in the shootout from Mitch Marner, despite the puck going in. Fans leaving T-Mobile thought that the night couldn't get much worse... right?
Well, Bruce Cassidy is preparing for the brief two-game Alberta swing without his main superstar. Jesse Granger of The Athletic tweeted out the sombering news shortly after the Golden Knights lost in the shootout, 2-1.
Bruce Cassidy didn’t exactly say it, but reading between the lines it sounds like he is preparing to be without Jack Eichel beyond just tonight.
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) December 18, 2025
Talk about getting punched in the gut, eh? Only this time, it also comes with a complementary nut shot to the boys. Boy, life is rough for the Golden Knights on Wednesday, eh?
In case you don't know how important Eichel is to the Golden Knights, he leads the team in assists (29) and points (41). Entering Wednesday's game, he was projected to score 31 goals and 74 assists, totaling... 105 points. The projected assists and points would both be franchise records, while the points total would also make him the first 100-point player in franchise history.
However, it seems like he has a bad case of the Taco Bell runs or the flu. He left Tuesday's practice with an illness and missed Wednesday's game alongside Shea Theodore. What's more is that the latest injury news suddenly turns the Golden Knights' skater situation into a dire one.
Now, you're also missing Karlsson, Eichel, and Theodore from action. That would constitute three out of five key guys on the ice at once, taking away sizable production. That's not even mentioning how you're going to Edmonton for one of the Alberta games.
The news basically gives Golden Knights fans something to lose sleep over on Wednesday night. Instead of thinking about how the Golden Knights lost in controversial fashion from Marner's no-goal in the shootout, they're now thinking about how they can live without their superstar who works great from home.