If you're familiar with the Vegas Golden Knights, you know that injuries have become a team staple in the past three seasons. Players like Mark Stone and Jack Eichel have suffered health-related setbacks, with the team looking thinner in specific spots. One would figure this season would offer some grace, right?
Well, Arnold has some bad news for you.
Cassidy said Mark Stone will be looked at by the doctors when they get back to Vegas. Said they have a scheduled day off tomorrow and he's not sure how he'll look when they reconvene on Sunday. No status for Monday's game.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) November 9, 2024
The Golden Knights are being hit with the injury bug again, seeing players like Stone (lower body) and Nicolas Hague (undisclosed) go down. The team has already seen William Karlsson miss time (undisclosed) to start the season. It seems like getting hurt is an annual tradition in Las Vegas. In turn, fans are starting to feel annoyed again.
It's easy to see why. Last season, their quest to defend the Stanley Cup fell short in part due to injuries hitting key players. When you lose Eichel (lower body) and Stone (lacerated spleen) to injuries, you'll contemplate going on a bender every time.
Still, it's early in the season. These could simply be blips on the radar, giving the Golden Knights something to avoid. They could also become a catastrophic event that tanks the entire season. Whatever the case, it appears the injury bug is at it again.
But is it a problem that fans should worry about? Or does this set of injuries do nothing to strike fear in the hearts of fans? The Vegas Golden Knights might not need to worry about things right now. But things could get dicey down the road.
Why the injury bug is a worrisome trend
Recent history shows the Golden Knights haven't been exempt from bad health. Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Shea Theodore (to name a few) have missed time in the past three seasons due to injuries.
This season, William Karlsson has missed some time with an undisclosed injury. Victor Olofsson also suffered a lower-body injury against the Washington Capitals. These injuries have hampered the Golden Knights on special teams, specifically the penalty kill.
Vegas didn't have Karlsson's range and hockey intelligence on the unit, which left the Golden Knights stiff. No longer were they obstructing passes or making clean exits. Instead, they let opponents walk all over them and dictate the power play.
Of course, the team has adapted to these problems before by winning the Stanley Cup. However, there have been other times where the Golden Knights have missed key players. The team's past injury issues indicate more will be on the way, with the current health run being too good to be true.
Why the health scares are overblown
The Vegas Golden Knights have had one of the best power plays in the NHL so far. Yes, you read that right. One of the league's best this season. They sit third in the NHL with a power play percentage of 32.4%. Never in a million years would fans see the unit thriving, yet here we are.
A major part of that has been Mark Stone, who's scored two goals and six assists on the unit. He's day-to-day after being injured on Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers. One would assume the power play would take a step back against the Seattle Kraken on Friday... until it wasn't.
Pavel Dorofeyev opens the scoring in Seattle with a power play goal, his eighth goal of the season. pic.twitter.com/btJ4PbXuCx
— Golden Knights Radio (@VGKRadioNetwork) November 9, 2024
Even without Stone, the Golden Knights were fluid on the man advantage, setting up passes for solid scoring opportunities. With Jack Eichel as the anchor, Vegas has no problems deceiving defenders on looks and making the following shot.
If Stone isn't out for long, that's even better news. The top line will become the fully functioning machine it's been since the season's start. With smoother passing and excellent transition, the depth and adaptability at the forward position will make such setbacks obsolete. Vegas did this before with the goaltender group and they can do it again elsewhere.