Last season was arguably one of the best seasons for the Vegas Golden Knights health-wise. We're talking about Mark Stone playing 66 games and Shea Theodore playing 67 games. Heck, even Jack Eichel played 77 games for the team while breaking franchise records in the process.
That seems like long ago because the injury bug is flaring up again. Monday saw Adin Hill go down with an apparent leg injury after he returned from a nut shot. Last Saturday, Stone left the game with a wrist injury, earning the vaunted week-to-week designation and a trip to the injured reserve. In Golden Knights terms, that's basically month-to-month.
That's not even mentioning that Noah Hanifin has only played one game to start the season. Add a Brett Howden ailment for good measure and this group is struggling to stay healthy again. Ladies and gentlemen, hockey season is in full swing and the Golden Knights are slowly turning into the NHL's version of the San Francisco 49ers.
That could hurt any hopes of continuing their momentum, especially with the schedule picking up. What's a team to do in this scenario? Cower and run? Or do they face the music and lock in when the going gets tough?
Why the injury bug could hamper the Vegas Golden Knights again
In 2023-24, the Golden Knights lost key players like Stone and Eichel to injuries. Eichel suffered a lower-body injury, while the Captain had an upper-body injury. It hurt an offensive unit that tried carrying over its Stanley Cup momentum.
The result? A seven-game first-round loss to the Dallas Stars. The unit underwent a massive makeover afterward, with players like William Carrier going to different destinations. Last season was much better for Vegas after they won a Pacific Division title and got 50 wins.
One other example of the injury bug hindering Vegas was the only season they missed the postseason: 2021-22. Eichel played 34 games that year and Max Pacioretty played 39. Not only was the forward group hurt, but the blue line was devastated, too. Alec Martinez played 26 games, leaving a massive void on the blue line.
The worst part is there isn't much that Vegas can do to combat this, aside from peak conditioning and exercise. Injuries can happen to anyone at any time, leaving a massive void. Just look at William Karlsson, who's a relatively healthy player. Last season, he played 53 games, scoring nine goals and 20 assists.
But in all seriousness, having your defensive group step up is huge. That means getting back to basics and playing Golden Knights hockey. Blocking shots and taking away shooting lanes is a must. In fact, you can say this for all units, whether it's the goaltenders or the forwards playing two-way hockey.
The Golden Knights hope to have similar health luck that they did last season. So far, it's looking like a concerning trend, with players like Stone and Hill going down. It looks like it's time to bring out the chickens to sacrifice and the bubble wrap for the players. Gotta prepare for January, you know?