It's always one step forward and two steps back. The Vegas Golden Knights got a defenseman reinforcement on Tuesday as Parker Wotherspoon returned to practice. That's the good news—if some fans wish to call it that.
The bad news is that it comes with a sacrifice. Noah Hanifin has been sacrificed to the injury gods, as he's been labeled week to week. The source? A brutal hit he suffered in the third period of Sunday's game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Craig says Noah Hanifin is out week-to-week with the injury he suffered in the 3rd period in Buffalo.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) November 10, 2026
This season, Hanifin has been relatively interesting. He has two goals and four assists in 19 games. He also has 25 blocked shots and seven takeaways, making him a vital two-way defenseman for the Golden Knights. But what about Wotherspoon?
Well, he hasn't been good. This season, the former Pittsburgh Penguin has ZERO points and a plus/minus rating of -6. He also has -0.3 point shares, making him a liability in six games for the Golden Knights. At least he has five hits and five blocked shots, though. It's the little things in life, you know?
Certainly, this is bad news for the Golden Knights, right? Well, let's look at the silver linings, shall we? There's always a sliver of good news in tidbits like this, especially when you lose an Olympic gold medalist like Hanifin. Let's stay positive (after all, we're moving closer to Friday) and see what Wotherspoon's return means for the Golden Knights.
Why getting Parker Wotherspoon back helps the Vegas Golden Knights after the latest Noah Hanifin news
Losing a solid two-way defenseman like Noah Hanifin will hurt in many ways. The goaltending won't have as much space taken away and you're not getting a proficient shooter around. The shockwaves will be felt in the upcoming weeks as the Golden Knights look to adapt to the loss.
Still, Wotherspoon can step up and be the viable third-pair defenseman that Hanifin was before he got hurt. He can take away space on his own and can facilitate offensive plays and scoring chances without any complications. Just look at the 27 assists he notched last season with the Penguins.
You also have a solid penalty killer who can jump on the rush if needed. Last season, he had two shorthanded assists, making him a threat to score at any given time. Think of how well he'd look with prominent figures like William Karlsson and Mitch Marner (if he gets the opportunity, that is).
Of course, this hinges on whether the defenseman can pick up the pace after a slow start. As mentioned, he doesn't have a single point to start the 2026-27 season, making him a liability. That must change if the Golden Knights want to go further than they did last season.
Still, not everything is bad in the Realm, even if Parker Wotherspoon hasn't been as good as advertised. The defenseman has shown that he can handle a tighter workload in the past and contribute plenty of offense and defense. Fingers crossed that this is one of those "silver lining" moments.
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