If you haven't heard the unfortunate news from the Vegas Golden Knights yesterday, it goes a little something like this. Per SinBin.vegas, Kai Uchacz was labeled by the Golden Knights' head coach as week-to-week. But that's not all, though. Raphael Lavoie was labeled day-to-day. You probably know what's coming.
You guessed right, my friend. The Golden Knights are dealing with some injury issues. Now, I know what you're thinking with this latest update.
"Oh, it's just a couple of Henderson Silver Knights players. This certainly won't have much of an impact on the Golden Knights."
Well, that's certainly the case, barring the aforementioned injuries. But look at Uchacz's stats from last season with Henderson. He scored 20 goals and 31 assists in 68 games in the AHL. The prospect was a dark horse for cracking the Golden Knights' lineup before he got hurt.
That's enough to cause major concern on the lower levels alone. The Golden Knights could have Braedan Bowman AND Trevor Connelly in their lineup to start the season. You're losing key offensive players on the Silver Knights and you're adjusting to a new head coach.
Add the Kai Uchacz injury update to the pile and things suddenly look more complicated for the Silver Knights. But this is just the surface-level problem for the Golden Knights. Fans are familiar with the health issues that plagued Vegas in the past.
What the recent injuries to Raphael Lavoie and Kai Uchacz can tell us about the Vegas Golden Knights health-wise this season
On the surface, it appears that the Golden Knights don't have many problems with injuries, at least in recent memory. Looking at the chart below, you'll see that four selected players have had some bulky playing time, aside from one name: William Karlsson.
The chart features Karlsson, Mark Stone, Brett Howden, and Jack Eichel. These four players have served integral roles on the Golden Knights in recent years, whether it's getting them to a Pacific Division title or a Stanley Cup Final.
Player | Games Played In The Past Two Seasons |
|---|---|
Jack Eichel | 151 |
Brett Howden | 138 |
Mark Stone | 126 |
William Karlsson | 67 |
Now, compare that to 2023-24. This list takes a hit with names like Stone and Eichel missing significant time.
Player | Games Played In 2023-24 |
|---|---|
Brett Howden | 72 |
William Karlsson | 70 |
Jack Eichel | 63 |
Mark Stone | 56 |
Note that this was the season that Stone lacerated his spleen, suffering the injury on February 20 against the Nashville Predators. Meanwhile, Eichel suffered a lower-body injury on January 11 against the Boston Bruins, leaving him out of commission for some time. Earlier in the month, Karlsson suffered a lower-body injury. But let's look at 2021-22 to see how brutal it was for Vegas.
Player | Games Played In 2021-22 |
|---|---|
William Karlsson | 67 |
Brett Howden | 47 |
Mark Stone | 37 |
Jack Eichel | 34 |
Mind you, Eichel returned from neck surgery during this season. The moral of the story is that Golden Knights fans shouldn't go into this season with sky-high hopes health-wise. Fans have been blessed to see Eichel stick around for much of the past two seasons. Even Stone's ailments haven't been as severe compared to prior campaigns.
If Uchacz's recent injury reminds us of anything, it's that Vegas can be devastated by terrible ailments. It was a major catalyst in derailing the 2021-22 campaign and it has led to the Golden Knights having their Stanley Cup playoff runs cut short. Maybe the health run continues for Vegas? Fingers crossed?
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