Thursday's game against the New York Islanders was the Vegas Golden Knights equivalent of Bart Simpson getting the dud. They were expecting the captain of the football team, only to get a nerd with a wilting flower that resembled Milhouse. However, the Golden Knights did receive good news before their Thursday "dud."
Ivan Barbashev and Nic Roy are both on the ice for VGK morning skate, but neither participated in line rushes.
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) January 9, 2025
Getting close.
In case you haven't heard, Ivan Barbashev (upper-body injury) and Nicolas Roy (upper-body injury) were on the ice for the Golden Knights. While they weren't participating in rushes, it's one step closer to getting the team back (or close) to full strength. So long, Jonas Rondbjerg. It was nice knowing ya, mate.
Now that the schedule is ramping up, the timing couldn't be better. The Golden Knights will face off against the New York Rangers on Saturday and the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. The easy ride is over and the team must have all hands on deck. Teams like the Wild and the Carolina Hurricanes await and those contests are far from a given.
Luckily, Barbashev will bring his fast skating and hard-hitting style back to the team, while Roy will provide key scoring on the lower lines. That's not to say that players like Cole Schwindt are useless. In fact, the 23-year-old has seven assists in 34 games this season. However, Bruce Cassidy wouldn't hesitate to bring back the Russian forward (15 goals, 30 points) and a reliable forward who can play either wing.
What makes Ivan Barbashev and Nicolas Roy returning special for the Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights had problems with puck control in Thursday's game against the New York Islanders. The Golden Knights couldn't get a hold of passes and couldn't get out of their own way. Tomas Hertl's giveaway paved the way for the first goal of the game by Anders Lee. Ironically, that would be the game-winning goal for the Islanders.
In his 800th game, Anders Lee opens the scoring in Vegas! pic.twitter.com/kbxg6LfLZ6
— Islanders Videos (@SNY_Islanders) January 10, 2025
The good news is Ivan Barbashev only has 10 defensive zone giveaways this season. While he does have 34 giveaways altogether this season, a bulk of those are in the offensive zone. Mistakes like this don't happen with Barbashev around, specifically when he's gearing up to go in transition.
As for Roy? He's the type of player you'd want on the lower lines. He's versatile in the forward position, playing both center and wing. If another Golden Knights player falls to an injury or goes through the day-to-day distinction, Roy will step in and take over their spot.
He can also play with many line combinations, meshing well with his teammates. Roy has spent time on the top line with Jack Eichel and has even played on the second line. Such versatility makes him viable when injuries take hold, giving Bruce Cassidy more flexibility in his lineup.
The Golden Knights are starting to see better competition enter the fold after a relaxing stretch. That means having all hands on deck for the tougher stretch with your best players. Having Barbashev and Roy around will ease the pressure, giving them more offense. That's especially true on offense, where they'll need as many goals as they can get during a tougher stretch.