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Golden Knights Notes: Stone, Theodore, McNabb

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The Vegas Golden Knights appear to finally be getting healthy at exactly the right time as they begin their second round best of seven series against the Edmonton Oilers. Vegas announced today that forward Mark Stone would be in the lineup tonight after leaving practice yesterday in discomfort. Vegas fans held their collective breath for Stone, especially considering the Golden Knights captain had only returned to the Vegas lineup in game one of their first round series against the Winnipeg Jets.

Stone showed no ill effects of his injury as he was dominant against the Jets putting up three goals and eight points in just five games. He appeared to have returned to form in that series which was a pleasant surprise given the injuries he has dealt with over the past couple of seasons. Stone missed almost half of the regular season this year playing just 43 games. Despite missing 39 games Stone was still able to post 17 goals and 21 assists this season.

In other Vegas Golden Knights news:

  • It appears defenseman Shea Theodore will be returning to the Vegas lineup. TSN is reporting that head coach Butch Cassidy said Theodore would be in the lineup for game one against the Oilers. The Langley native was sidelined with in illness for game five of the Golden Knights series against Winnipeg but appears to have gotten over whatever was ailing him. Theodore was strong in four games of the first round series as he posted three assists and six shots on goal.
  • Brayden McNabb also appears to be drawing back into the Vegas lineup. McNabb also did not dress in the Golden Knights series clinching game five victory against Winnipeg as he was sidelined with an upper body injury. TSN is reporting that Cassidy included McNabb as one of the players who would be back in the lineup tonight for Vegas. McNabb was pointless in the first four games of the playoffs and missed just the one game. He dressed in all 82 regular season games this year putting up a single goal while adding 16 assists.

West Injury Notes: Theodore, McNabb, Manson, Helm, Janmark

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Missing what ended up being the series-clinching Game Five victory for the Vegas Golden Knights, it was reported that defenseman Shea Theodore was feeling under the weather significantly. Still, head coach Bruce Cassidy confirms he should be back for Game One of their second-round matchup (Tweet Link).

Only playing in 55 games for the top team in the Western Conference, Theodore scored eight goals and tallied 33 assists for the Golden Knights this season. During this year’s playoffs, Theodore played in the entire series before missing Game Five, putting up three assists in four games, and helping his team move past the Winnipeg Jets.

In more unfortunate news for the Golden Knights, it is still unconfirmed whether or not defenseman Brayden McNabb will be back for Game One in the division semifinals. Much like Theodore, McNabb also missed Game Five against the Jets, but McNabb is still listed as day-to-day, and will likely be a game-time decision before Game One.

Other Western Conference injury notes:

  • Bennett Durando of the Denver Post reports that Josh Manson and Darren Helm will miss Game Seven for the Colorado Avalanche. So far in their series against the Seattle Kraken, Manson has played in five games, unable to score a goal or help with one, but still finding himself on the scoresheet in the form of PIMs, as he has accrued eight already to this point. In much of the same as how his regular season went, Helm has only played in one game this series and was also unable to find the scoresheet for the Avalanche.
  • As the Edmonton Oilers look to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings during Game Six, they may be receiving an offensive reinforcement. Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports that Mattias Janmark may be back to help the Oilers clinch the series. This morning at practice, Janmark was seen skating on a line with teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. He has already played in one game this series, picking up one assist.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Brayden McNabb, Others To Extensions

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The Vegas Golden Knights announced Sunday that they’ve come to terms on extensions with defenseman Brayden McNabb, forward Michael Amadio, and goaltender Logan Thompson.

McNabb’s three-year extension carries an average annual value of $2.85MM, Amadio’s two-year deal carries an average annual value of $762,500 and Thompson’s three-year deal is worth $766,667 per year. All three contracts begin in the 2022-23 season.

McNabb has now spent over half of his 552 NHL games with the Golden Knights. The team’s selection from the Los Angeles Kings in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, McNabb has 15 goals and 42 assists for 57 points over 314 NHL games in Vegas.

Vegas has used McNabb primarily in a second-pairing role since joining the team, generally with Shea Theodore. With injuries devastating Vegas this year, he’s spent significant time with both Theodore and Dylan Coghlan.

Amadio arrived in the Vegas organization a few months ago after they claimed him off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 25-year-old has seven points in 25 games with Vegas this year, and 47 points in 201 career NHL games. Retaining Amadio gives Vegas some reliable depth at the fringes of their forward lineup.

Thompson made his NHL debut last season and is third on the Knights’ goalie depth chart behind Robin Lehner and Laurent Brossoit. His impressive numbers in the AHL suggest a bright future for the 24-year-old, who came to the organization as an undrafted free agent. He has a .928 save percentage and two shutouts in 21 games with the Henderson Silver Knights this year.

More Moves Are Necessary For The Vegas Golden Knights

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Today was certainly a day to be happy for Vegas Golden Knights fans. The team acquired a top-ten center in the league in Jack Eichel while only losing one piece each from their prospect and draft pool.

However, the reality stands that Eichel isn’t free. He’s currently in the fourth year of an eight-year, $80MM deal that counts against the salary cap for $10M per year.

The Knights are doing a delicate dance with the salary cap’s Upper Limit, shifting both Eichel and Mark Stone to long-term injured reserve today to accommodate the transaction. They join Max Pacioretty on the list, meaning the entirety of what’s expected to be Vegas’ top line is on LTIR.

Now, this number is expected to decrease slightly as they send some players down as the team gets healthier, but CapFriendly lists the Golden Knights with a $91.8MM cap hit, just over $10M above the $81.5MM Upper Limit.

While the team should be able to activate Pacioretty and Stone without issue, it’ll be impossible as things currently stand to activate Eichel when he’s expected to return in February or March. The team will need to have a cap hit below the $81.5MM Upper Limit at that point in order to do so.

Needless to say, moves will need to happen for Vegas to shed enough salary to become cap-compliant. It’s no small amount of money, either, as they’ll likely need to offload $7-8MM in order to make things work.

Reilly Smith and the one year remaining on a deal paying him $5MM per season scream out as a likely candidate to be traded by the Knights. If Eichel is healthy prior to the trade deadline, it’s entirely feasible that Vegas could flip him to quite literally anyone. They could operate as a seller and trade Smith to a contender in the Eastern Conference, or trade him to a seller that could then flip him at the deadline.

If clearing that isn’t enough, the team could look at trading or waiving Brayden McNabb and his $2.5MM cap hit. He too is in the last year of his contract, and his role with the team is quickly being made expendable with the emergence of Nicolas Hague.

Regardless, it’s a surefire conclusion that the makeup of the team will need to be cheaper when Eichel is healthy and ready to play.

Brayden McNabb Removed From COVID Protocol

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The NHL released a blank COVID Protocol Related Absences list today as the lone remaining member, Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb, has been removed. McNabb had been in the protocol and in isolation since May 26 following a positive test, but was expected to come off the list when he was spotted skating ahead of Vegas’ morning skate on Sunday.

However, McNabb’s return to the lineup remains on hold. Although he has exited isolation following the required ten days, the NHL’s COVID Protocol states that any player who tests positive for Coronavirus “must refrain from exercise for a total of 14 days from the time of the first positive test” and also must pass cardiac testing. This means that McNabb cannot return to action until Wednesday at the earliest. His morning skate participation likely falls under the “low-grade exercise” permitted if a player has been asymptomatic.

With the Colorado Avalanche up 2-1 in the West Division finals and Games Four and Five scheduled for Sunday and Tuesday, McNabb will need his Knights teammates to force a Game Six on Thursday in order for him to have any chance to return. The irony is that Vegas could desperately use McNabb’s defensive play in order to pick up more wins against a dynamic Avalanche offense.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 06/05/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in the COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list for the remaining playoff teams:

Vegas – Brayden McNabb

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jayson Megna, Colorado Avalanche

After a long stretch with one player from each team in the ongoing West Division Finals being sidelined on the CPRA list, it’s now down to just one. The wait continues for McNabb to return to the Golden Knights, but Megna is now available to the Avalanche. The veteran forward only played in seven NHL games this year and had not seen any postseason action before he landed on the CPRA list, so this is not the same level of impact as if McNabb, a regular defenseman for Vegas, was able to return. The countdown is now on for the league to get back to an empty list.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 06/04/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in the COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:

Colorado – Jayson Megna
Vegas – Brayden McNabb

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: None

Still no McNabb for the Golden Knights, who will try to climb back into their second-round series against the Avalanche tonight. Vegas could be on the brink of elimination before the veteran defenseman returns, and given how long he’s been out it’s hard to imagine him making a difference anytime soon.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 06/03/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in the COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:

Colorado – Jayson Megna
Vegas – Brayden McNabb

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: None

Another day and no changes for the Avalanche and Golden Knights, who are still without Megna and McNabb. The Golden Knights are headed home down 2-0 in the series after Mikko Rantanen’s overtime winner and still don’t have McNabb available to them. The two teams face off tomorrow, so technically there is still time for him to come off the list and participate, but after being shelved for ten days it seems unlikely he would be ready to step back into the lineup against the speedy Colorado unit.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 06/02/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in the COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:

Colorado – Jayson Megna
Montreal – TBA
Vegas – Brayden McNabb
Winnipeg – TBA

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: None

Still no change for the Golden Knights or Avalanche, meaning McNabb will not be available for Vegas tonight in game two. The veteran defenseman has now been unavailable for eight days, meaning he also might need some practice time before jumping back into the lineup against the powerhouse Avalanche squad.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 06/01/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in the COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:

Colorado – Jayson Megna
Vegas – Brayden McNabb

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: None

We’re now just a day away from the Golden Knights being without McNabb for game two against the Avalanche, as today’s list had no changes. Vegas was run out of the building in game one and could use the veteran defenseman to help slow down the Colorado attack. McNabb last played on May 24 however, so could actually need some time to get back to speed once he is removed from the protocol.

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