The Vegas Golden Knights’ goaltending depth will be tested, as today they announced that Malcolm Subban would be out for at least four weeks. Subban was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, joining the already injured Marc-Andre Fleury on IR.
Injuries will now have the Golden Knights turning to a combination of Oscar Dansk—who is already with the team—and Maxime Lagace in net, though obviously there is an opportunity to make a move for another goaltender. The team has already been in conversations with teams about their excess of defensemen, something that could now be accelerated due to injury.
It must be noted that the Golden Knights traded Calvin Pickard away earlier this month after he cleared waivers instead of assigning him to the AHL, a move that is looking worse today as the team finds themselves without much NHL experience in the crease.
If the team does call up Lagace, the Chicago Wolves would be left with C.J. Motte as their starter, though there are other options they could use. The St. Louis Blues, who are using the Wolves as a partial affiliate this season, had moved Jordan Binnington to Providence because of the log-jam in net. He could be brought back, although Providence has their own goalie problems while Zane McIntyre is in the NHL filling in for Tuukka Rask.
For those hoping the team will acquire another option, part of the press release from GM George McPhee seems to throw cold water on that option.
Injuries provide opportunities for others and that is the situation we have here. Our top two goaltenders are currently sidelined, so we will now give our AHL goalies the chance to play in their absence. We felt Oscar Dansk performed well in relief on Saturday in his NHL debut.
While the GM is hoping to give his young goaltenders confidence, the idea that they won’t make a corresponding move could change at any moment. Should someone approach them with an interesting offer, it’s unlikely that McPhee would hang up the phone.
