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Max Pacioretty

Stone, Hague Added To Protocol; Pacioretty Nearing Return

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The Vegas Golden Knights had a few absences and one notable addition to the morning skate today, as both Mark Stone and Nicolas Hague were missing due to COVID protocols. Neither will play tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, according to Jesse Granger of The Athletic. Still, it wasn’t all bad news as Max Pacioretty was on the ice taking part and will travel with the team–and could even play–on their upcoming road trip. Vegas heads to Washington for a match on Monday, the first in a four-game road trip.

Losing Stone is obviously a huge blow, as the 29-year-old is arguably the team’s most important forward. Named captain just over a year ago, the two-way winger brings point-per-game production while being one of the most celebrated defensive players in the league. He’s finished in the top five for Selke Trophy voting in each of the last three seasons, including being a finalist in the shortened 2020-21 campaign. With seven goals and 26 points in 23 games this season he’s off to another strong start, even with the missed time due to injury.

Hague too is an important piece, though he was already out with an injury and hasn’t played since December. The 6’6″ defenseman has developed into a reliable option for the Golden Knights, averaging more than 18 minutes a night behind the team’s top options. In 32 games Hague has even collected 13 points, all of them coming at even-strength.

It’s Pacioretty’s appearance that will raise some eyebrows though, as the Golden Knights continue to approach a tricky cap situation. Jack Eichel is skating and scheduled to return to the lineup in another month or so, by which point the team will need some extra cap space to activate him. Pacioretty’s injury would have afforded them some additional time if he was still out when Eichel returned, but that obviously won’t be the case if he’s ready to play on the upcoming road trip. The 33-year-old winger scored 12 goals and 21 points in his first 16 games, but underwent wrist surgery in December. At that point he was ruled out indefinitely; now just three weeks later he appears on the brink of a return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Max Pacioretty Out Indefinitely Following Wrist Surgery

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The Vegas Golden Knights will be without one of their top players for the foreseeable future, as Max Pacioretty is out indefinitely following wrist surgery. Pacioretty played just over 17 minutes on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings but has been absent from Golden Knights practice as he tried to deal with the injury.

The Golden Knights, of course, are dealing with an impending cap crunch as Jack Eichel rehabs from neck surgery and approaches a return to action. Pacioretty’s injury will solve that issue for the time being, given he can likely be placed on long-term injured reserve as he recovers from his own surgery. The 33-year-old’s $7MM salary would be more than enough to cover Eichel’s cost as long as Alec Martinez stays out, though things would get tricky again if everyone was healthy before the postseason.

While it may seem conspiratorial that Pacioretty is going on LTIR, the Golden Knights would obviously rather have him in the lineup. The veteran forward has been outstanding since arriving in Vegas, with 90 goals and 178 points in 201 games. This year he was scoring at an incredible pace with 12 goals and 21 points in just 16 games. Never a point-per-game player during his time in Montreal, it would be two seasons in a row that Pacioretty reached that mark in Vegas had he been able to continue it through the rest of the year.

Now it’s unclear when he will be back, making this a disappointing season for the winger. With just one year left on his contract and Vegas bringing in more big-money players at every chance, it’s hard to know how much longer Pacioretty will even be with the Golden Knights.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Henrique, Pitlick, Oilers, Brisebois

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The Golden Knights could be down several key regulars for tomorrow game against Los Angeles.  Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that wingers Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone along with goaltender Robin Lehner all missed practice today due to what’s being termed as bumps and bruises and are all listed as game-time decisions for tomorrow.  Pacioretty sits second on Vegas in goals despite missing more than half the season while Stone joins Pacioretty in being the only Golden Knights averaging more than a point per game so far.  Lehner missed last Tuesday’s contest with an undisclosed issue so his injury has lingered for a little bit.  Vegas will, however, have defenceman Nicolas Hague back after missing last Tuesday’s game.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • While the Ducks were hoping at one point that Adam Henrique could return before the holiday break, the center hasn’t yet resumed skating, relays Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). The veteran suffered a lower-body injury three weeks ago, derailing what had been a strong start to his season with 16 points in 24 games.
  • It was almost a full group of players for the Flames at practice today as all of their players that were in COVID protocol have returned. However, Sportsnet’s Eric Francis notes that winger Tyler Pitlick cleared protocol but is dealing with an undisclosed injury that kept him off the ice today.  The 30-year-old has two assists in 21 games in his first season with Calgary after being acquired from Seattle following their expansion draft.
  • The Oilers could be getting some help on the injury front soon as Postmedia’s Jim Matheson mentions that goaltender Mike Smith is likely to go on their upcoming three-game road trip. The 40-year-old has missed more than two months with a lower-body injury and would be a welcome addition to a goalie group that has had some ups and downs in the first two months of the season.  Meanwhile, defenseman Duncan Keith is expected to practice and could return on Wednesday against St. Louis.  He has missed a little more than a month due to a back injury.
  • The Canucks announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Guillaume Brisebois has been placed on injured reserve. The placement is effective as of today which means he’ll miss at least the next 10 days.  The 24-year-old made his NHL season debut back on December 16th but also has suited up in six games for AHL Abbotsford.

Max Pacioretty Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Vegas Golden Knights are one step closer to full health. Winger Max Pacioretty has been activated from injured reserve and could return to the lineup Wednesday night against the Nashville Predators.

It goes without saying that this is a huge step for a beleaguered Golden Knights team. Pacioretty played in just two games this season before getting injured, but was arguably their best player in that time frame, notching two goals and an assist.

Pacioretty and his $7MM cap hit now come off long-term injured reserve, but with Jack Eichel’s $10MM still there, they won’t have any problems being cap compliant (yet).

Now, Vegas will be able to reunite what’s been their top line for the past while, as Pacioretty will be able to slot in beside Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson. Stephenson has stepped up in a big way to help carry a shattered Knights team through a tough stretch, posting 17 points in 19 games.

Eichel and William Karlsson’s absences are now the last remaining pieces of the puzzle in what shapes up to be one of the best forward groups in the league. Their depth has done more than enough work, keeping the team afloat with an 11-8-0 record this season. With Pacioretty back in the fold, expect the Knights to take on more of their old form.

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.

Max Pacioretty Moved To Long-Term Injured Reserve

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The Vegas Golden Knights have opened up a little bit of cap flexibility, but it comes at the cost of a top forward. According to CapFriendly, Max Pacioretty has been moved to long-term injured reserve after originally being placed on normal injured reserve after suffering a lower-body fracture earlier this month.

That means Pacioretty will be out at least ten games and 24 days, but also adds an additional $7MM to the team’s long-term relief pool. Previously, the team  Alex Tuch and Jake Bischoff on LTIR creating $5.47MM in relief, almost all of which had been used up. The Golden Knights wouldn’t have had enough space left to even recall a 23rd player, but now can operate freely with Pacioretty moved to LTIR, bringing up an extra player, or acquiring someone through trade.

Still, it guarantees that they’ll be without a top offensive option for the next little while. Pacioretty led all Golden Knights in goals last season with 24 and scored twice in his season debut this year. Vegas has had trouble scoring in his absence and were even shut out last night by the New York Islanders. The team now finds themselves last in the Pacific Division with a 1-4 record, certainly not what anyone expected.

Max Pacioretty To Miss Roughly Six Weeks

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Thursday’s game against the Kings was a costly one for the Golden Knights.  For starters, a 6-2 loss is never ideal but on top of that, their injury list is continuing to grow.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that winger Max Pacioretty is set to miss approximately six weeks with an injury; Jesse Granger of The Athletic clarifies (Twitter link) that it’s a lower-body issue.

This is the latest in what has been a long list of injuries to start the season as the veteran joins forwards Nicolas Roy, Brett Howden, Mattias Janmark (COVID protocol), Alex Tuch, and William Carrier as those out of the lineup.  Mark Stone was also injured against the Kings with Friedman noting that Vegas is still awaiting further clarity on his situation.

Pacioretty had been off to a strong start to his season with three points in their opener against Seattle and has been one of their most consistent scoring threats since coming over in a trade from Montreal back in 2018, notching at least 22 goals in each of his three seasons with the Golden Knights while eclipsing the point per game mark for the first time last season when he had 24 goals and 27 assists in 48 games.  If Stone winds up missing time as well, their top two scorers from the past two seasons will both be out of commission.  Vegas is basically down to just seven healthy forwards on their active roster having sent three players down yesterday and those players (plus others) will almost certainly be recalled before their next game on Wednesday.

Injuries left Vegas in a tough spot last season to the point where they had to dress fewer than 18 skaters at times but that shouldn’t be an issue here.  Tuch is currently on LTIR, allowing the Golden Knights to use his $4.75MM towards replacement players and with Pacioretty set to miss the next six weeks, he’ll be eligible to be moved there as well and with a $7MM AAV, there will be more than enough cap room to recall several players to fill their lineup.

Of course, finding healthy players from their AHL affiliate in Henderson is something that’s easier said than done.  After making their season debut last night, NHL.com’s Patrick Williams relays (Twitter link) that the Silver Knights are missing a total of 14 players due to injury while the team announced yesterday that head coach Manny Viveiros is taking a non-COVID medical leave of absence and is out indefinitely.  It has been a tough start to the season all around in the Vegas organization.

Poll: Who Will Take Home The Conn Smythe Trophy?

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While four teams are still left in the running, the end of the season is near enough that Conn Smythe Trophy speculation can begin in earnest. In recent years, future Hall of Famers have put up giant playoff performances en route to championships, as Alex Ovechkin, Victor Hedman, and Sidney Crosby have all added a playoff MVP to their résumé.

But now, we turn our attention to the players grabbing headlines during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning look poised to repeat as champions on the back of a fully healthy core. The Vegas Golden Knights are struggling and facing elimination, but always seem to turn it on when it matters most. The New York Islanders continue to play disciplined defensive hockey, and the Montreal Canadiens continue to ride an underdog wave.

The Lightning have many candidates, as the teams to fall to them know all too well. Nikita Kucherov has absolutely tormented opponents on the power play since returning from injury, leading the playoffs with 27 points in just 16 games. Brayden Point has also terrorized opponents on the scoresheet, tallying an incredible 13 goals in 16 games. Tampa Bay’s trifecta wouldn’t be complete without an incredible performance from goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who’s posted a .936 save percentage to pair with an 11-5 record.

Should the Islanders move on, there’s no real clear-cut candidate from their squad. It speaks as a testament to the strength of a team the Isles have assembled. Everyone’s eyes should turn immediately to Mathew Barzal, however. After a slow start, Barzal is approaching the team lead for both goals and points. Nods should also be given to Josh Bailey and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who sit tied for the team lead with 13 points in 17 games. Brock Nelson and newcomer Kyle Palmieri share the team lead in goals with seven, and could also receive votes.

For the Golden Knights, Max Pacioretty and Alex Pietrangelo should be classified as the leading candidates. Pietrangelo has been playing his best hockey as a Knight, tallying 11 points in 18 games while playing almost 25 minutes a night. Max Pacioretty leads the team in points per game, having scored 11 in 12 since returning from injury. While Marc-Andre Fleury received earlier consideration, a string of recent mediocre performances likely put him behind Pacioretty and Pietrangelo for contender status.

And for the upstart Habs, it’s veteran Carey Price who’ll undoubtedly take home the hardware should they win it all. The 33-year-old netminder has posted a .933 save percentage in 16 games, playing every game for Montreal during the playoff run. Free-agent acquisition Tyler Toffoli could receive some love too with 14 points in 16 games.

So now we ask you – who’ll be taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy at the conclusion of these playoffs? Vote below!

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Vegas Reassigns Cody Glass To AHL

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The Vegas Golden Knights were without Max Pacioretty, Tomas Nosek, and Ryan Reaves for their Game Six loss to the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday and will likely be without at least Reaves for a crucial Game Seven on Friday after he and rookie Peyton Krebs landed on the league’s COVID Protocol list. Pacioretty and Nosek currently remain “game-time decisions”. Vegas called upon young Cody Glass to help fill the void on Wednesday and it was expected that he would remain in the lineup for as long as necessary.

Well, that might not be the case after all. Vegas has announced this evening that Glass has been demoted to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights in order to take part in their Pacific Division Final match-up. While this is a pivotal game for Henderson, down 1-0 in a best-of-three series, the Knights would not be prioritizing their farm team’s success over their own. The move indicates that Glass will not be in the lineup for Vegas on Friday, as the team would not put him on short rest if they had another choice.

How will Vegas fill the gap up front then if Reaves, Pacioretty, and Nosek are unable to go? Barring a recall of offset Glass’ reassignment, the team is actually without a healthy extra forward on the roster. This could imply that the Knights expect at least one of the injured trio to be available. The team could also employ a seven-defenseman lineup or could play defender Dylan Coghlan up front, as they have previously experimented with. Whatever the decision, the pressure is on head coach Peter DeBoer to field the right lineup to get a win or else risk another first-round upset this season. The first call that he has made is that he feels his options are all better than the 2017 No. 6 overall pick. Will it pay off?

West Notes: Thomas, Blues, Kadri, Pacioretty

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The St. Louis Blues have struggled mightily in its first-round playoff series with the Colorado Avalanche with little offense to show for itself. The team has scored just five goals over three games and needs some players to step up.

Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that one player the team needs more from is Robert Thomas. The 21-year-old looked like a promising youngster in his second season last year when he posted 10 goals and 42 points, but has struggled this year after missing 19 games with a broken hand, hasn’t produced on the ice. The center scored just three goals and 12 points in 33 games and has just two secondary assists so far in the playoffs.

“I think he’s gotta play with more energy and confidence in my opinion,” said Blues coach Craig Berube. “That’s a big thing I think I see with him, is the energy level’s a little low for him. He’s gotta find a little more emotion in his game and go out and play with some energy and emotion in the game. It’s hard to play the game in the playoffs without energy and emotion. And if he gets his energy levels up and gets more emotionally involved in the game, he’s gonna play better.”

  • Sticking with the Blues, injuries continue to be a problem for St. Louis. Berube said that the team will be without Vince Dunn, Robert Bortuzzo and Justin Faulk for a pivotal Game 4, the team announced. There is a chance that Jake Walman could be available for the game, and Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports he will play in Game 4 after coming off the COVID-19 protocol list. Dunn is expected to miss his 15th straight game with an upper-body injury. Bortuzzo and Faulk will each miss their second straight with upper-body injuries.
  • John Shannon of NHL.com reports that there still is no decision from forward Nazem Kadri about whether he intends to appeal his  suspension. Kadri received an eight-game suspension Friday after his hit on Faulk in Game 2. If Kadri wants to appeal, it would go into the hands of commissioner Gary Bettman. If he doesn’t like Bettman’s response, it could go to a third-party arbitrator, but that could take quite a bit of time, according to the scribe. A decision likely will be made later today.
  • Still no word on the status of Vegas Golden Knights’ Max Pacioretty as Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen reports that the top-scoring winger remains day-to-day. In fact, the forward has been day-to-day with an undisclosed injury since being injured on May 1. “We don’t know game to game whether he’ll be in, but it’s turned into obviously longer than we hoped,” said head coach Peter DeBoer.

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