Golden Knights Reassign Dylan Coghlan
The Golden Knights announced they’ve assigned defenseman Dylan Coghlan to AHL Henderson. Vegas now has an open roster spot, likely meaning they’ll operate without an extra defenseman for their brief return home against the Devils this week before heading back out on a two-game road trip.
Vegas has needed some additional defensive insurance ever since Jeremy Lauzon went down with an undisclosed injury in mid-November. He remains listed as day-to-day but is on injured reserve and has now missed nearly a month. In the interim, they’ve been shuffling veteran depth names like Coghlan and Jaycob Megna up from the AHL to serve as healthy extras.
They haven’t needed them to actually enter game action, though. Since Lauzon exited the lineup on Nov. 15, Vegas has dressed the same six defenders – Noah Hanifin, Ben Hutton, Kaedan Korczak, Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore, and Zach Whitecloud – in 14 straight games.
Coghlan thus returns to Henderson after not getting any playing time over the last week. The 27-year-old made his NHL debut with the Knights back in 2020-21, playing in two seasons with them before he was traded to the Hurricanes in 2022 in the Max Pacioretty deal. After spending the last three years in the Carolina and Winnipeg organizations bouncing between the NHL and AHL, he returned to Vegas on a league-minimum contract over the offseason in free agency.
In 20 games for Henderson this season, the 6’2″ righty has five goals and 10 points with a +4 rating. An AHL All-Star in 2023-24, he ranks third among Silver Knights defensemen in scoring.
Latest On Pavel Dorofeyev
Earlier today, Senators top prospect Carter Yakemchuk left mid-game in the AHL due to injury, as reported by Alex Adams of Sportsnet, who also provided the video clip. The defenseman, coming around the corner in his own end, made a routine pass to start the breakout when Bridgeport enforcer Hunter Drew finished a hard check. Such an impact sent Yakemchuk spilling awkwardly into the boards, and he did not return.
Drafted by Ottawa seventh overall in 2024, the 6’3” defenseman is the team’s top prospect, posting an impressive 18 points in 27 games for Belleville in his first professional season. On the other hand, Drew, 27, was a sixth round selection by Anaheim in 2018, appearing in two NHL games in 2021-22, but since then has been a full-time AHLer, even switching from a defenseman to a forward as a professional. Drew regularly surpasses the 100+ annual penalty minute mark, and after taking out a young star, naturally, his actions drew the ire of Belleville.
Further details have not been confirmed on Yakemchuk’s status, but the Alberta native figures to be a huge part of Ottawa’s future. It was already noted in late November that he is likely untouchable in trade discussions, and hopefully as long as he is able to avoid serious injury, the 20-year-old could soon earn a call up and provide a needed boost to the Sens’ right side defense.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Vegas forward Pavel Dorofeyev left last night’s win over Columbus, not returning for the third period, as reported by Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). The 25-year-old is one of the game’s more unsung top scorers, since breaking out last season with 35 goals. He has maintained such levels so far this year with 13 in 31 games, doing all of it at an absurd value, $1.8MM, with pending RFA status at season’s end. No additional updates on Dorofeyev have come yet, with the Knights out of action until next Wednesday, but if he is set to miss time, the winger’s elite power play production will especially be missed. Eight of his 13 goals have been buried on the man advantage.
- Ahead of tonight’s game versus Buffalo, the Seattle Kraken announced that forward Mason Marchment will not play, however it is noted as due to illness, rather than injury. The 30-year-old was an intriguing cap-dump addition by Seattle last summer given his production with Dallas, but the scoring touch has fallen off a bit since then. Marchment found the back of the net twice on Friday, but prior to that, he had just two goals in 26 games. The power forward is drawing trade interest as a pending UFA, but with a $4.5MM cap hit and a modified no trade clause, such a move may require creativity. In Marchment’s absence, 22-year-old Jacob Melanson enters the lineup for his second NHL game. Melanson was drafted in the fifth round by Seattle and projects as a future bottom six winger.
Golden Knights Recall Dylan Coghlan, Assign Jaycob Megna
The Vegas Golden Knights have swapped depth defenseman on the NHL roster. Dylan Coghlan has been recalled, while Jaycob Megna has been reassigned to the AHL. Neither player has appeared in an NHL game this season.
Megna, 32, was recalled to the Golden Knights roster on December 1st. He has been rotated between the NHL and AHL roster three times since clearing waivers on October 2nd. Through that movement, he’s managed to appear in 15 games with the Henderson Silver Knights. He’s recorded five points, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-six in those appearances. That includes two points, four penalty minutes, and a plus-three in his last four games. Megna also has eight seasons of NHL experience. He has appeared in 193 games, and scored 27 points, through stints with the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, and Florida Panthers.
Coghlan, 27, has performed well in-line with Megna. He has 10 points, 10 penalty minutes, and a plus-four in 20 games with Henderson. This is his recall of the season. He appeared in six games with the Winnipeg Jets, with no scoring, last year and 18 games with the Carolina Hurricanes between 2022 and 2024. Coghlan has appeared in 112 games across six seasons, and three teams. He has 22 points and a minus-10 in those appearances.
This swap surely has more to do with roster technicalities than it does lineup implications. Megna will only be able to spend 15 more days on the NHL roster, before he will have to clear through waivers to be reassigned to the minors. The Golden Knights appear to be using those days sparingly, after recalling Megna for one week in October and the first week of December.
Golden Knights Reassign Jesper Vikman
Dec. 7: Vikman has been returned to Henderson, per a team announcement. He dressed as the backup to Akira Schmid, who posted a 24-save shutout against the Devils on Friday, because Hart was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. As such, Hart is expected to be available tonight against the Rangers.
Dec. 5: The Vegas Golden Knights announced this morning that they have recalled netminder Jesper Vikman from their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
Since Vegas already has two goalies on its active roster, Carter Hart and Akira Schmid, the move appears to, at this moment, bring a third netminder into the fold for head coach Bruce Cassidy to choose from. It’s possible this recall is a response to the expected unavailability of one of those two netminders, but nothing of the sort has been reported at this time.
This transaction appears to be Vikman’s first regular-season NHL recall. The 23-year-old has yet to make his NHL debut, and while it’s more likely he’s been recalled at this time to serve in a reserve capacity, today’s move does at least give him the chance to skate in an NHL game for the first time.
A 2020 fifth-round pick out of Sweden’s AIK, Vikman earned an entry-level contract off the back of two strong seasons as a No. 1 goalie for the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. Vikman was an All-Star in the WHL, posting a .903 save percentage across 80 games, leading Vancouver to the postseason in both years he played there.
Vikman made the transition to pro hockey in 2023-24, and in each of the last two years, he’s split time between Henderson and the Golden Knights’ ECHL affiliates. Vikman has a career .885 save percentage across 31 AHL games, and a career .897 mark in 57 ECHL games.
So far this season, Vikman has gone 4-4-0 with Henderson, posting an .871 save percentage. Vikman is currently in one of the most important campaigns of his hockey career as a 23-year-old pending RFA. He is playing out the final year of his entry-level deal, and Vikman could be playing to secure his place in the Golden Knights’ organization beyond this season. Vegas already has prospect Cameron Whitehead signed beyond this season, and Carl Lindbom, who will also be an RFA, is the club’s strongest pro-level goalie prospect. Lindbom is widely considered to be a step above Vikman in terms of future projection.
While this recall won’t, in the grand scheme of things, impact Vikman’s chances of earning an extension as much as his performances in the AHL will, this recall still serves as an important opportunity for the player. Even if he doesn’t get the chance to make his NHL debut, he’ll still get to showcase his talents in front of Vegas’ staff in practice for the duration of his time on the NHL roster.
Hart Day-To-Day, Karlsson Moved To LTIR
- Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). He sustained the injury in his season debut on Tuesday against Chicago, one that saw him make 27 saves in a shootout victory over Chicago. Vegas recalled Jesper Vikman from AHL Henderson earlier today and they are using an emergency roster exception that lasts up to 48 hours to allow them to temporarily exceed the 23-player roster limit.
- Still with the Golden Knights, they’ve placed center William Karlsson on LTIR, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). The move was needed to afford Vikman’s recall. Karlsson last played on November 8th, meaning that he has already missed the required 10 games and 24 days, assuming the placement was back-dated. The 32-year-old has four goals and three assists in 14 games this season and remains listed as out week-to-week.
Golden Knights Recall Carter Hart, Assign Carl Lindbom To AHL
Carter Hart’s two-week conditioning stint has come to an end, and the Golden Knights have recalled him, per the AHL’s transactions log. In a corresponding move, Vegas has reassigned netminder Carl Lindbom to AHL Henderson.
Hart’s suspension expires on December 1st, which stemmed from the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial during the summer months when he and the four other players charged were found not guilty. The suspension came from a joint agreement between the league and the NHLPA, with the players waiving their right to an appeal.
Hart is the only player of the five to have signed in the NHL for this season, as he inked a two-year, $4MM contract back in late October. The 27-year-old got into three games with the Silver Knights and allowed nine goals on 56 shots for a .839 SV% in his first game action since January 2024. For the time being, he’ll likely split starts with Akira Schmid, who has done pretty well since taking over the starter role in Adin Hill’s absence.
As for Lindbom, he had been up with Vegas since Hill was injured in late October. The 22-year-old saw his first NHL action while on recall, posting a 3.14 GAA and a .870 SV% in seven starts while he picked up his first win on Saturday against San Jose. Lindbom has only played twice for Henderson this season, but put up a 2.65 GAA and a .912 SV% in 36 games with them last season.
Carter Hart Expected To Be Recalled Next Week
- The Vegas Golden Knights are “expected to recall” netminder Carter Hart to their NHL roster as early as next week, according to TSN’s Chris Johnston. Hart, the former starting netminder for the Philadelphia Flyers, hasn’t played in an NHL game since the 2023-24 season. He was acquitted of charges in this past summer’s high-profile trial, and signed with Vegas in October. They sent him to their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, in November, and he has played in two games, posting a 1-1-0 record and a .875 save percentage. He’s expected to make one more start on his conditioning stint before joining the Golden Knights’ NHL roster. The Golden Knights remain without Adin Hill due to an injury, and have relied upon Akira Schmid and Carl Lindbom in Hill’s absence.
Golden Knights Place Jeremy Lauzon On IR, Reassign Tanner Laczynski
Nov. 19th: It appears that Laczynski’s recall was largely precautionary. According to a team announcement, the Golden Knights have reassigned Laczynski to AHL Henderson.
Nov. 18th: The Vegas Golden Knights have placed defenseman Jeremy Lauzon on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, per Danny Webster of the Veags Review Journal. Head coach Bruce Cassidy told Webster that the team doesn’t know how long Lauzon will need to sit out. This move will force him out until at least November 22nd, a full week after he left Vegas’ November 15th game early.
It wasn’t entirely clear when Lauzon sustained his injury, though he did manage to briefly return to the ice after leaving the bench. Now, perhaps out of precaution, Vegas will move him to the sideline through their next two games, at least. Lauzon has had a tough time adjusting to a new role with Vegas. He has four points, a plus-three, and 28 penalty minutes in 17 games this season – while receiving third-pair minutes. Lauzon has stepped up as a bruiser for Vegas. He leads the team with three fights on the year, while no other Golden Knight has recorded more than one. He also leads the Golden Knights in hits (57).
Lauzon may be struggling to keep opponents at bay, but his hard-nosed presence is certainly what Vegas signed up for when they acquired him from the Nashville Predators this summer. He moved to Vegas alongside forward Colton Sissons, in the trade that sent Nicolas Hague and a 2027 third-round pick to Nashville. Lauzon was a historic physical presence for the Predators. He set the franchise record for most hits by a defenseman with 250 in the 2022-23 season, then followed it by breaking the record for all Predators with 383 hits in 2023-24.
Ben Hutton has drawn back into the lineup in Lauzon’s absence. Hutton has three assists, a minus-one, and 13 blocked shots in 11 games this season. He has stepped directly onto Lauzon’s third-pair role alongside Kaedan Korczak.
Meanwhile, Vegas will use Lauzon’s vacant roster spot as a chance to recall center Tanner Laczynski from the minor leagues, per SinBin Vegas. Laczynski ranks second on the Henderson Silver Knights in scoring, with 13 points in as many games. He is one of three Silver Knights scoring at a point-per-game pace. It’s no surprise to see him near the top of Henderson’s leaderboard. Laczynski led the club in scoring last season, with 37 points in 41 games. He was awarded eight games with the NHL club throughout the season as a result, but only managed one goal and six penalty minutes, bringing his career statline up to five points in 46 NHL games.
Laczynski will compete with winger Alexander Holtz for ice time on his recall. Both are operating as Vegas’ extra forwards, while rookie Braeden Bowman enjoys a top-line role next to Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel.
Golden Knights Assign Carter Hart On Conditioning Loan
According to a team announcement, the Vegas Golden Knights have assigned netminder Carter Hart to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights on a conditioning loan. In a corresponding roster move, Jason Pothier and Ken Boehlke of SinBin report that Adin Hill has been placed on the injured reserve, likely retroactive to October 20.
It’ll be Hart’s first appearance in a professional setting since the 2023-24 season. Hart, as well as four others, were involved in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial during the summer months and found not guilty.
Per the additional punishment agreed to by the NHL and the NHLPA, the five players from the assault trial were barred from signing a contract until October 15, and could not return to NHL ice until December 1. Accordingly, it’s reasonable to assume that Hart’s conditioning stint will last until then.
Although he didn’t maintain the same production as in his first two NHL seasons, Hart remained consistent during his last three years with the Philadelphia Flyers.. From the beginning of the 2021-22 NHL season until he was suspended during the 2023-24 campaign, Hart managed a 47-56-20 record in Philadelphia with a .906 SV% and 2.99 GAA.
It’s anyone’s guess as to how Hart will perform upon his return. It’s one thing to return to the game’s highest levels after two years removed, and it’s another to return after going through the stress and embarrassment of a high-profile lawsuit. At any rate, the Golden Knights believe he has more left in the tank, signing Hart to a two-year, $4MM deal on October 25.
Meanwhile, Hill is designated for the IR after nearly a month away from the ice. Still, despite missing a month due to a lower-body ailment, Hill is expected to return within the next few weeks if his recovery timeline goes according to plan. He has a 1-0-2 record through five games to start the season with a .888 SV% and 2.73 GAA.
Golden Knights’ William Karlsson Out Week-To-Week
According to a team announcement, the Vegas Golden Knights are expected to be without forward William Karlsson for the next few weeks due to a lower-body injury. Karlsson missed his first game of the year on Monday against the Florida Panthers due to the injury.
It’s an unfortunate circumstance for Karlsson and the Golden Knights, as he was quietly placed on the team’s injured reserve yesterday morning. Although he’s not a direct replacement, Vegas has recalled Braeden Bowman from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights after scoring seven goals and 12 points through his first 12 games to start the season.
Once again, the Golden Knights’ regular-season success is being heavily impacted by injury concerns. Alongside Karlsson, the team was already without captain Mark Stone and starting netminder Adin Hill for the foreseeable future. They’re currently 7-4-4 and two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference standings.
Unfortunately, this is all too familiar for Karlsson. One of the four remaining “Misfits”, Karlsson lost 29 games to a lower-body injury last year, finishing with nine goals and 29 points. He had gotten off to a relatively solid start to the current season, scoring four goals and seven points in 14 games while averaging 15:09 of ice time per game.
It’s a tricky situation for the cap-strapped Golden Knights. According to the new LTIR rules, Vegas is only able to shed Alex Pietrangelo’s $8.8MM salary this season since he won’t feature during the year or the postseason. Unfortunately, even with Stone on LTIR and Karlsson now on the IR, the Golden Knights only have a little over $450K in cap space, leaving them with very few options to fill in their injury holes.