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Injury Notes: Golden Knights, Avalanche, Middleton

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The Vegas Golden Knights were one of many teams to get a wave of positive injury updates on Friday. Neither star forward Jack Eichel nor top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo are expected to play on Saturday, but both are nearing a return, head coach Bruce Cassidy told Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Both players have missed Vegas’ last two games – Eichel with a day-to-day upper-body injury and Pietrangelo with illness. That same illness has also held winger Victor Olofsson and defender Nicolas Hague out of Vegas’ last two games. Cassidy shared that he had no updates on the latter two absentees, as they’re away from the rink with their sickness.

Getting Eichel back from injury will be a major addition as Vegas prepares for the postseason. He leads the squad in scoring this year with 27 goals and 93 points in 76 games – nearly 30 more points than Mark Stone’s 67 points ranked second. This is Eichel’s first season playing more than 70 games since the 2018-19 season, when he recorded his previous career-high 82 points with the Buffalo Sabres. The year has been more a return to routine health than a true breakout, but either way, Eichel has smashed his career-mark and is set to rival 100 points for the first time in his career. He’ll likely fall just short, as Vegas has just two games left after Saturday’s matchup against Nashville.

Meanwhile, Pietrangelo leads a strong – but sick – supporting cast. He has 33 points in 70 games this season, third-most on the Vegas blue-line. Pietrangelo leads the Golden Knights lineup in average ice time per game with 22:24 – surprisingly the lowest ice time average he’s recorded since his rookie season in 2010-11. He’ll jump right back to a top-pair role when he returns, while Olofsson and Hague will find their way in Vegas’ middle lines. Olofsson has managed 14 goals and 27 points in 54 games this season – stout scoring for his first year with the club. Hague, meanwhile, once again ranks near the bottom of scoring among Golden Knights defenders, with just 11 points in 66 games so far.

Other injury notes from around the league:

  • A pair of veteran members of the Avalanche took a step toward returning as Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette relays that winger Jonathan Drouin joined the team for practice yesterday in a non-contact jersey as he works his way back from a lower-body injury.  Meanwhile, defenseman Josh Manson (upper body) skated on his own.  Drouin has been banged up all season but has been productive when healthy, collecting 37 points in 43 games, good for sixth on the team in scoring despite missing 37 contests.  Manson, meanwhile, has been out for nearly a month now but has done well when playing, collecting 15 points in 48 games while averaging a little over 18 minutes per night of playing time.
  • Wild defenseman Jacob Middleton missed his third straight game last night due to an upper-body injury.  However, Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that the blueliner is a possibility to return for tonight’s contest in Vancouver.  Middleton has been a critical part of Minnesota’s back end this year, logging nearly 22 minutes per game of ice time while also chipping in with 20 points in 66 outings.  The Wild are still trying to lock down a playoff spot and getting Middleton back would be a big boost to help them try to do just that.

PHR’s Brian La Rose also contributed to this post.

Golden Knights Recall Alexander Holtz

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After spending the last two months in the minors, Alexander Holtz is getting another NHL shot.  The Golden Knights have recalled the winger according to the NHL’s Media Portal while Danny Webster relays (Twitter link) that Holtz was on the third line in the morning skate.

The 23-year-old was acquired at the draft last year from New Jersey with Vegas hoping that a change of scenery could help unlock things for the 2020 seventh overall selection.  However, that didn’t exactly happen.  Holtz had a limited role with the Golden Knights in the first half of the season, notching just three goals and eight assists in 49 games while averaging 11:31 per night.  That playing time was similar to last season with the Devils when Holtz put up 16 goals and 12 helpers while playing all 82 games.  Instead of taking a step forward, he took a step back offensively.

That resulted in the Golden Knights taking a step back with Holtz when they assigned him to AHL Henderson in early February.  He certainly had more success with the Silver Knights, tallying seven goals and six assists in 16 appearances to earn this promotion.

It’s one that could be short-lived, however.  Webster notes (Twitter link) that winger Victor Olofsson was held out of the game day skate due to illness but could still play tonight against Seattle.  In that case, emergency conditions would no longer apply, meaning Holtz would either have to be returned to Henderson or be converted to one of their four post-deadline regular recalls.

In other Vegas news, Webster adds that center Jack Eichel remains listed as day-to-day and won’t suit up against the Kraken.  However, center Tomas Hertl was a full participant in the morning skate and appears to be set to play on the second line so they will at least get one impact center back for this one as they look to get one spot closer to clinching the Pacific Division title.  Hertl missed a little more than two weeks with a shoulder injury but still sits second on the Golden Knights in goals with 33 and third on the team in points with 59 in 70 games.

Hertl Resumes Skating, Should Be Back By Playoffs

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Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl rejoined the team for practice today, the team announced (Twitter link).  It’s worth noting that he wasn’t cleared for contact so he’s not particularly close to returning.  The 31-year-old suffered a shoulder injury a little more than a week ago, stalling what had been one of his better offensive seasons as he has 31 goals and 28 assists in 70 games.  However, Pierre LeBrun reports in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link) that Hertl is expected to be ready for the start of the playoffs so while Hertl won’t be back in the immediate future, he won’t be out for much longer either.

Golden Knights Sign Jackson Hallum To Two-Year Deal

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The Vegas Golden Knights have finally put pen to paper with 2020 third-round draft pick Jackson Hallum, signing the forward to a two-year, entry-level contract. Vegas was set to lose Hallum’s rights this summer if they left him unsigned. There has so far been no indication on if Hallum’s deal will begin immediately, and see him join Vegas’ active roster, or if it will begin next season while he finishes this year in the minor leagues.

Hallum joins the Vegas organization after spending the last three seasons at the University of Michigan. He scored eight goals and 17 points in 36 games of his junior season, matching his point totals in 39 games of his freshman season. Hallum split the two seasons with a sophomore year season that was ended by a knee-to-knee hit after he scored eight points in his first nine games of the season. He had a slow return from the lower-body injury this season, but found his stride at the turn of the year with nine points in eight games in January. Unfortunately Hallum couldn’t hang onto his hot scoring, with just two points in Michigan’s final nine games of the season.

Hallum is a well-rounded playmaker who performed well as the second or third forward in on Michigan’s forecheck. He’s a smart passer who gets into open space, though his low scoring speaks to the need for a bit more creativity. Hallum often fills a role on the wing, and has posted a negative faceoff win percentage over his collegiate career. Fans can likely expect Hallum to soon head to the minor leagues, where he’ll look to make better use of his playmaking tools now a full season removed from injury.

Golden Knights Sign Trevor Connelly To Entry-Level Contract

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The Golden Knights announced they’ve signed top prospect Trevor Connelly to a three-year, entry-level contract. While Vegas didn’t announce it as such, PuckPedia confirms his deal doesn’t begin until the 2025-26 season, so he won’t be making his NHL debut down the stretch. The deal carries a cap hit of $975K and will pay him an annual salary of $877.5K if he’s in the NHL, along with a $97.5K signing bonus each season. He’s eligible for up to $750K in Schedule ’A’ performance bonuses in 2027-28, the final year of the contract.

Connelly, 19, was selected with the 19th overall pick in last year’s draft from the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League. During his two years in the league, Connelly was among the best left-wingers in junior hockey, earning All-Rookie honors in 2022-23 and a Second All-Star Team nod in 2023-24. The 6’1″, 165-lb lefty led the USHL with 1.50 points per game last season (31-47–78 in 52 games).

Connelly committed to Providence College in 2023 and jumped to NCAA play after being drafted by Vegas. He dealt with a few injuries during his lone collegiate season, capping his availability for the Friars at 23 games. He was promising but far from dominant when he was in the lineup. He put up a scoring line of 4-9–13 with a -13 rating as Denver eliminated Providence in the regional semifinals of the national tournament last week. He was able to suit up for the United States at the midseason World Junior Championship, scoring 1-3–4 in seven games en route to a gold medal.

He’s still the clear-cut top prospect in a weak Vegas pool, especially after they traded 2020 first-rounder Brendan Brisson to the Rangers in the Reilly Smith deal last month. Scott Wheeler of The Athletic ranked him as the No. 37 prospect in the league in his midseason rankings, fifth-highest among left-wingers.

A playmaker first and foremost, Connelly has top-six potential and will likely factor in on a team’s top power-play unit someday. Whether that’s in Vegas remains to be seen. The franchise has traded all of its first-round picks since its inception in 2017, aside from Connelly. He’ll need to add some muscle before getting an NHL look, but he could get a trial with AHL Henderson to finish the season before reporting to Vegas’ training camp in the fall.

Schmid Recalled From Henderson; Samsonov Day-To-Day With Injury

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  • The Golden Knights have recalled goaltender Akira Schmid from AHL Henderson, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). He’ll be covering for Ilya Samsonov for the time being who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.  Schmid is in his first season with Vegas after being acquired at the draft but has played almost exclusively with the Silver Knights, posting a 3.58 GAA and a .886 SV% in 30 outings.

Tomáš Hertl, Alex Pietrangelo Out This Weekend

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Golden Knights Sign Goaltender Cameron Whitehead

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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed goaltender Cameron Whitehead to a two-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon announced today that the team came to terms with Whitehead, the team’s 2022 fourth-round selection. It is not yet known whether Whitehead will report to the AHL or ECHL.

Whitehead, 21, spent the last two seasons at Northwestern University and started 35 of the team’s last 37 games, securing a .911 save percentage and a 2.74 goals-against average in those contests. He also helped lead the team to the semifinals of the 2025 Hockey East Conference Tournament, beating top seeded Boston College along the way. Prior to his time in college, Whitehead spent two seasons in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars, where he recorded a 41-23-6 record in 74 games.

At 6’3, 189 pounds, the lefty-catching prospect has the size NHL teams covet and provides Vegas with a solid prospect to put between the pipes. Whitehead joins current AHL starter Carl Lindbom atop the organization’s goaltending prospects list. Lindbom is having a great start to his North American career this year, recording a 16-11-1 record and .915 save percentage in the AHL. Lindbom could be knocking on the door of the NHL, especially considering current Golden Knights’ backup Ilya Samsonov is set for free agency following the season.

Also in the prospect mix is 2024 third round selection Pavel Moysevich, although the massive 6’5 prospect has yet to make his way over to North America from Russia. He has spent the season between the VHL and KHL, recording an .898 save percentage with SKA St. Petersburg through 18 appearances on the season. There is also 24-year-old Akira Schmid, who has seen limited action in parts of three NHL seasons, but has struggled mightily this season in the AHL, recording an 8-18-3 record to pair with his .884 save percentage.

Golden Knights Expected To Activate Shea Theodore, Raphael Lavoie

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The Golden Knights are expected to activate defenseman Shea Theodore from long-term injured reserve, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. They’ve also removed forward Raphael Lavoie from injured reserve, Webster relays from the league’s media site, but he’s not on the roster, indicating he’s been reassigned to AHL Henderson. Vegas wasn’t using Theodore’s LTIR relief to stay cap-compliant, so they could activate him without an additional cap-clearing move.

Theodore will be a game-time decision for tonight’s road matchup against the Wild as a result, head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters, including Jessi Pierce of NHL.com. The 29-year-old has been out since sustaining an arm injury while suiting up for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The 10-year veteran is amid another spectacular offensive campaign. After starting the year with three multi-point efforts in his first six appearances, he put pen to paper on a seven-year, $51.975MM extension to keep him in Vegas for what could be the rest of his career. He went onto post 48 points in 55 games until the 4 Nations break, during which he injured his right arm on a hit from Swedish winger Adrian Kempe in the Canadians’ first round-robin game.

While injuries have taken a huge bite out of Theodore’s availability for the third season in a row, he remains one of the league’s premier point producers from the blue line. Since the 2019-20 season, Theodore’s 271 points rank 11th among defensemen, while his 0.75 points per game rank ninth among rearguards with at least 100 games played. The Golden Knights hope he can continue at this season’s 71-point pace upon his return, helping soften the blow of losing star center Tomáš Hertl to a shoulder injury for at least their next three games after he didn’t travel with the team, Webster relayed yesterday.

Theodore presumably returns to his usual spot, playing his offside with lefty Brayden McNabb on the team’s second pairing. The duo, who have been regular partners since the 2021-22 season, have controlled 52.7% of expected goals this season while outscoring opponents 25-21 at 5v5, per MoneyPuck. 24-year-old Kaedan Korczak will likely head to the press box after playing a regular role in Theodore’s absence, posting five assists and a plus-four rating in 13 games coming out of the 4 Nations break.

Lavoie presumably heads to the farm after being held out of the lineup since March 5 with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old narrowly remains waiver-exempt, playing just nine NHL games this season and remaining on the active roster for under 30 cumulative days thanks to a series of paper transactions. The ex-Oilers prospect hopped between Edmonton and Vegas three times on the waiver wire in October before finally settling down with the Knights organization.

He hasn’t made an impact in the NHL lineup when dressed, averaging 10:05 per game and posting a minus-four rating without registering a point. He remains pointless across 16 career big league appearances, but he does have 13-8–21 in 32 showings for Henderson this year.

Golden Knights Hope William Karlsson’s Return Is Imminent

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The Vegas Golden Knights are believed to be close to getting forward William Karlsson back from injury, but he remains without a return date, per SinBin.vegas.

Karlsson hasn’t played since January 20th, when he sustained a lower-body injury against the St. Louis Blues. He was placed on LTIR on Feb. 7 to allow the club to make recalls and remain cap compliant. Karlsson’s season has been defined by injuries and uneven offensive play, as shown by his 18 points in 38 games on the year. He also missed the first eight games of the season with an undisclosed ailment. Prior to his most recent injury, Karlsson was going through a seven-game scoring slump, and registered just one assist in his last 10 games played. His elite-level defensive prowess has remained, aided by his 58.9 percent faceoff win-rate and plus-eight rating.

As SinBin.vegas notes, Karlsson has been with the team and was expected to play on their current road trip per quotes from GM Kelly McCrimmon and coach Bruce Cassidy. McCrimmon noted on March 7 that Karlsson “isn’t far away” from returning. That was later echoed by Cassidy on March 11, who noted his hopes of Karlsson returning at some point during the team’s road trip.

Since Karlsson’s injury, Vegas has managed a 14-10-4 record, but would no doubt be aided by his return. Karlsson is one year removed from a 30 goal, 30 assist season and should slot back into the club’s top line as Vegas looks ahead to the playoffs. Despite missing Karlsson for an extended period of time, Vegas still finds themselves in first place in the Pacific Division.

In 723 career NHL games, Karlsson has registered 435 points, of which 385 have come as a member of the Golden Knights. “Wild Bill” was selected by the Golden Knights in the 2017 expansion draft after being left exposed by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Karlsson was a key part of the team’s Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first year of existence, scoring 43 goals and 78 points on the season, registering a league-high plus-49 rating, and capturing the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy along the way. He has added 65 points in 95 career playoff games with Vegas, all of which has solidified him as a fan-favorite in Sin City.

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