The main problem for the Vegas Golden Knights entering the season
By Jim Lynch
The Vegas Golden Knights had a major issue last season with injuries. So many different critical members of the team then coached by Pete DeBoer, missed parts of the season with injuries. This upcoming season seems to have a similar issue under new coach Bruce Cassidy.
The Vegas Golden Knights made some major moves this offseason, like trading Max Pacioretty to the Carolina Hurricanes to clear up cap space. They also added Phil Kessel and brought in Adin Hill in the net.
There was optimism in Vegas at the end of the 2021-22 season. While the team missed out on the playoffs for the first time, injuries controlled their year and it seemed likely they would get back in the postseason in 2023.
Despite missing the playoffs, it still felt like the Golden Knights were the top team in the Pacific. However, after the news about injuries this offseason, the Golden Knights are in for an uphill battle this upcoming season.
The main problem for the Vegas Golden Knights entering the season
The main problem for the Golden Knights has to be injuries entering the upcoming year. It has been a while since the news that Robin Lehner was going to miss the season, and now it is official that Nolan Patrick will as well.
Losing Lehner is a huge blow for the team. The Golden Knights’ starting goaltender is the team’s backbone and has been great since coming to Vegas from Chicago. Patrick is a former second overall pick by the Philadelphia Flyers who has struggled with injuries and finding his way in the NHL. Seeing him miss the season is such a tough thing to see, and I think all fans wish him well in the future.
The team also is missing out on Laurent Brossoit, Daniil Miromanov, Spencer Foo and Jakub Demek to start training camp. All are out with injuries which is a tough thing see considering the offseason is a time to heal up for the year.
The Golden Knights also are in a position where Nic Hague, a 2017 second-round pick who has played in 142 games over the course of the past three seasons, will miss time as he currently doesn’t have a contract.
This is a tough start of the year for Vegas as having these guys out for some time or the entire season when it comes to Patrick and Lehner is a big loss for the team. On top of that, Stone, Brisson and Diliberatore are all currently practicing in non-contact jerseys at training camp.
Last season was a tough year for injuries with this team, and it did cost them a playoff spot at the end of the day. Unfortunately, the start of the 2022-23 NHL season has not been much better on the injury front.