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The Vegas Golden Knights will be missing a key forward for the duration of their upcoming three-game road trip, but could be simultaneously getting their best defenseman back in the lineup.
“On the VGK Insiders show, GM Kelly McCrimmon said Tomas Hertl did not go on the Golden Knights’ three-game road trip and is still being tested to determine the severity of his injury,” reported Sportsnet hockey insider Elliotte Friedman on Monday night. “Shea Theodore is on the trip and is expected to return at some point.”
The Knights will travel to Minnesota to play the Wild on Tuesday night before making stops in Chicago on Friday and Nashville on Saturday to play the Blackhawks and Predators, respectively.
Hertl was injured after being hit by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg during the team's 4-2 win on Sunday. Lilleberg sent Hertl hard into the boards following a breakaway chance and was given a two-minute minor penalty for boarding.
“Lilleberg is a big guy, he's trying to establish himself in the league. But that's kind of a senseless hit to me in a situation like that when a guy is really in a defenseless position and not a threat,” Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters after the game. “It's unfortunate for us.”
Hertl has been playing some of the best hockey of his career, managing a team-leading 31 goals and 59 points over 70 games in his first full season with the Golden Knights. But he'll be out for at least the next three games and potentially longer.
As for Theodore, he suffered an upper-body injury while playing for Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off back in February. The ailment occurred in Canada's first round robin game against Sweden, and he hasn't played since after being labelled week-to-week at the time.
Theodore has been sorely missed on Vegas' blue line, but looks poised to re-enter the lineup either in Minnesota, Chicago or Nashville. Currently on long-term injured reserve, the 29-year-old returned to practice in a non-contact jersey next week. When he's healthy enough to play, he should replace Noah Hanifin on the team's top powerplay unit.
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Golden Knights surging as stretch run heats up
Losing Hertl is a brutal blow for the Knights, but getting Theodore back in the lineup will be some sort of silver lining for the team. Either way, Vegas is surging, having won three games in a row and scoring 15 total goals in that span.
With 12 games left in their regular-season, the Golden Knights are tops in the Pacific Division with a 42-20-8 record. They currently have a five-point lead on both the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, and look poised to win the division for the first time since 2022-23.
That was the same year the squad marched all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before defeating the Florida Panthers in five games to capture the franchise's inaugural championship.
The Knights will be looking to make another deep run in the 2025 postseason; but first, they'll try to make it four consecutive wins against the Wild in the State of Hockey on Tuesday night.
