DENVER – The status of Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel remains uncertain as he deals with an upper-body injury. He did not participate in Tuesday night’s 3-2 shootout defeat against the Colorado Avalanche. Coach Bruce Cassidy provided no new information on Eichel, the team’s top scorer, who has accumulated 93 points this season.
Eichel’s return is a point of focus for Cassidy, who anticipates further evaluation once the team returns home. In the game against Colorado, Vegas was outgunned with a shot tally of 36-21.
In addition, defensemen Nicolas Hague and Alex Pietrangelo were also absent from the lineup due to an illness. Several players have recently been under the weather, says Cassidy, explaining, “A couple other guys were sick, but they played — almost because we had to. It’s going through the room a little bit.” Returning home is expected to provide players with the rest needed to recover and rejuvenate before their next game on Thursday.
The Golden Knights maintain a strong position at the top of the Pacific Division as the regular season nears its end next week. With a six-point cushion over the Los Angeles Kings, securing a point against Colorado ensured Vegas home ice advantage for the first-round playoff matchups.
On the injury front, Vegas sees some positive news with forward Tomas Hertl back at practice post-absence due to an upper-body injury. Additionally, backup goalie Ilya Samsonov is working toward his return, having trained with the Henderson Silver Knights, the team’s minor league affiliate. Samsonov’s last game appearance for Vegas was on March 23.
Eichel has hit a slump over his recent four outings, not registering any goals or assists. His next goal will mark his 100th while donning the Vegas jersey, aiming to join teammates Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, and Mark Stone in the centurion club of Golden Knights’ goal scorers.