Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez, who has played 662 games over 13 NHL seasons, couldn’t remember a practice in which the defensemen outnumbered the forwards. That was the case Saturday morning at City National Arena, as only six healthy forwards skated for the Golden Knights, compared to seven defenders.
Vegas’ forward lineup has already been decimated with injuries, only two games into the season. Max Pacioretty, who has led the team in scoring over each of the last two years, is considered week-to-week after fracturing his left foot while blocking a shot in Thursday’s game in Los Angeles.
Captain Mark Stone left that game midway through the second period on a non-contact injury. He needed help just walking down the tunnel on Thursday night, putting almost no weight on his skates. And while the team currently lists his status as day-to-day, they are still in the process of evaluating his injury and there’s a chance it could keep him out for longer.
The loss of their top two forwards is obviously a massive hit to the Golden Knights, who were already without several depth forwards. Winger Mattias Janmark remains in COVID-19 protocol and has yet to appear in a game this season. Nic Roy,
