Ahead of tonight’s game, the Vegas Golden Knights placed Brayden McNabb on injured reserve, according to SinBin.vegas. No corresponding transaction was required, however, later in the day, the club called up Dylan Coghlan to enter the lineup in place of Jaycob Megna, who returns to the AHL.
McNabb has not played since he left mid-game New Year’s Eve against Nashville. The defender was listed as out “multiple weeks” on January 2, so naturally, he figures to become likely available sometime mid-month.
Standing alongside William Karlsson and Shea Theodore as the final remaining original “misfits” of the Golden Knights franchise, and each of whom have dealt with injuries this season, McNabb, now 34, has slowed down noticeably of late. Unfortunately losing his streak of 82 games played in each of the last three seasons, even when healthy, McNabb has struggled at five-on-five, with career lows in CorsiFor%.
Offense has never been a focal part of the Saskatchewan native’s game, but usually capable of chipping in 15-20 points in a season, he has just three in 38 games, and is a -5, in the negatives for the first time since as a Sabres rookie in 2011-12. There is ample time to turn things around when he returns to the lineup, but it is a far cry from last season’s career best of +42.
Although the numbers aren’t necessarily pretty, McNabb is still leaned upon as a minutes-eater, averaging north of 20 a night. In recent games the club inputted Megna into the lineup, a 33-year-old who was brought in last offseason to serve as captain for AHL Henderson. At 6’6” he figured to bring a relatively similar skill set to the table, but it did not quite materialize, proving McNabb’s value even at this stage.
Still in his first year of a three year extension worth $3.65MM per season, once healthy, McNabb will continue to help lead the Pacific-leading Knights into a likely fourth straight postseason appearance. Until then, Coghlan slots in tonight, returning to his original club in Vegas.