3 Golden Knights nursing injuries, considered ‘day to day’
The Golden Knights returned after taking two days off for a team bonding trip to Montana still nursing some training camp injuries.
Defenseman Shea Theodore and centers Nicolas Roy and Brett Howden are considered day to day, coach Pete DeBoer said Monday. He said the injuries may affect the Knights’ plans for the rest of the preseason. They hoped to treat their final two games Thursday and Saturday as dress rehearsals.
“I think when we started exhibition, you always have a master plan,” DeBoer said. “I’m not sure we’re going to be able to do exactly what we wanted to do at the beginning of camp those last two games, but we’re going to get close.”
Roy was cross-checked in the Knights’ preseason game Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings but still traveled with the team to Montana and won a poker tournament, according to captain Mark Stone. Center Patrick Brown, who appeared in 12 playoff games last season, skated in Roy’s spot on the fourth line Monday.
“He’s just a quality guy,” DeBoer said. “When you’re signing those guys that are depth in the organization, captains in the American League, they’re critical people because they have to be able to help you win NHL games, which he does. … But they also have to show the young people in our organization what it’s like to be a pro. It’s a huge job. You have to live it every day the right way and (Brown) does that. He’s a great guy to have around.”
Dollar Loan Center update
Silver Knights general manager Tim Speltz said “everything is on schedule” for the debut of the team’s new arena, the Dollar Loan Center, April 2.
He and coach Manny Viveiros both complimented Orleans Arena, which hosted their games last year and will do so again at the start of this season, but there’s excitement for the franchise to get its own building.
“(It’s) one of the things on the horizon we’re very much looking forward to,” Speltz said.
Miromanov update
Defenseman Daniil Miromanov, who was among the Knights’ round of roster cuts Saturday, said he was not surprised to be skating in the first day of Silver Knights camp Monday.
Miromanov, 24, scored two goals in the Golden Knights’ last preseason game Friday. But as a player who was a forward in junior hockey, he still has to work on his defense.
“I was pretty realistic,” Miromanov said. “I knew that I’m not going to be in the NHL right away.”
3-on-3 work
The Knights held a 3-on-3 scrimmage for most of their practice Monday.
The losing grey team had to skate extra after left wing William Carrier set up defenseman Dylan Coghlan for the game-winning goal. It was a good chance for the team to practice the NHL’s overtime format, but it also had a different purpose after the Montana trip.
“The beer’s pretty good in Montana, from what I’ve heard,” DeBoer said. “We were just trying to get them a little sweat on today.”
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
