Injured Knights center could return on team’s upcoming road trip

Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said center Jack Eichel could return during the team’s five-game road trip, which begins Saturday against Ottawa.

Cassidy said Thursday he suspected Eichel would travel with the Knights but didn’t know for sure. Eichel hasn’t played since Jan. 11 because of a lower-body injury that required surgery. The 27-year-old has 44 points in 42 games this season.

The Knights’ road trip includes a March 2 stop in Buffalo, where Eichel played for six seasons and was a captain for three.

His return would provide a depleted forward group a massive lift.

Captain Mark Stone is considered week to week with an upper-body injury suffered Tuesday against the Nashville Predators. The injury is not related to Stone’s previous back issues.

“I don’t have an idea on his return date,” Cassidy said. “The medical team will update us as we go along. We’re going to miss him, obviously, but we have to focus on the task at hand for now.”

The Knights will also play Thursday without forward Brett Howden, who is day to day with an upper-body injury.

Left wings Pavel Dorofeyev and William Carrier remain out as well.

Dorofeyev was elbowed in the head Jan. 26 and has yet to return. He has skated on his own but has not practiced with the Knights.

“He’s making no progress, so he’s in the same category he was yesterday and the day before,” Cassidy said.

Carrier hasn’t played since Jan. 4 because of a shoulder injury. He is also skating on his own. General manager Kelly McCrimmon said Wednesday on an appearance on “The Sick Podcast — The Eye Test” that Carrier “should be back not too far into the future.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.