Knights without 2 key players for quick Canadian road trip

The Golden Knights will have to go another couple of games without Jack Eichel, and a bit longer without Shea Theodore.

The Knights will not have their No. 1 center and top defenseman for their upcoming back-to-back in Western Canada this weekend, which starts Saturday against the Calgary Flames.

Theodore is now week-to-week with an upper-body injury that forced him to miss Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, but coach Bruce Cassidy sounded optimistic that it wouldn’t be a long-term situation.

“He’s going to be OK, but a little longer than we first thought,” Cassidy said Friday.

Eichel, who also missed Wednesday because of an illness, now has a lower-body injury but is still considered day-to-day.

Neither will travel on the quick trip. The Knights play the second leg of the back-to-back Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers.

Olympics still in play for Theodore

Theodore was a full participant in practice Monday but didn’t take part on Tuesday. The 30-year-old leads all defensemen with 20 points in 31 games and averages a team-high 24:01 in ice time.

Theodore’s offense has taken a dip this season, but he’s been relied on more at five-on-five and the penalty kill to fill the shoes of the injured Alex Pietrangelo (hip).

Cassidy doesn’t think this will keep Theodore out of any discussion to be named to Team Canada for the Winter Olympics in Milan in February.

Theodore played one period before suffering a wrist injury in the 4 Nations Face-Off last season. That caused him to miss 15 games, but still finished with a career-high 57 points in 67 games.

Canada will unveil its Olympic roster on New Year’s Eve.

“I don’t think this will be a long one,” said Cassidy, who is an assistant on the Canadian coaching staff. “I don’t want to speak out of turn, and hopefully that’s the case. The 4 Nations, I felt bad for him because … we didn’t know where that tournament was going to go, and it took off. Of course he wants to play in the Olympics. I don’t think this will impact that at all.”

Theodore’s absence is fixable. Noah Hanifin will get more responsibility in all phases. Brayden McNabb, Theodore’s partner on the blue line, will skate with Zach Whitecloud or Kaedan Korczak.

Filling in for Eichel

Replacing Eichel is more tricky.

The Knights didn’t call up a player from Henderson prior to leaving, so they’re going to stick with in-house options to fill at center.

Ivan Barbashev will move to center, and possibly rotate reps with Mitch Marner. Braeden Bowman stays on the right wing on that line.

Cassidy said he talked with Marner about playing more center since William Karlsson suffered a lower-body injury Nov. 8.

He landed on Barbashev centering that line based on the time he’s played the position in St. Louis.

“That one, we hadn’t done yet, but it was in our back pocket,” Cassidy said. “They’re on the same line, so if (Barbashev) is struggling or whatever and wants to go back to left wing, Mitch pops back in in the middle.”

Marner played center in the third period Wednesday. He said he played the position in some parts of his time in Toronto and his junior days in London (Ontario).

“I didn’t feel any different,” Marner said Friday. “I feel like I play down low quite a bit, regardless of the game. I’m back there first sometimes and I try to find my place off of that.”

Reilly Smith will move back to left wing while skating with Brett Howden and Mark Stone.

Goalie decisions made

Cassidy said the plan is for Akira Schmid to start in goal against the Flames, while giving Carter Hart the nod in Edmonton on Sunday.

Hart, a native of Sherwood Park, Alberta, grew up 25 minutes away from Edmonton. It will be the first meeting between the division rivals since the Oilers eliminated the Knights in five games in the second round.

The two have combined to give the Knights (16-6-10) an eight-game point streak.

Schmid has allowed two goals combined in his last two starts.

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.