Parker Wotherspoon week-to-week, Dylan Coghlan draws in
TLDR: Golden Knights defenseman Parker Wotherspoon is week-to-week with an upper-body injury, and Monday night it was Dylan Coghlan, not freshly recalled Ville Heinola, who drew in to replace him.
Vegas called Heinola up from the AHL on Sunday and nobody said why. Monday's injury news answered it.
Parker Wotherspoon is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. That would explain the Heinola call-up.
The team didn't say how or when Wotherspoon got hurt. The 29-year-old had played 6 games for Vegas this season and gone pointless at minus-6, with 5 shots, 5 hits and 5 blocked shots. That isn't a stat line anyone will miss much. Still, he was a regular on a blue line that's getting thin, and Vegas had already put Victor Olofsson on injured reserve to make room for the Heinola call-up.
So everyone figured Heinola was in. The 25-year-old left-handed shot spent 7 seasons in the Winnipeg organization bouncing between the NHL and the AHL, and he'd been paired with Coghlan in camp. The obvious plan was a Vegas debut next to Andersson in Wotherspoon's old spot.
We’ll find out shortly, but this would pave way for Ville Heinola to make his VGK debut tonight. Left-handed shot was with Coghlan in camp. Likely he’ll take Wotherspoon’s place next to Andersson.
That isn't what happened. About 10 minutes before the update below, Vegas also confirmed Hart would start in net. Then the lineup came out and it was Coghlan going in for Wotherspoon. Heinola sat, and Hanifin and Andersson went back together as a pair.
Dylan Coghlan will draw in for Wotherspoon. Thought Heinola would draw in, but looks like Hanifin and Andersson back together for one night.
The words that matter there are "for one night." Coghlan has been the depth guy this organization already knows. Heinola is the new piece, and Vegas would rather not throw him in cold on a road trip. When Heinola was recalled, the expectation was that he and Jeremy Lauzon would both pick up bigger roles while Wotherspoon is out. Week-to-week also gives the coaches plenty of nights to try out different pairs.
Next up: is it Coghlan or Heinola on the second game of the road swing, and does Hanifin-Andersson stay together if it works? Week-to-week can mean 10 days or a month. Until Vegas gives a real timeline, the 3rd-pair spot on the left side is open, and Heinola's debut is a matter of when, not if.
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