Vegas Golden Knights place forward Brett Howden on injured reserve.
The team’s injury difficulties continue in Sin City.
On Friday, the Vegas Golden Knights placed forward Brett Howden on injured reserve due to an upper-body ailment. The organization then called up forward Jakub Demek from its American Hockey League affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
This comes after head coach Bruce Cassidy declared the 25-year-old “day-to-day” on Thursday. Howden last played against the Nashville Predators on February 20.
There has been no word on what is ailing Howden, or when he was hurt.
Throughout his career, Howden has suffered with injuries. He broke his foot late in the 2020-21 season with the New York Rangers and has had a few more lower-body injuries since being dealt to the Golden Knights in July 2021.
The laundry list of key players that are on the Golden Knights’ injury list right now is extensive. Howden joins Mark Stone (upper-body), Jack Eichel (knee) and William Carrier (upper-body) as assets on IR.
Howden is eligible to return next Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In 54 games, the Calgary native has scored five goals and eight assists. He is on pace to set a career-high in points, potentially surpassing the 23-point mark he registered in his rookie campaign during the 2018-19 season with the Rangers.
In 333 NHL games, Howden has notched 36 goals and 59 assists, and scored 10 points with Vegas during their run to the franchise’s Stanley Cup last season.
Jakub Demek is in the middle of his freshman season in pro hockey, with this being his first call-up to the NHL. In 44 games with the Silver Knights, the Slovakian native has also posted five goals and eight assists.
He entered the professional ranks following two seasons in the Western Hockey League with the Edmonton Oil Kings and Kamloops Blazers, where he competed in last year’s Memorial Cup.
The Golden Knights (32-19-6) are scheduled to meet the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. They presently sit second in the Pacific Division, 10 points behind the league-leading Vancouver Canucks.
