Shea Theodore Anticipated to Return to Lineup For Friday's Game

The Vegas Golden Knights are expecting to have another key player rejoin the lineup along with forward William Carrier on Friday against the New York Rangers.

Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters Friday that defenseman Shea Theodore "should be good to go" for Friday's contest.

Theodore has not played an NHL game since Dec. 9 when he went down with a leg injury in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers.

"I feel like tonight, when there's time and space out there, he'll make the plays," Cassidy said. " ... It's creating that time and space when you're off for a while, having contact around you, he'll have to get through those like anybody coming back in the lineup that missed some time. Your timing's off a little bit in those tight-area plays, small-area. And then defending, right? He hasn't had to defend hard because we've only had one practice, so you got to get used to being in that sort of hard-on-your-stick, boxing-out [mindset], all those little things that even though you're skating a lot, you're not practicing or can't really replicate until you're in the game."

Perhaps no one will be happier to have Theodore back on the ice than his long-time partner on the blue line, Brayden McNabb. The two are both original Golden Knights, having played with the franchise in every year of its young existence.

"It's huge," McNabb said. "Obviously, he's a big part of this team. He has been for a long time, and when you get a guy like [him] who can move and make plays like he can. And it will add offense, it will help us defensively, it will help us get out of our zone, so he's a big lift for us for sure."

The Golden Knights will be looking for their first win of this six-game road trip on Friday. The event will be the first game of a back-to-back for Vegas this weekend, as it will then face the New York Islanders on Saturday.

Follow along with VGK Today for live updates throughout both contests.