Golden Knights Fully Healthy Projected Lineup Post-Trade Deadline

Every team goes through injury troubles. But after last season, the Vegas Golden Knights are hoping their current injury spell doesn't last much longer. 

After a historically good start to the season in terms of health, the Golden Knights are now without guys like Mark Stone, Logan Thompson, and Will Carrier. Now, only five players on the team have played in every game; William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Phil Kessel, Brayden McNabb, and Chandler Stephenson.

Outside of Robin Lehner and Nolan Patrick, who are out for the season, five members of the Golden Knights are currently injured. Their return to the lineup will now be affected by the three players the VGK added at the trade deadline for depth; Jonathan Quick, Ivan Barbashev, and Teddy Blueger.

Let's once again go over every currently injured Golden Knights player and project how they will slot back into the lineup now with trade deadline acquisitions playing a factor in their returns.

Golden Knight's current lineup

Ivan Barbashev- Jack Eichel- Jonathan Marchessault

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Michael Amadio

Paul Cotter- Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel

Brett Howden- Teddy Blueger- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

Adin Hill/Jonathan Quick

Scratched: Ben Hutton

+ Will Carrier

Similar to when we did this a couple of months ago, Will Carrier has been recently injured. Given that he played alongside Chandler Stephenson and Phil Kessel on the Golden Knight's third line in his last game played, it is safe to say that he will return to that spot once healthy. Paul Cotter is back as a scratch.

However, it might be a while before we see Carrier again as head coach Bruce Cassidy labels him as out indefinitely with a lower-body injury.

Ivan Barbashev- Jack Eichel- Jonathan Marchessault

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Michael Amadio

Will Carrier– Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel

Brett Howden- Teddy Blueger- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

Adin Hill/Jonathan Quick

Scratched: Paul Cotter, Ben Hutton

+ Nicolas Roy

Nicolas Roy has missed the last six games with a lower-body injury. Since then, the team has gone out and acquired Teddy Blueger as a replacement fourth-line center. Both general manager Kelly McCrimmon and head coach Bruce Cassidy have alluded to Roy being moved to the wing, as a result.

But where Roy will play is a valid question. Our best guess is that Roy remains in the bottom-six, and simply takes the spot of whichever forward is underperforming. Right now that argument could be made for either Brett Howden or Keegan Kolesar.

Ivan Barbashev- Jack Eichel- Jonathan Marchessault

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Michael Amadio

Will Carrier- Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel

Nicolas Roy– Teddy Blueger- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

Adin Hill/Jonathan Quick

Scratched: Paul Cotter, Ben Hutton, Brett Howden

+ Logan Thompson and Laurent Brossoit

Here's where things get interesting. The Golden Knight's goalie situation is once again very convoluted as injuries forced them to add an insurance goaltender in Jonathan Quick at the deadline. Given that the deadline has passed the VGK will carry four capable NHL goaltenders for the rest of the season. A decision on which two goaltenders dress will have to be made by Cassidy, Sean Burke, and the rest of the coaching staff.

Right now the tandem that got the VGK through the majority of the season in Logan Thompson and Adin Hill still appears to be the most likely option once everyone is healthy. How the timetables with everything will line up is uncertain.

But this means the VGK, if they ever get a fully healthy goaltending corps again, will have to send one, maybe two goaltenders to the AHL.

Ivan Barbashev- Jack Eichel- Jonathan Marchessault

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Michael Amadio

Will Carrier- Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel

Nicolas Roy- Teddy Blueger- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

Logan Thompson/Adin Hill

Scratched: Paul Cotter, Ben Hutton, Brett Howden, Jonathan Quick, Laurent Brossoit

+ Mark Stone

Lastly, the big one is captain Mark Stone, who is still recovering from his second back surgery in less than a year. It will be a while until Stone is able to return and many shifts in the Golden Knight's lineup could be made before then. But as of right now, we see Stone coming back on the first line with Jack Eichel.

If Eichel and Ivan Barbashev can continue their chemistry there is no sense in moving him to another line. This would allow the Misfit Line to reunite and would likely force Michael Amadio out of the lineup next.

Ivan Barbashev- Jack Eichel- Mark Stone (c)

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Jonathan Marchessault

Will Carrier- Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel

Nicolas Roy- Teddy Blueger- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

Logan Thompson/Adin Hill

Scratched: Paul Cotter, Ben Hutton, Brett Howden, Jonathan Quick, Laurent Brossoit, Michael Amadio.

So now what?

Most, if not all of the Golden Knight's currently injured players are not coming back in the immediate future. So Cassidy and co. have some time to evaluate these decisions. With the depth they added at the deadline, the Golden Knights now have a good problem in that they have too many NHL players.