The Golden Knights aren’t making excuses - and they never will. That’s not how this team is wired. But if you’ve been watching closely, you can see it: Vegas is running on fumes.
This past month has been a grind unlike anything we’ve seen before. January 2026 set a new high-water mark for the NHL in terms of games played.
Nearly every team has been skating through a four-games-a-week gauntlet, and the wear and tear are showing. Some teams have cracked under the pressure, falling out of playoff contention entirely.
Others have managed to stay afloat. And then there’s Vegas - still standing, still leading the Pacific Division, even with nearly a third of its regular lineup sidelined.
That’s not just resilience. That’s survival mode.
With six regulars out for much of the month, the Golden Knights have still managed to bank points and keep themselves atop the standings. That’s no small feat when you’re missing the kind of impact players Vegas has been without.
Brayden McNabb, William Karlsson, and Brett Howden were key contributors during the team’s 2023 Stanley Cup run. Add in Brandon Saad, Carter Hart, and Colton Sissons - all brought in to bolster the depth chart - and you’re looking at a roster that’s been playing short-staffed for weeks.
The result? A team that’s grinding through mistakes, leaning heavily on its structure, and finding ways to stay in games even when the legs aren’t there.
The mental fatigue is real. The physical toll is obvious.
And yet, Vegas keeps punching back.
Head coach Bruce Cassidy hasn’t had a full-strength roster all season. Not once. But he’s kept the group moving forward - maybe not at full speed, but forward nonetheless.
“We’re still forging ahead,” Cassidy said after a 5-4 shootout loss to Dallas. “But we’re not plowing ahead like we would like to.”
That’s the reality. The Golden Knights aren’t pulling away from the pack the way they’d hoped.
Edmonton and Seattle are still in the rearview mirror, closer than comfortable. But Vegas hasn’t let go of the wheel.
They’re still in control of their destiny, still collecting points, still in the fight.
And with four games left before the Olympic break, the mission is simple: survive. It doesn’t have to be pretty.
Just get through it. Pick up whatever points you can.
Stay at or near the top of the division.
Then comes the breather.
The Olympic break couldn’t arrive at a better time for this group. Players heading to Italy will get a change of pace - a different kind of grind, sure, but a mental reset all the same.
For those staying home, it’s a chance to unplug, rest, and heal. And for the injured core, it’s a crucial three-week window to continue rehabbing and, hopefully, get back into the lineup for the stretch run.
That’s when things really ramp up. Once the calendar flips to late February, the sprint to the finish begins - 18 games in 34 days. That’s where depth, health, and chemistry will matter most.
A caller named Joe put it simply after the Dallas loss: “When we have everybody, we can beat anybody.”
He’s not wrong. With a full lineup, this Vegas team is still one of the most complete in the league.
Cassidy knows it. GM Kelly McCrimmon built it that way.
But they haven’t had the chance to show it yet.
That chance is coming.
The Golden Knights have weathered the storm better than most. They’ve held the line through the most brutal stretch of the season. Now it’s about getting healthy, getting whole, and gearing up for the final push.
Because if this team gets back to full strength after the Olympic break - if they hit the ice in March with fresh legs and a full bench - they’re going to be a problem for anyone standing in their way.