A coach at a big-time collegiate program once wanted a McNabb autograph for his son, and the defenseman’s response said plenty about the kind of player he is.
"Absolutely. Don't get a lot of requests like this for the 3-car," McNabb said, laughing as he poked fun at his own anonymity and the way he sometimes talks about himself in the third person.
That dry humor fits a player who is mostly soft-spoken but clearly has a way of winning people over. His teammates admire him, look up to him and want him around. He leads by example, not volume.
McNabb’s value shows up in the kind of work that doesn’t always grab headlines. With nine more shot blocks, he will reach 1,700 for his career and become one of just eight players in NHL history to post 2,000-plus hits and 1,700-plus blocks. The others on that list are Brent Seabrook, Dan Girardi, Kris Letang, Adam Larsson, Brooks Orpik, Zdeno Chara and Drew Doughty.
The 35-year-old also has 199 points in 904 regular-season games, and 1,000 is still within reach.
What really defines McNabb, though, is how he handles pain. During the Golden Knights’ playoff run last spring, he was hit with three injuries that would have knocked most players out for far longer.
A skate blade cut his leg in the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Avalanche, and he missed a period before getting stitched up in the dressing room during the middle frame and the intermission. He came back for the third period.
In Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, he broke a finger. In Game 2, a slapshot to the face led to oral and facial surgery.
Even then, he was back in the Vegas lineup a few days later for Game 3.
Plenty of NHL players are tough. McNabb is something more.
He is stoic, determined and not the type to let pain keep him out. If he’s not in the lineup, it’s because he is injured, not merely hurt.
That old-school style and team-first approach have made him a bit underappreciated around the league. Inside the Golden Knights room, though, he gets exactly the respect he deserves.
William Karlsson calls him Mr. Golden Knight, and that fits.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Face A Cap Decision As Parker Wotherspoon Nears Return
Parker Wotherspoons return appears to be getting close, with the defenseman taking line rushes alongside Dylan Coghlan at practice as the Golden Knights continue to sort out their blue line. Wotherspoon has been limited to six games this season because of an upper-body injury, and he has yet to register a point in those appearances, but his presence at practice is a sign Vegas may be ready to bring him back into the lineup soon.
What remains unclear is how the roster math will work when that happens. The Golden Knights are operating with a tight cap situation, so activating Wotherspoon could require a corresponding move before he is available for game action, leaving one more wrinkle for the team to sort through as it prepares for its next game. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Got A Needed Sign On Two Key Veterans
The injury picture around the Golden Knights has gotten a little murkier, even as the rest of the league sorts through its own roster issues. Vegas is already dealing with a defenseman in Noah Hanifin being sidelined, and the timing matters because the team has had to keep an eye on its depth options while other clubs around the league make their own adjustments.
Elsewhere in the division, Florida got a more encouraging update with veterans Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand back at practice, and coach Paul Maurice said both could be back in games within two weeks. For a Panthers team trying to steady itself early, getting those two back on the ice is the kind of development that can change the tone fast, even if the exact return dates are still not set. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Return Home Facing A Real Test Against Utah
After a successful Eastern Conference road trip, the Golden Knights are back home to open a five-game homestand, and Utah brings a legitimate early test to the building. Vegas has been steady enough on the trip to keep momentum rolling, but this is the kind of game that can tell a lot about how the team settles in once it gets back to its own ice and its own rhythm.
The matchup also comes with a few interesting layers beyond the standings. Carter Hart is expected to get the start for Vegas, while Utah is projected to counter with Sebastian Cossa, and the lineups carry the kind of detail that makes a November game feel a little bigger than the calendar says it is. There are milestones in play for some of the Golden Knights, too, giving the homestand opener a little extra weight even before the puck drops. [Read more 🡒]