Golden Knights’ Hertl not playing this week; Samsonov day-to-day

Mar 31, 2025, 16:38 EDT

Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) congratulates goaltender Ilya Samsonov (35) after defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 at T-Mobile Arena.

Credit: © Stephen R. Sylvanie

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy provided a couple of injury updates for the team on Monday.

Hertl will not play this week. Samsonov (upper body) is day-to-day.

— Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) March 31, 2025

The big news is that center Tomas Hertl will not be playing at all this week. Hertl has missed over a week of hockey already with a shoulder injury after going shoulder-first into the boards during the Golden Knights’ 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 23rd.

Vegas plays four games this week, including a couple of matchups against tough teams, facing the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, the Calgary Flames on Saturday and the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday.

Hertl has been performing as advertised for the Golden Knights in his first full season with the team, with 31 goals and 28 assists for 59 points in 70 games. It’s the third time in his career he’s scored 30 goals, and if he is able to get into a few more games this season and get one more point, he’ll hit the 60-point mark for the fourth time in his career.

Cassidy also announced that goaltender Ilya Samsonov is currently day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Samsonov was scheduled to start on Saturday against the Nashville Predators, but had something “tighten up” and was unable to play, with Adin Hill then starting in the 3-1 win.

Samsonov has been solid for the Golden Knights this season, as despite an .892 save percentage, he still has a 16-9-3 record, two shutouts and 2.31 goals saved above expected.

With Samsonov out, the Golden Knights have recalled Akira Schmid from their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. He has a 9-18-3 record and an .886 SV% in 30 games in the AHL. He’s also played one game in the NHL in relief of Hill in a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, stopping all 12 shots that he faced in 33 minutes of playing time.

The Golden Knights currently sit in first place in the Pacific Division with a 45-20-8 record, and can clinch a playoff spot on Monday if the Colorado Avalanche beat the Flames in regulation. Vegas will look to extend their six-game winning streak when they host the Oilers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. PST.