The Vegas Golden Knights are in a critical stretch of their season, facing a historically difficult month while battling significant roster turnover and injuries. Here are the key storylines and their upcoming schedule for the week of Jan. 5-12, 2026.
The “January Curse” & Recent Slump
Vegas is currently in a rut, having gone 1-5-3 in its last nine games leading up to today. Historically, January has been the franchise’s most difficult month (statistically, their worst points percentage month since 2020). However, the upcoming schedule is viewed as “soft,” offering a crucial opportunity to right the ship before the Olympic break.
Major Injury Woes
The injury bug is still hitting the team hard:
Brayden McNabb: Listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury. This is significant as it snapped his “Iron Man” streak of 298 consecutive games.
William Karlsson: Out week-to-week (lower-body) and is reportedly expected to miss the upcoming Winter Olympics for Team Sweden.
Shea Theodore: Currently on Injured Reserve (upper-body).
Adin Hill: On Injured Reserve until at least Jan. 14, leaving the net to the tandem of Carter Hart and Akira Schmid.
In better news, Jack Eichel returned to the lineup on Friday (Jan. 2) and notched an assist after missing seven games, though the team still fell to the St. Louis Blues.
Olympic Nods
Despite the team’s struggles, several Golden Knights were recently named to Olympic rosters for the 2026 Milano Cortina Games:
Team Canada: Mark Stone, Mitch Marner, and Shea Theodore.
Team USA: Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin.
Golden Knights Schedule Jan. 5 – 12
| Date | Opponent | Location | Time (ET) | Time (PT) |
| Tue, Jan. 6 | Winnipeg Jets | Canada Life Centre | 8:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Thu, Jan. 8 | Columbus Blue Jackets | T-Mobile Arena | 10:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| Sat, Jan. 10 | St. Louis Blues | T-Mobile Arena | 10:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| Sun, Jan. 11 | San Jose Sharks | SAP Center | 8:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
AI tools were used to support the creation or distribution of this content, however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of The Hockey Writers editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.
