Significant update on Brayden McNabb following his concerning injury
Brayden McNabb took a puck to the face in Game 2 Thursday night, left Raleigh to be evaluated at a local hospital, and the Golden Knights were holding their breath.
That breath is now easier.
Reporter Danny Webster confirmed this morning that McNabb is traveling back with the team, headed home to Vegas ahead of Game 3 on Saturday.
No official timetable was given by coach John Tortorella, who told media there was no update on McNabb's condition other than confirming he would make the trip back.
Which is already more than anyone expected when he skated off the ice in Raleigh.
McNabb logged just 339 seconds of ice time in Game 2 before he did not return.
McNabb's +10 rating and playoff value make his status a series-defining question
He had been one of the quiet pillars of Vegas's playoff run, posting 7 points in 17 games while going plus-10 in these playoffs.
Over his last 5 games before the injury, he picked up 4 assists and was a plus-4.
That is not a guy you replace with a phone call.
The series is now even 1-1, with Game 3 going to T-Mobile Arena Saturday night.
Vegas already knows what this building can do. Their playoff record at home this year is there to protect, and the energy of a home crowd with McNabb potentially back on the blue line would swing the momentum conversation fast.
Webster's tweet stopped short of a full medical clearance, though, and that distinction matters.
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Traveling with the team and being available to dress are two very different things, and Tortorella will have a decision to make before puck drop.
The Golden Knights went 39-26-17 in the regular season and won Game 1 of this series 5-4 before dropping Game 2 in overtime.
They can survive one game without McNabb. Game 3 in front of their own crowd, down or level in a Stanley Cup Final series, is a different calculation entirely.
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YESTERDAY
JUNE 4, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Brett Howden | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mark Jankowski | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Seth Jarvis | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Jordan Staal | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mark Stone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Noah Hanifin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Tomas Hertl | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Jackson Blake | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| Dylan Coghlan | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||