Vegas Golden Knights top scorer ruled out with injury in second round vs Oilers

Despite not being a big name NHL star, Dorofeyev is a key factor to Vegas' offensive success and specifically their powerplay.

According to a new update from Oilers insider Jason Gregor, Dorofeyev has been ruled out of the first half of the series, and may even miss the entire second round.

With 35 goals and 52 points this season, Dorofeyev was the most lethal shooter in the Knights this season and played nearly a specialist role on the powerplay. He scored 3 more goals than their next leading scorer, Tomas Hertl.

The Oilers penalty kill struggled early on in their series against the Los Angeles Kings, especially with shaky goaltending. Without Dorofeyev, it may be a little easier on the Oilers penalty killers with one less shooting option.

For the Oilers as well, the penalty kill vastly improved when Pickard entered the series. Missing Dorofeyev will help Pickard keep up that success.

Dorofeyev will be the only Vegas Golden Knight to miss time with injury to begin the series. On the Oilers side, Mattias Ekholm has been ruled out of the entire series with an undisclosed injury.

Hopefully the Oilers will be able to pull off another series victory and get the Knights back for a tough series loss two years ago. More than ever, the Oilers are determined to get back to the Cup Final and get a better result.