TORONTO — The Vegas Golden Knights have found a temporary solution to replace injured defenseman Brayden McNabb, and it involves pairing Jeremy Lauzon with Shea Theodore. Since Lauzon joined Theodore on the top pairing on Jan. 10, the duo has complemented each other well, helping the team navigate McNabb’s absence.

McNabb, who had played 298 consecutive games before leaving a Dec. 31 matchup against Nashville with an upper-body injury, has been ruled out for the Knights’ remaining seven games until the Olympic break. In his place, Lauzon has stepped up.

“They just mesh,” Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Lauzon, at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, provides similar physicality to McNabb (6-4, 215). But to handle top-pairing minutes, Lauzon needed to rein in his game. He leads the Knights with 13 minor penalties and 17 overall, and has a team-high 12 games with a negative plus-minus. However, since pairing with Theodore, Lauzon has been penalized only twice in eight games — one minor and one fighting major after dropping gloves with Boston’s Mark Kastelic for taking a run at Theodore. He and Theodore have been plus players in four games and minus only once, with Lauzon recording a plus-3 in a 7-2 win over San Jose on Jan. 11. He also has three assists.

“I’ve played games with (Roman) Josi in Nashville,” Lauzon said. “Kind of a similar player. Both driven offensively. I feel I mesh well with guys like that on my pairing.”

Lauzon praised Theodore’s reads and intelligence, saying, “The game comes way easier playing with a guy of that caliber. He’s unbelievable to play with and he makes my job easy.”

Theodore, who missed nearly a month with an upper-body injury, has six points and is a plus-11 since returning. He and McNabb had been a staple pairing for most of their Knights careers, but Theodore has adapted well to playing with Lauzon.

“The physicality he brings, and you know I like to move the puck,” Theodore said. “It kind of ends up working well.”

Theodore has elevated his game since Pietrangelo went on long-term injured reserve with a hip issue, focusing more on five-on-five play and taking on increased penalty-kill responsibilities. Lauzon’s effectiveness alongside Theodore gives the Knights a full complement of defensemen, especially with Rasmus Andersson now available after immigration paperwork delays.

Cassidy noted that Lauzon is getting more comfortable after missing nearly all of training camp and 14 games due to an undisclosed injury dating back to November. “He’s kind of found his rhythm of playing every night with different partners,” Cassidy said. “Now it’s Theo that can really complement his skill set. I think it’s as simple as that.”