The latest on Golden Knights captain Mark Stone.
Yet again, the Vegas Golden Knights have been forced to play without leader Mark Stone, who has been a frequent member of the team's injured list; he hasn't played since November 6 with a lower-body injury. But there's good news to be shared.
Stone re-joined his teammate for practice on Monday, though his status for the Golden Knights' next game isn't set.
https://x.com/GoldenKnights/status/1863659631656178050
So far this season, Stone has six goals and 15 assists along with a +9 rating.
The Golden Knights take on the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena in downtown Las Vegas.
The Golden Knights have drawn criticism for how they've handled Mark Stone's injuries
The Golden Knights drew heavy criticism for placing Mark Stone on the Long Term Injured Reserve list, and then using the available cap space to acquire additional talent for a postseason run; Stone then returned to the lineup prior to the postseason opener, raising many eyebrows.
However, regarding alleged salary cap circumvention, Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon pushed back on the notion that they were playing fast and loose with the rules, saying that the NHL is completely aware of everything they do.
“The NHL is 100 percent involved in any of these (long-term injured reserve) situations involving teams. Their chief medical director speaks to the surgeon, speaks to our medical team, speaks to our athletic therapist, has access to every document that is filed and every diagnostic test that is given. They have access to all of that information,” McCrimmon said prior to the start of the 2024 postseason.
Stone has been limited by injuries in each of the last several seasons. He played in just 37 games in 2021-22, and missed all but 43 games in 2022-23. However, he returned for the postseason and played in 22 games, helping Vegas win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
