Mark Stone has undergone another back surgery, and he will remain out of the lineup indefinitely according to a statement released by the Vegas Golden Knights.
NEWS: Mark Stone underwent successful back surgery yesterday and is expected to make a full recovery. He will be out of the lineup indefinitely. #VegasBorn https://t.co/QEtKsePpv6
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 2, 2023
The procedure is Stone’s 2nd in less than 9 months, and it is a major blow to a Golden Knights squad that was already in a bit of a slide heading into the All-Star break and bye week.
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There’s no guarantee he’ll miss the rest of the season, but it is something the front office will need to think about ahead of next month’s trade deadline. If Stone were moved to LTIR, and then healthy enough to return in the playoffs, the team could add some reinforcements to help the Golden Knights down the stretch. Currently the team has $3,879,166 in available cap space, and this includes Stone on the active roster.
In 43 games Stone had 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points, and he was 2nd on the team in points behind Chandler Stephenson. He’s been a very important contributor, and replacing him won’t be easy.