The Vegas Golden Knights announced that captain, Mark Stone, is set to have back surgery Thursday morning. It is no secret that the Golden Knights were plagued with injuries this season. That is one of the many reasons the team missed the playoffs for the first time since the franchise entered the National Hockey League in 2017.
Golden Knights captain Mark Stone will undergo back surgery tomorrow morning, per a team spokesperson.
— Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) May 18, 2022
Mark Stone to Have Back Surgery
Stone was named the first captain in Vegas Golden Knights history in January of 2021. Due to battling injuries on and off all season, he only suited up for only 37 games during the 2021-2022 season. It was detrimental to have their captain missing from their line-up for a good portion of the season. Though, when he was in the line-up, he did not produce much offensively. The captain only recorded nine goals and 30 points this season through 37 games played.
One could say that his lack of production was due to battling injuries throughout the season. Stone was placed on the long-term injured reserved list and missed from February 9th to April 12th. Due to the acquisition of Jack Eichel and issues with the salary cap, many thought moving Stone to the LTIR was an effort to circumvent the salary cap. Stone returned with a little over two weeks in the season and only recorded one goal and one assist during that time.
What This Means For Vegas
The Golden Knights recently announced the firing of head coach Peter DeBoer. In addition to looking for a new coach and the usual off-season craziness, a lot of things are up in the air for Vegas. However, they will not have to worry about Stone’s spot on the roster. He is expected to make a full recovery and be ready in time for training camp for the 2022-2023 season.
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