Golden Knights place Mark Stone on injured reserve
An all too familiar headline for many hockey fans.
On Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights placed captain Mark Stone on injured reserve.
Mark Stone has been placed on IR.
The move might’ve been made as a way to open up a roster spot for forward Nic Dowd, who the Golden Knights are reportedly expected to acquire from the Washington Capitals.
Stone suffered an upper-body injury during Vegas’ 5-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins this past Sunday. Late in the first period, he took a rather innocent-looking cross-check from Penguins defender Erik Karlsson, which put Stone in a great deal of pain. He didn’t come out for the second period.
Head coach Bruce Cassidy explained to the media earlier in the week that Stone was listed as day-to-day, with the possibility that the 33-year-old might have been ready to play at some point. That is clearly not the case. In the two games he has missed since getting hurt, Vegas lost to the Buffalo Sabres before bouncing back to beat the Detroit Red Wings in overtime on Wednesday.
Per the league’s IR rules, Stone isn’t eligible to return to the lineup until March 10, when Vegas visits the Dallas Stars.
Stone has already missed a good chunk of time this season due to injury. A wrist injury that he suffered in mid-October held him off the ice for over a month. Yet, when he’s in the lineup, the Winnipeg native is effective. In 43 games, he has scored 21 goals and 39 assists for 60 points. He sits second on the team in scoring behind Jack Eichel, who has 68 points in 52 games.
The Golden Knights (29-19-4) are set to host the Minnesota Wild in their first game after the trade deadline. Vegas sits atop the Pacific Division, one point up on the Anaheim Ducks.