The Vegas Golden Knights took a big hit Monday when coach Bruce Cassidy announced team captain Mark Stone is out indefinitely with an injury.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Stone’s been on fire this season, racking up 13 points in just six games – second-best in the entire NHL.
He’d shown his toughness just days earlier, bouncing back from a scary face-first crash into the boards during Thursday’s win against Boston. Stone not only stayed in that game but came back to dominate Saturday against Calgary with a four-point performance.
But another awkward fall in the third period against the Flames might have been the final straw.
This latest setback continues a frustrating pattern for one of Vegas’ most important players. Since joining the Golden Knights, Stone has missed an eye-opening 170 games due to various injuries – that’s about 35% of all possible games.
When he’s healthy though? He’s absolutely electric. Stone averages 26 goals and 80 points per 82-game season, while playing stellar defense.
The defending champs will need to shuffle their lineup to fill the massive hole left by Stone’s absence. He’s been clicking perfectly with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev on a top line that’s been dominating opponents this season.
Brandon Saad or Reilly Smith will likely move up to the top six, though neither has found their scoring touch yet this year. Smith has just one point while Saad is still looking for his first.
There might be a silver lining for defenseman Shea Theodore, who could finally get his chance on the top power-play unit. Vegas has been running an unusual five-forward setup thanks to Pavel Dorofeyev’s hot start with five power-play points.
The Golden Knights might also look to William Karlsson to step up – he’s managed three points so far this season, including one on the power play.
