Golden Knights’ Mark Stone Out Week-To-Week

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy announced that winger Mark Stone is out week-to-week with a wrist injury in a Monday press conference, per Jesse Granger of The Athletic.

Stone fell face-first into the boards and briefly returned to the locker room in Vegas’ Thursday win over the Boston Bruins. He stuck in the lineup and scored four points in Saturday’s win over the Calgary Flames, but appeared to take another awkward fall midway through the third-period, also captured by Granger.

It’s not clear if either fall is connected to Stone’s injury. He’ll nonetheless be forced out of the short term, leaving Vegas with a big hole in their top-six. Stone ranks second on the team, and across the NHL, in scoring with 13 points in six games. He has found a comfortable role next to scoring leader Jack Eichel and winger Ivan Barbashev, forming a top line that’s outscored opponents five-to-three at even-strength.

Stone has long been among Vegas’ best players, but also struggles with routine injury. He has missed 170 games across six full seasons with the Golden Knights, or roughly 35 percent of a possible 492 games. He’s also averaged 26 goals and 80 points per 82 games played in that same period. That productivity, and a lofty impact on defense, makes Stone a standout any time he’s in the lineup. Now, Vegas will have to push through up at least a few games without that difference-maker.

Vegas will likely turn towards Brandon Saad or Reilly Smith to fill a top-six winger role in Stone’s absence. Smith has one point, while Saad hasn’t scored , through six games this season. More pressingly, Stone’s absence should give Shea Theodore a chance to return to the top power-play unit. Vegas has been operating with five forwards on their top unit, thanks to Pavel Dorofeyev’s five power-play points to start the year. That’s left Theodore with just five minutes of ice time, and no scoring, on the power-play. Vegas could also turn towards William Karlsson, who has one power-play point and three total points in six games.