Mark Stone scored 2 minutes into his Golden Knights’ playoff return and NHL fans all had the same reaction
You couldn’t script a better return from injury for Mark Stone if you’re a Vegas Golden Knights fan. As for the rest of the NHL, this result wasn’t a shocker in the slightest.
On Monday, the Golden Knights and Dallas Stars got underway in Game 1 of their opening round Stanley Cup Playoff series. One of the biggest storylines coming into the game was the return of Golden Knights’ captain Stone, who had been out of the lineup since early March thanks to a lacerated spleen.
Why is that significant? Because the Golden Knights were able to put Stone on Long-Term Injured Reserve, meaning they could clear his $9.5 million cap hit off the books so they could go after big trade targets at the March 8 deadline, with Vegas netting Tomas Hertl, Anthony Mantha, and Noah Hanifin when all was said and done.
Yet, Stone was able to return from LTIR just in time to make it for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And in his playoff return, Stone opened the scoring for the Golden Knights with a goal less than two minutes into the game!
The scriptwriters sure are cooking with this one! Not only that, this isn’t the first time Stone has been injured before the NHL trade deadline then was able to return for Game 1 of the playoffs, with him missing time last year due to back surgery.
NHL fans have complained for years that the Golden Knights continuously break the salary cap rules with moves like this — even though Vegas is, really, just exploiting a loophole any team can use — so the reaction to Stone’s goal should come as no surprise.