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The Vegas Golden Knights host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series, and they face a potentially serious issue. Right winger Mark Stone left Tuesday’s practice before it finished and was spotted walking gingerly off the ice into the locker room. Head coach Bruce Cassidy said he assumed everything is good, but we won’t know for certain until Wednesday ahead of Game 1.
Here is the video of Mark Stone from this morning, leaving practice early, in what looks to be some discomfort.
— Vince Sapienza (@VinceSapienza) May 2, 2023
When asked during his normal availability, Bruce Cassidy said, "Assume everything is good, haven't heard any differently."#VegasBorn #UKnightTheRealm pic.twitter.com/mCBYSN62UH
Stone has dealt with significant back injuries over the past year. He missed 26 games a year ago and underwent a lumbar discectomy on May 19. He returned for the start of the regular season on October 11 and played in 43 games before injuring his back on January 12. He had another surgery on January 31 and returned for the team’s first-round opener against the Winnipeg Jets.
Cassidy offered some optimism, but given Stone’s injury history and where things stand in the playoffs, there’s no reason to expect clarity yet from the coach.