Vegas Golden Knights announce Mark Stone "out indefinitely" after back surgery

The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that captain Mark Stone will be out indefinitely following back surgery.

NEWS: Mark Stone underwent successful back surgery yesterday and is expected to make a full recovery. He will be out of the lineup indefinitely. #VegasBorn https://t.co/QEtKsePpv6

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 2, 2023

Stone, 30, has been out of the Golden Knights lineup since leaving the ice early in their January 12 win over the Florida Panthers. He skated for 3:57 total in that game, and head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters the following day that he was week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Per the Golden Knights press release, "Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone underwent successful back surgery on Tuesday, January 31. He will be out of the lineup indefinitely but is expected to make a full recovery…After a setback, it was determined that surgery was the best course of action."

Should Stone's recovery keep him from the Golden Knights lineup for the balance of the regular season, this will mark two straight years that he's finished on IR with an ailing back – though, nobody has ruled out the possibility of Stone returning ahead of or during the playoffs, should Vegas qualify.

The Golden Knights will gain about $9.5 million in additional cap room once Stone is placed on LTIR. This could make them an interesting team to follow as we inch closer to the trade deadline.

There's almost no replacing a player of this calibre, though. Stone's 38 points are second-most on the team, and he remains one of the NHL's very best two-way forwards.

Mark Stone has undergone back surgery and will be out indefinitely. #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/bLl4m8sf3O

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 2, 2023

This has to sting even more for a team who saw their playoff chances undone last year by injuries to key players right around the halfway mark in the season – Stone among them. This must seem all too familiar.