The Vegas Golden Knights have placed captain Mark Stone on long-term injured reserve with a back injury, Sportsnet can confirm.
Stone hasn't played since Jan. 12, and underwent back surgery on Jan. 31 after which the team announced he would be out indefinitely.
The move saves the Golden Knights $9.5 million in LTIR cap space per CapFriendly, giving them more flexibility ahead of the upcoming NHL trade deadline.
Vegas also placed defenceman Daniil Miromanov on injured reserve while calling up goaltender Michael Hutchinson from the AHL.
According to CapFriendly, the Knights' recent moves give them $8.8 million of LTIR cap space to play with as the March 3 trade deadline approaches.
Stone, 30, had 17 goals and 38 points in 43 games this season before sustaining the injury. The forward, who was named the first captain in franchise history on Jan. 13, 2021, also missed 26 games last year with back issues.
The Golden Knights are currently first place in the Pacific Division with a record of 34-18-4.
