The Vegas Golden Knights have been without star forward Mark Stone for most of the 2022-23 season, but they might not be for much longer after he participated with the team in practice in a non-contact sweater, the team announced on Monday.

The Knights have two games remaining in the regular season, and are holding onto the Pacific Division lead by just two points on Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, who have won seven games in a row.

The team also recalled top prospect Kaedan Korczak from the American Hockey League and brought goaltender Adin Hill back from his conditioning stint on Monday.

The 30-year-old Stone hasn't played since mid-January due to a back injury that has plagued him over the past few seasons. He's played in just 200 games over the past four campaigns, and been limited to just 43 in 2022-23.

After undergoing back surgery at the end of January, he was listed as out “indefinitely,” but he's been making progress over the last few weeks.

When healthy, he's a difference maker; the Winnipeg native has accumulated 17 goals and 38 points over those 43 games while remaining elite on the defensive side of the puck.

The Golden Knights have been smart with the NHL's salary cap this year. With a current cap hit of over $96 million, $14 million of that is in LTIR relief. That means when the playoffs start, they can activate Stone's hefty contract without any repercussions.

Still, the team has struggled to stay healthy this season, and star forward Jack Eichel and elite defenseman Shea Theodore have both missed time in 2022-23. Rookie goaltender Logan Thompson has also been on and off the injured list throughout the year.

It looks like Mark Stone might be ready to return to the lineup just in time for the postseason, and if that's the case, Game 1 of the playoffs could be the healthiest the Vegas Golden Knights have been all year.