The Vegas Golden Knights have been without captain Mark Stone for nearly a month now. Their recent decision concerning his injury will keep him out for even longer, however.

The Golden Knights have placed Stone on long-term injured reserve, according to CapFriendly. The team also placed defenseman Danill Miromanov on IR while recalling goaltender Michael Hutchinson.

Placing Stone on LTIR has major salary cap implications for the Golden Knights. CapFriendly states the move creates an additional $9.5 million in cap room for Vegas to work with.

That cap space is huge at this point in the season. The NHL trade deadline is quickly approaching with contenders preparing to fortify their rosters for a playoff push.

This cap space allows the Golden Knights to target players who have a higher cap hit. It also cuts out any potential situation where the team needs to involve a third “broker” team to retain salary.

Vegas is in a better situation than other contending teams in the NHL. Most contenders are in a “dollar in, dollar out” situation where they would need to trade a sizeable salary to acquire a sizeable salary in return.

Stone underwent back surgery back on February 1, knocking him out indefinitely. The Golden Knights captain has struggled with back issues dating back to the 2021-22 season.

The Golden Knights' LTIR pool now reaches $23.5 million with Mark Stone's inclusion. Goaltender Robin Lehner and forward Nolan Patrick are also on LTIR. Vegas also has the contract of defenseman Shea Weber stashed there, though it is unlikely the veteran defenseman plays again.

Vegas has a lot of options as we inch closer to the March 3 NHL trade deadline. Only time will tell if they pull the trigger on a blockbuster to aid their push for the Stanley Cup.