Once again, the Vegas Golden Knights identified their biggest piece of business in the coming offseason and addressed it well beforehand.
On Saturday, the Golden Knights announced that they have agreed to a two-year contract extension with forward and captain Mark Stone.
The deal comes with an annual cap hit of $9 million and is set to begin next season after Stone finishes the final season of his eight-year, $76 million contract that he signed on March 8, 2019 after arriving in Vegas in a trade deadline deal with the Ottawa Senators.
Stone’s extension is the second completed by the Golden Knights front office in the past few days, as the team inked a six-year contract extension with forward Braedan Bowman worth $20.4 million ($3.4 million AAV) on Sept. 10.
Last season, Stone remained one of the most consistent forwards in the NHL, finishing third on the Golden Knights with 73 points (28 goals, 45 assists) in 60 games. The captain also added 12 points (seven goals, five assists) in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games, playing a major role in Vegas’ spirited run to the Stanley Cup Final.
While injuries were a factor last year, Stone has served as one of the Golden Knights’ glue guys, providing a steady presence in all three zones and serving as a key voice of on-ice leadership.
Since being named the first captain in Golden Knights franchise history on Jan. 13, 2021, Stone has used his role to take his team to new heights. It culminated during the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, when the captain scored a hat trick in Game Five over the Florida Panthers to secure the first Stanley Cup for the Golden Knights. The success has not stopped there, as Stone was also able to get Vegas to its third Stanley Cup Final in nine years this past season.
With the team now in its tenth season, general manager Kelly McCrimmon and the rest of the Golden Knights brass have decided this is the time to reward one of the organization’s most consistent players.