Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone's injury history has raised questions about his future. Meanwhile, Montreal Canadiens fans are wondering about goaltender Samuel Montembeault's future.
The Vegas Golden Knights made headlines last week by replacing coach Bruce Cassidy with John Tortorella for the rest of this season.
While speculation grows about who will be coaching by next season, questions have been raised about Mark Stone's future with the franchise.
Stone is among the best two-way forwards in the league. The Golden Knights acquired him from the Ottawa Senators in 2019, and he captained them to the Stanley Cup in 2023.
However, Stone has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, including back/lumbar pain that required surgery, and wrist and lower-body ailments.
Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos last week claimed people were wondering about Stone's health. He turns 34 in May and has a year remaining on his contract.
Kypreos mused about the possibility of Stone facing a situation similar to teammate Alex Pietrangelo, who's been on season-ending long-term injury reserve since last summer. Pietrangelo is expected to remain there until his contract expires at the end of next season.
Placing Pietrangelo on SELTIR gave the Golden Knights $8.8 million in salary-cap relief this season, which they used to maintain their roster. If Stone joins him next season, it would free up another $9.5 million that they could put toward bolstering their depth via trades and free agency.
Stone's recent injuries haven't affected his performance. While limited to 55 games this season, he's third among Golden Knights scorers with 67 points. If there is any concern about Stone's health, he and the team will likely take a wait-and-see approach.
Speaking of players facing uncertain futures with their current teams, Samuel Montembeault of the Montreal Canadiens has been relegated to third-string goalie this season behind rookies Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler.
Montembeault backstopped the rebuilding Canadiens to an unexpected playoff berth last season, earning himself a spot on Team Canada in last year's 4 Nations Face-Off. However, he hasn't been the same since suffering a groin injury in the Habs' first-round series against the Washington Capitals.
In a recent mailbag segment, Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette was asked whether the Canadiens might buy out Montembeault this summer if they can't trade him.
Cowan believes Canadiens GM Kent Hughes won't have much difficulty finding a trade partner to take Montembeault off his hands, pointing to the number of teams that had goaltending issues this season. One of them might be willing to bet on him regaining his form.
The 29-year-old Montembeault's contract won't be a sticking point. He has one season left on this deal with an affordable $3.15 million cap hit and lacks no-trade protection.
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