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Golden Knights captain likely to practice first day of camp

Updated September 19, 2022 - 1:47 pm

The Golden Knights’ captain will likely start training camp with the team.

Coach Bruce Cassidy said Monday he anticipates right wing Mark Stone will be on the ice for the Knights’ first training camp practice Thursday. Stone had back surgery May 19 to fix an injury that caused him to miss 45 games last season.

Cassidy, speaking at the Knights’ annual charity golf tournament at Bear’s Best Las Vegas, said Stone’s exact status is still to be determined. He may wear a non-contact jersey at the start of the camp or be limited to participating in one session if the team practices twice a day.

“That’ll be dependent on the medical team and Mark, how he’s feeling,” Cassidy said. “Right now he feels great. But they may put a little bit of a governor on him, so to speak.”

Cassidy also said goaltender Laurent Brossoit, who is recovering from offseason hip surgery, is not expected to be on the ice with the team to start training camp. General manager Kelly McCrimmon said July 14 that Brossoit will be “nip and tuck” to be ready for the Knights’ Oct. 11 opener at Los Angeles.

Hague still unsigned

Restricted free agent defenseman Nic Hague doesn’t have a new contract with the Knights two days before camp is scheduled to begin.

Hague’s agent Murray Koontz said negotiations are “still a work in progress.” McCrimmon said on Aug. 25 that re-signing Hague was “priority one.”

Koontz said Hague returned to Las Vegas 3½ weeks ago to work out with his teammates but has since left. They are looking at options for him to stay ready for the season if he does not have a deal before camp.

Hague, 23, is one of seven remaining unsigned restricted free agents in the NHL. He has 10 goals and 32 assists in 142 career NHL games.

The Knights have had one contract holdout. Defenseman Shea Theodore signed his seven-year deal Sept. 24, 2018, 11 days after the Knights began training camp before their second season.

Eichel’s summer

Center Jack Eichel said his summer “was a lot more normal” than the previous two.

COVID-19 was less of a concern. He was healthy. He didn’t have to worry about where he was going to play, like he was a year ago during his staredown with the Buffalo Sabres over treatment of a neck injury.

That meant Eichel could go home, golf and travel. He got coffee with Cassidy around the Fourth of July in Cape Cod. He took part in the right wing Reilly Smith’s annual charity softball game July 18. And Eichel started skating with his teammates in town two weeks ago to get ready for camp.

He’s excited about what this year could bring.

“It seems like it’s the most normal it’s been in a while and for me, the same,” Eichel said. “(I want to) just try to hit the ground running for the season. I think that’s probably the goal of our group.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.

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