The Vegas Golden Knights have made it clear they’re not moving on from the face of their franchise any time soon.
Mark Stone signed a two-year, $18 million extension on Saturday, locking in the captain through the 2027-28 season after another season that showed exactly why Vegas values him so highly. The 34-year-old put up a career-best 73 points in just 60 games, even while missing time because of injuries.
That kind of production helped fuel another deep postseason run for the Golden Knights, who reached the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in nine seasons. Stone finished the regular season with 28 goals and 45 assists, then added 12 points in 17 playoff games.
For Vegas, this is about more than one strong year. Stone has been central to everything the franchise has built: he helped transform an expansion team into a contender, became the first captain in team history, and eventually raised the Stanley Cup in Vegas.
When he’s on the ice, his impact has been impossible to miss. His 84 playoff points are still the most by any Golden Knights player.
The extension also follows another notable move by the club. Just two days earlier, Vegas gave Braeden Bowman a six-year, $20.4 million contract, a longer-term commitment to a player the organization hopes will help carry its identity forward.
Saturday’s deal keeps the veteran who helped shape that identity right where the Golden Knights want him: in the middle of it.
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Golden Knights Just Sent A Clear Message With Mark Stone
Mark Stones long run with Vegas is set to continue after the Golden Knights locked up their captain on a two-year extension, keeping one of the franchises defining early acquisitions in place for the stretch ahead. Since arriving from Ottawa, Stone has spent parts of seven seasons in the organization and has remained a fixture at the top of the lineup, even while injuries have periodically interrupted his availability.
For a team built around stability and star power, the move sends a clear message about how the Golden Knights view their core. Stone still brings the kind of two-way value Vegas has long leaned on, and the new agreement gives the club more certainty around a veteran leader whose fit has never really been in doubt, even as his future has sometimes felt worth watching. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Face Huge Pressure As This Core Tries One More Run
The Golden Knights are heading into the 2026-27 season with the sort of pressure that comes only when a franchise believes it is still built to win now. Expectations around Vegas are back in familiar territory, with a Stanley Cup appearance the standard rather than the dream, and the core of Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone carrying most of the burden. The roster also has an older feel to it, which only raises the stakes for a group trying to squeeze one more deep run out of a window that has already produced one championship.
There is still enough uncertainty around the edges to make this a delicate season in advance, even before the games start. A first-time head coach will be stepping into one of the leagues most scrutinized jobs, and the roster could still be reshaped before opening night. For Vegas, the challenge is less about chasing a playoff berth and more about proving this version of the team can still live up to the standard it set for itself from the beginning. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Rookie Camp Starts Sorting Out Vegas Next NHL Help
Rookie camp gave the Golden Knights their first close look at a group of 23 prospects on the ice together, with Henderson Silver Knights coach Joel Ward running the session as Vegas began sorting through its next wave of NHL help. The roster mixes recent draft picks with players who have already logged some professional experience, and the early work is as much about learning the organizations pace and habits as it is about making an impression.
Trevor Connelly and Noel Pakarinen were among the players talking through their goals and the jump ahead, a reminder that this part of September is about both opportunity and evaluation. The camp now moves to San Jose for games against Utah and Colorado before the group comes back to Vegas for main training camp, where the real competition for spots will start to sharpen. [Read more 🡒]