The Stone Deal Is Done. The Crease Situation Is Not.

Already covered the extension here on Saturday, so I'll keep this brief: the Stone piece is settled, and it's a good deal for Vegas. What isn't settled — and what keeps nagging as opening night against Chicago approaches on September 29 — is the goaltending situation behind Carter Hart. The backup spot has been empty all offseason, and five weeks out, nothing has changed on that front.

The Stone extension itself makes sense on its face. He put up 44 points in just 32 games last season, playing through injury, and GM Kelly McCrimmon made clear this week how central Stone has been to the organization's identity since the beginning. Locking him up through 2028–29 at $9 million per year keeps the veteran core intact alongside Eichel and Marner. That's a real foundation.

But the crease is still a one-man operation, and that's a problem that no forward extension resolves. Akira Schmid is gone. Michael Hutchinson retired in July. The market for experienced backups has only thinned since. My read is that Vegas cannot walk into a full season leaning entirely on Hart — not with a new coaching staff still finding its footing and a roster that went 16–27 in one-goal games last year. One injury, one rough stretch, and there's no margin.

The front office has been busy. The Stone news is genuinely good. But the backup crease is the item that still doesn't have an answer, and the calendar is moving.