Stone skates prior to Game 1 of West Final, uncertain for Golden Knights

DENVER -- Mark Stone skated with what appeared to be the Vegas Golden Knights scratches at Ball Arena on Wednesday, but it remains to be seen if he will play in the Western Conference Final.

The Golden Knights face the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 here later Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).

"There's no update on injuries right now," Vegas coach John Tortorella said. "I know he was on the ice. You saw that. But there's no update."

Stone, the Golden Knights captain, has missed three games since leaving Game 3 of the second round against the Anaheim Ducks with a lower-body injury.

The 34-year-old forward had 73 points (28 goals, 45 assists) in 60 games in the regular season and has seven points (three goals, four assists) in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games. Stone helped Vegas win the Stanley Cup in 2023 and is its all-time leader in goals (39) and points (79) in the playoffs. 

"It's always a next-man-up mentality," forward Keegan Kolesar said. "With guys like him, it's hard to do that."

Kolesar credited forwards Mitch Marner and Pavel Dorofeyev for making up for the loss of Stone.

Marner leads the NHL this postseason with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists) in 12 games, including five points (one goal, four assists) in the past three. Dorofeyev leads the playoffs with nine goals in 12 games; he has five during a three-game goal streak.

"I think guys took it upon themselves last series, like Mitch and ‘Pav,'" Kolesar said. "They pulled their socks up and helped contribute in the offensive department with his absence."

Center William Karlsson also returned from a lower-body injury at the start of the second round and has helped fill the void in terms of leadership and two-way play.

Karlsson has been with the Golden Knights since they joined the NHL as an expansion team in 2017-18. He ranks third in goals (31) and is tied with defenseman Shea Theodore for third in points (74) in the playoffs in Vegas history.

"He's just a presence," Tortorella said. "He's won here. He's so well respected in the room. I love the way he handles himself. He doesn't say a lot, but he carries himself the proper way. When we lost 'Stoney,' I thought it was a huge plus for us that we were getting (Karlsson) back in the lineup to fill some of that, because I think Stoney brings that also."