"Vegas Golden Knights have perfected it" - Elliotte Friedman opines on Stanley Cup champ's usage of LTIR cap space 

The Vegas Golden Knights have once again found themselves at the center of a controversy surrounding the use of long-term injured reserve (LTIR) cap space.

In a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman shared his thoughts on the issue, specifically addressing the Mark Stone injury situation and the potential for changes in the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Friedman pointed out that the Golden Knights are not the first team to take advantage of the LTIR loophole, with the Chicago Blackhawks and Tampa Bay Lightning having previously benefited from it en route to winning the Stanley Cup. However, he noted that Vegas has "perfected" the strategy.

"The thing is this, other people have done it, the Golden Knights have perfected it and I think that's what got other people upset," Friedman said.

The Golden Knights placed their captain, Mark Stone, on LTIR at the end of February due to a lacerated spleen, freeing up over $9 million in cap space just weeks before the trade deadline.

This allowed the team to add impact players like Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames and Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks. Stone returned to the lineup in Game 1 of the playoffs against the Dallas Stars.

While the use of LTIR is currently legal within the context of the CBA, Friedman believes that the issue will be a point of contention.

"I think this time, the next CBA, Collective Bargaining Agreement is up in two years, this is something that would have to get sort it out between the league, the teams and the players," Friedman said.

"We are gonna find out in two years if everybody really wants to stop this and then we'll get our answer."

Mark Stone's return for the Vegas Golden Knights

Mark Stone returned to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup in Game 1 against the Dallas Stars, scoring a key power-play goal in their 4-3 victory.

Stone missed the last 26 regular-season games. Despite the long layoff, he showed little rust in his playoff debut, playing an impactful 18:44 of ice time.

"I was nervous. I think I would probably be a little nervous, even if played all 82 games," said Stone after the win. "It's the playoffs. This is what we play for."

Jonathan Marchessault, Tomas Hertl, and Brayden McNabb also tallied goals for Vegas in the victory. The Vegas Golden Knights now hold a 1-0 series lead over the Stars heading into Game 2 of the playoffs on Wednesday.