Do you really think that Stone didn't have a lacerated spleen?
If it isn't LTIR, it'll be something else. Teams always push these limits and always have.
There is no f***ing way the guy had a lacerated spleen. I'd love to see the medical records on that, oh that's right I never will because they don't exist.
They did the same shit they do every year they tell Stone to go take a vacation and rest up for the playoffs. Then doubled down on Pietrangelo, so that could really abuse the system this year.
It's really sad that the sport I enjoy most and invest a ton of my free time into, allows for this level of abuse and manipulation.
It's one thing to have something in place for situations where guys like Landy get long term injuries and don't magically show up when it's convenient. It a whole other situation to have a team move non injured players who are very clearly faking it, then show up game 1 of the playoffs perfectly fine. And on top of that do it 3 years in a row.
This rule needs to be completely rewritten, there are options that allow for teams who actually need it, like Avs with Landy, that would also prevent Vegas or any other team from taking advantage of it. At very minimum it needs to be changed to teams must be cap compliant throughout the playoffs. That should be a no brainer.