Stone (knee) took part in line rushes during pregame warmups, indicating he'll make his return to the Coyotes' lineup for Friday's road matchup with the Islanders, Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Stone has been rehabbing for over six months after undergoing knee surgery to repair his ACL and MCL in April, and has evidently progressed enough to receive medical clearance ahead of Friday evening's matchup with the Isles. The 26-year-old blueliner will slot into a top-four role Friday, skating alongside Alex Goligoski on the Coyotes' second pairing. If he's available in free agency, owners looking for help at defense would be wise to seriously consider adding Stone to their rosters, as he has some legitimate offensive upside having notched 36 points (six goals, 30 assists) over 75 games with Arizona last season.