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Neal out for start of Golden Knights camp with hand injury

Nashville Predators v Colorado Avalanche

DENVER, CO - MARCH 05: James Neal #18 of the Nashville Predators awaits a face off against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center on March 5, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Predators defeated the Avalanche 5-2. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

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The Vegas Golden Knights’ first-ever training camp will begin with an unfortunate development.

James Neal, who the Golden Knights picked up from Nashville in the expansion draft, is out two-to-four weeks with a hand injury, said general manager George McPhee on Thursday, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“He may be a little bit behind everybody else — two, three, four weeks. It’s hard to say at this point,” said McPhee. “The hand is taking some more time to recover than anticipated.”

Neal suffered the injury at the beginning of the Western Conference Final but remained in the Predators’ lineup for the remainder of the post-season, including the Stanley Cup Final against Pittsburgh.

This is a big year for Neal.

At 30 years of age, he’s playing in a brand new market for the NHL and he’s in the final year of his six-year, $30 million contract. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent next summer.