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On Monday afternoon the Calgary Flames acquired Michael Stone from the Arizona Coyotes in effort to shore up their blue line.
Going the other way is a 2017 3rd round pick, and a conditional 2018 5th round pick, should Stone put pen to paper on a contract extension in Calgary.
I don't particularly like the deal -- mostly because I think Stone is overrated -- but I'm going to take a level-headed look at this deal and provide thoughts and perspective from all angles.
Why the Flames like the trade
- Simply put, the Flames were sick of the Dennis Wideman experiment. He has been miscast in a top-4 role for years and it has continually gotten worse over time. His offense has dried up and he can't skate well enough to compensate for the countless turnovers and missed reads. It's clear that he is not a top-4 defender and a case could be made he shouldn't even be in the Flames' top-6. This trade, if not anything else, pushes Wideman down the depth chart.
- In today's NHL it is all about speed and youth. With Stone in the fold, the Flames' current top-4 defensemen are 23 (Hamilton), 26 (Brodie/Stone) and 33 (Giordano).
- Again, I don't think Stone is as good as the Flames do but the asking price was fairly reasonable. Parting with a 3rd round pick in a shallow draft, at least in comparison to the last two or three years, for a 26-year-old defenseman who averages ~25 points per 82 games played is not the end of the world. If he is a fit, somehow steps his game up in Calgary and ends up re-signing a 3rd and a future 5th isn't a lot to give up.
- The Flames have talked about wanting more grit and to be 'tougher to play against'. Stone fits the Flames' description of that as he instantly becomes one of the team leaders in both hits and blocks.
- Stone's underlying numbers gotten worse over the last couple years, particularly away from Oliver Ekman-Larsson, but over a three-year span, the Coyotes have controlled a respectable 50% of the attempts with that pairing on the ice. Perhaps the Flames feel they can get Stone back on track with the underrated T.J. Brodie.
Why I don't like the trade
- Stone's season has been an absolute disaster. He's producing at a 16 point pace over 82 games, the lowest of his NHL career, and his underlying numbers are scary -- and not in a good way. At 5v5, the Coyotes controlled 42.3% of the shot attempts, 38.9% of the scoring chances and 34.5% of the high-danger chances with Stone on the ice. He ranks last among Coyotes' defensemen in all three categories. The Coyotes have been terrible this season and it's been in part because of Stone's poor play. Perhaps a change of scenery, or a change in usage, will help him out but I'm not optimistic he'll be able to flip the switch and turn into a top-4 defenseman. If we're looking at this season alone, his play doesn't even warrant a roster spot.
- Stone's body is pretty beat up for a guy his age. He has almost 700 career hits, 630 career blocks, and he has dealt with both knee injuries and concussions. It's possible that is already starting to take a toll on his game.
- There is a player named Brett Kulak, whom you might have heard of. He is a young defenseman who can move the puck and has fared well in his limited NHL time (he owns a 50.58CF% this season). I think if he was given a legitimate chance alongside Brodie on the 2nd pairing the results would be good -- likely better than the results we'll see from a Brodie/Stone pairing. That would have also allowed the Flames to retain a couple assets.
- Hey, you know what a 3rd round pick could probably get you? Someone like P.A. Parenteau. He is quietly on pace for just under 20 goals and 40 points. He has also done a nice job of driving possession and slotting him into the top-9 would keep Alex Chiasson out of it for good. I think Kulak in the top-4 and Parenteau in the top-9 would be much better than Kulak in the minors and Stone in the top-4. Maybe that's just me.
Conclusion
The Flames had a hole on defense and they think they filled it nicely with Stone. I'm very skeptical but, given the price, it's not the end of the world if it doesn't work out.
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