Just like with Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, we could see it coming. But it's still sad to see Mark Stone traded because there was the smallest amount of hope that the Senators would be able to convince him to stay, as they were reportedly offering him $10.5M per season for five years. However, it looks like signing bonuses and the contract structure was a sticking point for Stone, and Pierre Dorion had to make the move to ship him off to Vegas:
Brannstrom, Oscar Lindberg, Second Round 2020 for Mark Stone. #Sens
— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) February 25, 2019
There is a lot to unpack here. First of all, it’s impossible to pretend like this is a normal hockey trade that happens every trade deadline for some teams. No, this is the last piece that finishes off a complete firesale of the team, which was all under the orders of Eugene Melnyk. I don’t think Dorion is a very good GM, but I do not blame him for all of these star players leaving. He has been willing to offer them contracts, but none of them want to stay due to the ownership, and Melnyk will not budge on his offers because he simply does not have the cash. The Erik Karlsson trade was what killed fandom for many people, but if anything, I think losing Stone will have just as big, if not a bigger impact on the fanbase.
Just read the replies to this tweet from The 6th Sens:
If you're a season ticket holder whose renewal was predicated on a Stone extension, fire me a message.
— Graeme Nichols (@6thSens) February 25, 2019
How can anybody have hope if no star level players are willing to re-sign with the Senators under Melnyk? It’s nice to be optimistic about the team’s picks and prospects (which look very good right now), but they will also reach a point when Melnyk cannot afford them too. So the only thing fans can hope for is that he sells at some point in the next few seasons. But if you’ve been closely following along for the past couple seasons, you should know that already.
What worries me about this trade is that it sends an awful message to Brady Tkachuk. His most common linemate this season was Stone, as the two of them played 515:22 together, and Stone clearly had an extremely positive influence on him on and off the ice. I think it’s fair to say that Stone made Tkachuk’s transition to the NHL that much easier, which cannot be understated. Furthermore, Brady’s father Keith was well aware of the impact that Mark had on his son:
Keith Tkachuk to @TSN1200 in pre-game show:
— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) February 25, 2019
“I want that Mark Stone signed so badly. He’s been so instrumental to Brady’s development both on and off the ice. The Senators have to figure out a way and get this done.…
I can’t imagine him being very happy with this trade news at all. Then you have to wonder...is that going to make Brady more likely to leave in 2-5 years time as well? If there is no new owner, I can’t see why not.
Immediately after being traded, Stone was interviewed on TSN about the move, and he had this to say in regards to the Golden Knights:
Stone to TSN, commented on the Vegas "ownership commitment to winning" as part of reason behind his decision.
— Ken Warren (@Citizenkwarren) February 25, 2019
If that isn’t a shot at Melnyk, I don’t know what is. Plus, who wouldn’t be excited about an ownership group that has legitimate plans to contend every season rather than one who will spend “close to the cap… for five seasons down the road? This entire debacle is exhausting to talk about, and nothing will change unless he sells the team.
Now, in terms of the actual trade, there are positives and negatives. First of all, Erik Brannstrom is an elite prospect, and Dorion did a nice job by getting a player of his calibre for a rental, even if it is Stone. On Corey Pronman’s mid-season prospect rankings for the Athletic, Brannstrom was 19th in the entire league, just one spot behind Noah Dobson, and one ahead of Senators prospect Drake Batherson. He was taken 15th overall in the 2017 draft and has 28 points in 41 games in the AHL, which is very impressive for a 19-year-old.
It’s too bad that he is left-handed, but that’s not too big of a deal. By adding Brannstrom, Ottawa all of a sudden has some intriguing defensemen that they could potentially build around. Thomas Chabot is a #1, Christian Wolanin is at least a #3-4, Dylan DeMelo is a #4-5, and Brannstrom, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Max Lajoie have the potential to be at least #3-4 defensemen. They are much thinner on the right side, but having Chabot, Brannstrom, and Wolanin down the left side could be phenomenal. I will say that it is nice that Dorion went for quality instead of quantity, which differs from the Karlsson trade. I do believe in Brannstrom’s abilities, and that’s a better asset to have than, say, a late first-round pick plus a mediocre prospect.
Oscar Lindberg is essentially an NHL body to have for the rest of the season, as the 27-year-old has 12 points in 35 games, and is a UFA at the end of the season. The 2nd round pick isn’t until 2020, although that draft is supposed to much deeper than this years. After these three trades, Ottawa has an insane amount of draft picks over the next three years:
It certainly stings that Ottawa was unable to get a first round pick in this deal, although like I said, getting Brannstrom is a big deal. The only thing that is frustrating about the return (besides the fact that Stone is leaving, of course) is that he is reportedly going to sign an extension with Vegas immediately:
Stone’s AAV on an eight-year deal with VGK is $9.5M.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 25, 2019
So the Golden Knights paid the price for a rental but still get to keep Stone for the next eight and a half seasons. I’m sure they’ll be more than fine with giving up Brannstrom in that case. Ottawa wasn’t willing to let other teams negotiate with Stone, although I wonder if Vegas was confident that they would be able to sign him long-term, making it easier for them to include Brannstrom in a deal.
All things considered, Dorion did decently well by getting an elite prospect in return, as Brannstrom was one of the several names that fans had been targeting all along. The alternative was probably a worse return from another team, or having Stone walk for nothing, so I don’t think it’s too bad considering all of the circumstances. The fact that he had to be moved at all is a whole different story though...And for many fans, this is the last straw with their beloved team, and I don’t blame them.
I might have a tribute article to Stone either during the season or in the summer just because there were so many great moments with him, and just like Karlsson, his time here was much too short. He would have been a great captain, and it’s a shame that the league will suddenly realize what an amazing talent he is. Mark will be severely missed by Sens fans.