Ottawa's team in the balance...
Mark Stone's arbitration is roughly 24 hours away and the sides are MILES apart. The Sens are offering around 5M, while the Stone camp is looking for 9M. That is a gap... and the Sens need to fix this one. They really have very little choice.
Listening to Ian Mendes on XM this morning put it into focus. The Sens fans are desperate for some good news and if the Sens management has any hope of salvaging anything right now they need to negotiate a long term deal in the next 72 hours with Mark Stone.
Stone may not fully deserve 9 per, but he can make a fair enough argument for 8...so the Sens need to go to an 8 per for 8 year deal... The Question is: Would he take that?
Logically you would have to say yes. Stone is in all likelihood the Captain of this team once Karlsson is gone and his numbers are impressive...The guy puts up almost a point a game, and is defensively a future Selke winner. Over the last several years he has basically lapped the rest of the NHL in take-aways...year after year.
However, is it possible that Stone's 9 per request is more of a "I will stay if you are willing to over pay me" number and he would be OK making 6.5 and becoming a UFA in July? Some I talk to believe this is the game plan...
Down the road in Toronto...
When the Leafs signed Tavares, the first word out of almost everyone's mouth was..."What about the money needed for Matthews, Marner and more immediately...Willam Nylander?"
First year GM Kyle Dubas went on TV and immediately said there was a way to keep them all and he would keep them all...
"We can and we will," Dubas said live on Sportsnet...
I imagine Nylander's agent must have thought..."hmmm. That's helpful."
I admire Dubas' moxy but when you say such a thing you put the pressure back on yourself and ignore several unknowns...Nylander is a great young player, and perhaps most importantly has shown great chemistry with Auston...that shouldn't be ignored...Just ask Crosby and McDavid.
It should also maybe be noted that William Nylander's dad, Michael Nylander was historically not the easiest player to get signed in his day....Who will be giving William advice the next few months here?
The situation in Toronto is far more positive than Ottawa of course and I am sure Nylander wants to remain a Maple Leaf for a long time...yet I could see this negotiation dragging into the preseason....it reminds me a little of Pastrnak last season....but with Nylander not holding quite as much power as David did.
What do you all think?
Should Sens and/or Leafs Fans be concerned?
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