The Senators are expected to be meeting the agents for Stone and Duchene next week
Pierre LeBrun on The Athletic: It’s expected that the Ottawa Senators could meet with Mark Stone‘s agency early next week. Earlier this week they were trying to set up a date.
Matt Duchene‘s agent Pat Brisson is also expected to talk with the Senators next week.
TSN: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 1050 talking about the Ottawa Senators and pending UFAs Mark Stone and Matt Duchene.
Still can’t say if the Senators will or won’t re-sign Stone and/or Duchene.
“Duchene’s agent has had multiple conversations with the Sens and there’ll be another critical one coming up here within the next week or two, I would think. The Stone thing is just picking up stream now, or it will be in the next couple of weeks as Stone’s representatives talk to Pierre Dorion.
Both players have expressed some degree of openness to maybe staying in Ottawa and they do, they’re going to get eight-year deals and they’re going to get more money in Ottawa than they would anywhere else.”
If the Senators are not able to re-sign them before the trade deadline, then they have to trade them. They cannot afford to lose them for nothing.
Chris Nichols of Nichols on Hockey: Pierre LeBrun was on TSN 1200 and was talking about Senators Matt Duchene and Mark Stone.
“As I wrote today in my notebook in The Athletic, the Senators need a franchise win here. They need to absolutely re-sign Mark Stone. I feel like you have to re-sign Mark Stone. He’s younger and he a Senators product – drafted, developed – and then Duchene would be a bonus, right. That’s the way I kind of looked at it.
“And if Stone doesn’t re-sign – and I really take Stone to his word that I think he is interested in doing just that, re-signing – but if negotiations don’t go well – I’ve got to tell you, I know teams are absolutely salivating at a shot at trading for him.”
LeBrun adds that if he doesn’t re-sign and the Senators look to move him, would be shocked if Vegas Golden Knights and the Kelly McCrimmon connect didn’t go after him. There would be big market for him.
Duchene being a centerman will also draw a ton of interest as well.