The Ottawa Senators parted with the last of their big three on Monday afternoon. They traded Mark Stone to the Vegas Golden Knights. The deal turned into something few expected. Here are the particulars.
- Vegas receives Mark Stone
- Ottawa acquires Erik Brannstrom
- The Senators receive Oscar Lindberg
- Ottawa gets 2020 second-round draft pick
Again, there is lots more to this and time to get down to business.
Mark Stone is part of the Vegas Golden Knights…for a while
Stone was the big fish out there this trade deadline and as teams failed to land him, one stuck out. That was Vegas, who managed to acquire the Ottawa right winger without giving up a first-round draft pick. George McPhee pulled off some serious brilliance even if there was one steep price to pay. Unfortunately, giving up A+ prospects is never easy. However, when a team builds a stockpile like Vegas, they cultivated enough assets to go for it.
The result became giving Ottawa Erik Brannstrom. On the other hand, Mark Stone becomes the property of the Vegas Golden Knights for the next 8+ seasons. Why? Stoned unofficially signed an eight-year, $9.5 million AAV extension with Vegas. Stipulations dictate the announcement cannot be official until March 1st.
Strengths are many but Stone’s biggest is stickwork. This leads to so much of his transition game which few can match. One moment a player has the puck and the next Stone is skating the other way. While Stone’s speed is not the greatest, he switches from defense to offense very well.
His ability to work on the power play should complement the Vegas man advantage. Expect Stone to play in all situations and bump one of the wings off the top line for the Golden Knights. This is a point-a-game player who still has the potential to score 35-40+ goals a season.
Also, Stone’s possession metrics compared to relative were a whopping 11.5% above Ottawa’s team norm. That number scares or should scare anyone. Imagine what he could do on a better team. Vegas sports two lines now that should strike fear in the hearts of defenses. The fact that Stone tallied 17 power-play points and was a +13 on that bad of a team speaks volumes.
A little more visual on Mark Stone
Using the SKATR tool thanks to Bill Comeau illustrates just how good Stone has been in Ottawa.
Anyone who is anyone can see from expected goals for percentage to relative team possession percentages just what Stone can do. When that many numbers are 90% or above, the indications of a great player are there. Stone is not even 27 yet which should scare opponents of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Stone projects upwards to an 80-90 point player a season for the next several campaigns at least. Vegas has Stone signed for the next 8+ seasons like mentioned above and expect the Golden Knights to benefit greatly from his presence.
What the Ottawa Senators impact is from the Mark Stone trade
Alas, did Ottawa wait too long will always be the question? That answer resonates as a yes. However, do not feel sorry for the Senators. Erik Brannstrom comes aboard as a top-five prospect sure to be a mainstay for years to come. Arguably, Vegas should have played him this season. There was nothing left for the defenseman to prove in the AHL. His PNHLe (a way to measure NHL production) was tops among all defensemen. The 19-year-old leaves a mark wherever he goes and comes next season, Ottawa should be ecstatic. They expect to feature two of the best young blueliners in hockey.
Again, the certainty of acquiring a high-end player like Brannstrom meant Pierre Dorion was not getting a first-round pick. This is because Brannstrom is one and then some. Following him from the Chicago Wolves to Sweden at the WJC and back has been an experience. He tallied seven goals and 28 points in 41 games with Chicago and was a point-a-game player at the Worlds. His game expects to only rise from here.
Ottawa also acquired a 2020 second-round pick and Oscar Lindberg. Those feel almost like afterthoughts but Ottawa now has six picks in the first 62 of the 2020 draft. That draft features an early class that may rival the 2003 NHL draft. Time will tell if that materializes. However, that is heady praise from many prospect pundits.
Some final observations…
The Ottawa Senators and Vegas Golden Knights made out well in this deal. The expectations of the media trumped the reality of the deal. Sadly, this happens a lot. On the other hand, Vegas went for it and has been rewarded. Ottawa begins a very long and arduous rebuild. Today, both teams gained pieces that help them in their respective journeys.