With the clock ticking and the NHL trade deadline fast approaching, it sounds like the Ottawa Senators have made one last attempt at convincing their best player to stick around.
What we know for sure is that at some point last week, Pierre Dorion reached out to Mark Stone’s agent to make a final contract offer. And based on some of the talk about that deal, it does sound like the Senators have given Mark Stone something to seriously consider.
Bruce Garrioch offered the following in his latest…
The belief is the Senators have given Stone a lot to think about. If he stays, he will more than likely be the club’s captain, he’ll have a big role and the chemistry he’s developed with youngsters Brady Tkachuk and Colin White is obvious.
Beyond that, it sounds like they significantly increased the amount of money being offered and according to some people I have spoken with in the last couple days, maybe moved a bit on the signing bonus issue too.
While Stone has been almost completely silent on his future in Ottawa, in his few comments on the topic, he has made it pretty clear that he wants to stick around. But he also wants to see a commitment from the organization. If was going to sign on for the next eight years, he would want some certainty that there was a plan in place to make this team competitive again and fast.
And if Stone does ultimately decline the latest contract offer sent his way, it’s likely that the organization just couldn’t convince him on that front. As Bob McKenzie alluded to last week, if Stone and Duchene are ultimately traded, it’s not so much about money and more that those two players don’t necessarily feel like this team is positioned to compete any time soon.
Maybe more importantly, that the commitment is there from Ownership to build a winner.
Either way, Pierre Dorion needs an answer early this week.
While they have already started to talk trade when it comes to Matt Duchene, they’ll have to do the same with Mark Stone if they don’t hear back in very near future. And perhaps they already have.
Pierre Dorion has left the meeting with Kevin Cheveldayoff and just spent a long time chatting on the phone. Kevin Cheveldayoff and Mark Chipman are now together in the #NHLJets GM suite. Oh, the intrigue, A reminder all of this could mean nothing. https://t.co/mQDf0X6mOR
— Mike McIntyre (@mikemcintyrewpg) February 17, 2019
Game day post coming later today.
