This is a new one. Up until the trade deadline, Mark Stone seemed like the player the Senators were the most interested in at least trying to hold on to. They eventually did trade him to he Golden Knights, where he's been thriving and has already signed a big extension that will kick in after this season. Senators owner Eugene Melnyk doesn't seem to have any regrets.
On Bill Carroll's radio show in Canada, Melnyk said that Stone, 26, is too old to give a big contract to. To reiterate: Stone is 26. When his eight-year deal with the Golden Knights is up, he'll be 34.
The Senators aren't devoid of a future. They have a lot of draft picks, including the Blue Jackets' first rounder next season and potentially three first rounders in 2020. But it's not reassuring after Ottawa traded away Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and Stone at the deadline. Obviously, those deals were made out of necessity -- they aren't competing and those were pieces from when they thought they had a championship window -- but hearing that an eight-year contract that ends at age 34 is too big of an investment should worry Senators fans.
With the Golden Knights, Stone is playing on a second line alongside Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny. He has four goals and four assists with Vegas, which is looking to make another deep run in the West this year.
