NHL
Mark Stone Signs a One-Year Deal Worth $7.35 Million to Stay in Ottawa.
The Senators retained another piece of their roster on Friday. That piece is forward Mark Stone. Mark Stone signed a contract worth $7.35 million to avoid salary arbitration. However, there is one catch: the contract is only for one season. While Mark Stone may be a valuable piece to the organization, the Senators should try to ink him for another four or five years. Unless that is their plan when the coming season ends.
Mark Stone’s Career
Stone started his NHL career when he was selected by Ottawa in the sixth round at the 2010 NHL Draft. He would not play his first NHL game until the 2012-2013 season. However, he would only play four games that season and not register a single point in those games. Additionally, Stone would not register his first point until the following season. In 2014, Stone became a staple in the Sen’s lineup, playing 80 games for the squad. Stone would register 64 points that season, his current career high. From there on, he has not fallen below 54 points. However, he has yet to play a full season with the squad and only played 58 games last season. This could leave a big question mark for the reliability of Stone. This may be why he was only signed for one year. If the Senators want to make another postseason run, Stone has to lead the charge. In addition, this signing could guarantee defenseman Erik Karlsson is not returning.
Contract Details
As previously mentioned, Mark Stone signed a deal worth $7.35 million for one year. According to CapFriendly.com, this deal leaves the Senators with a little more than $6 million in spending room. In addition, this move raises Ottawa’s cap hit to more than $73 million. Expect Ottawa to be a dealer at the deadline or at the end of next season.
