Ottawa Senators: Mark Stone Reaches 300 Career Points
Just another reason why the Ottawa Senators need to lock him up to a long-term extension.
In last night’s 5-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mark Stone recorded an assist on Mikkel Boedker’s sixth goal of the season. That assist was the 300th point of Stone’s career, all of them coming with the Ottawa Senators.
His 358th game with the organization, Stone is only the 11th player to score 300 points with the Sens since the team returned to Ottawa in 1992, joining a list that includes Erik Karlsson (518 points), Marian Hossa (390 points), and Daniel Alfredsson (1,108 points). Stone now sits 11th on the all time scoring list for the Senators, four points back of Shawn McEachern in 10th place (304 points).
Stone reaching this milestone will hopefully open the eyes of management and they will make him the top priority when it comes to their pending free agents.
Stoning The Competition
Stone was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 6th round (178th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The Sens promoted him to the NHL permanently prior to the 2014-15 season, and has been a consistent scorer for the team. Stone has scored 50-plus points in all five seasons since he was called up, with three of them being 60-plus point campaigns.
Stone is currently the Senators’ leading scorer with 51 points in 51 games. He was also tied with Erik Karlsson for the team lead in scoring last year with 62 points despite only playing in 58 games.
If there’s one thing Stone has proven, it’s that he is not a flash in the pan, and the Senators would be smart to keep a player like him on the team.
A Future Captain of the Ottawa Senators
The Senators did not name a captain after Erik Karlsson was traded to San Jose, instead opting to roll with the three alternate captain approach, with Stone being one of them. If this year (And the four before it) has shown us anything, it’s that #61 has played his heart out for this team and can be the player his teammates and the city of Ottawa can rally behind during the rebuild.
If management (Or in this case ownership) have any goals before July 1st, Stone’s extension better be the one they are working on the most. He has more than earned it with how he has played for the Senators and is an easy choice for the next captain of the team.
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If the Sens want a major victory in a lost season, they need to find a way to keep Stone in Ottawa. It would keep a familiar face around during what will likely be a lengthy rebuild and would reward a homegrown talent for staying with the team that drafted him and gave him such a wonderful opportunity.