When Mark Stone was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, some Ottawa Senators fans consoled themselves with the thought that, had the Senators signed Stone to a long-term extension, the last few years of the contract might not look that good.
After all, he wasn’t the game’s finest skater to start with, so when age or injuries kicked in, he might lose a step that he didn’t have to give.
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Nearly seven years later, that theory isn’t holding up very well.
With 60 points in 41 games, Stone remains a top-20 NHL scorer. And on Thursday in Milan, skating for one of the most stacked Canadian rosters ever assembled, he was one of their better players. Stone was noticeable on almost every shift and scored in Canada’s 5-0 Olympic-opening win over Czechia.
He even broke out the classic goal-scoring face that Ottawa fans used to love.
Feb 12, 2026; Milan, Italy; Mark Stone of Canada celebrates scoring their second goal against Czechia in a men’s ice hockey group A match during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
When it comes to how Ottawa management handled a star like Stone, combined with getting next to nothing for him in a trade, his story has to be near the top of the list of biggest blunders in team history.
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Former Sens GM Pierre Dorion said the organization only realized days before the deadline that Stone likely wouldn’t re-sign.
But on that very same day, across town, owner Eugene Melnyk told CBC Ottawa something entirely different: this trade had been planned for some time as part of the rebuild.
Those two explanations never quite lined up then, and they don’t now.
Had Stone been given a long-term extension in his previous negotiation instead of a one-year deal, he would have offered an excellent veteran presence in the young Sens locker room.
Instead, they traded him, and Ottawa then spent years searching for exactly the kind of culture-setting, two-way star they had already developed and let go, one who might still be their best player today.
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It’s easy to imagine a parallel universe where Stone was Erik Karlsson’s successor as captain, showing the ropes to young forwards like Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto, and others. Tkachuk’s father, Keith, publicly pleaded with the Senators to re-sign Stone.
“I want that Mark Stone signed so badly,” Keith Tkachuk told TSN 1200 radio. “He’s been so instrumental to Brady’s development both on and off the ice. The Senators have to figure out a way and get this done.”
But Keith, who’ll be in the Hall of Fame someday, wasn’t calling the shots. Dorion and Melnyk were, and then they compounded things by making an atrocious trade.
Stone was traded to Vegas with forward Tobias Lindberg for forward Oscar Lindberg, prospect Erik Brannstrom and a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft (Egor Sokolov).
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Because he was excited about Brannstrom, who didn’t work out as a prospect at all, Dorion called it his proudest day as GM. But only one GM in the deal had the right to strut.
“You don’t get players like (Mark Stone) very often,” Vegas GM George McPhee told the media. “Players this good aren’t available through trade very often. Usually, you draft a player like this, and you hang on to him, and he plays his whole career with you. So we knew that he was out there, that he was going to be available, and the issue was, what’s it going to cost? And the price was right for us.”
Ya think?
No one Vegas gave up panned out for the Senators, or even in the NHL, and all they have to show for the deal is Belleville’s Jan Jenik, who doesn’t really appear to be in the team’s plans. Jenik was acquired from Arizona in a minor league swap for Sokolov.
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Tkachuk, a rookie at the time, didn’t hide his fondness for Stone on the day of the trade.
“He was a huge impact for me this year, both on and off the ice,” Tkachuk told NHL.com. “I was lucky enough to play with him all year. He welcomed me into his home when he didn’t have to, and he kind of took me under his wing, and it means so much to me. He didn’t have to; it’s just the type of guy he is.”
Tkachuk and the young core were soon left to raise themselves, playing for a new rookie head coach in D.J. Smith, who, like the kids, was also trying to learn on the job.
Stone, who says he still spends his summers in Ottawa, remains tight with Tkachuk. Long after the trade, they were even in each other’s wedding parties, so just imagine the bromance if they’d been on the same team for the past seven years.
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What’s frustrating for Sens fans is that Stone didn’t go on to become a great player in Vegas. He remained exactly what he’d already become in Ottawa: an elite two-way star and a leader most NHL management teams would happily build around.
At least with Stone starring for Canada in Milan for the next two weeks, Sens fans can enjoy a rare opportunity to cheer loudly once more for the one that got away.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
This article was first published at The Hockey News-Ottawa. Read more Senators features and articles from THN Ottawa here:
From Hasek to Tkachuk: The Sens Have Been Burned By Best-on-Best Tournaments
Tim Stützle Named Germany’s Alternate Captain As Outstanding Season Continues
Current And Former Ottawa Senators Competing At Winter Olympics
Senators Can Further Boost Playoff Hopes By Upgrading One Position At Deadline
Read the full article here