OTTAWA, ON - SEPTEMBER 19: Ottawa Senators right wing Mark Stone (61) participates in drills during warm-up before National Hockey League preseason action between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators on September 19, 2018, at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, ON, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Artemi Panarin of the Columbus Blue Jackets is elite, has soft hands, superb vision, and will be the most sought after free agent in 2019. The Rangers need to be all-in on the Russian winger, but if they fall short, the runner-up prize could prove to be just as valuable.

Mark Stone may be the most disrespected soon-to-be UFA in years. At only 26-years-old the Canadian right-winger has already eclipsed the 60 point mark three times in his four full seasons, while coming up just short at 54 points in his “down” year, which was fourht on his team.

Last year the Ottawa Senators finished with second-to-last in the NHL with 67 points. Despite the poor showing, Stone managed to net 20-42-62, tied for first on his team, in only 58 games played (Erik Karlsson had 62 points as well in 13 more games played).

Perhaps Stone doesn’t get as much attention with the headlines surrounding Karlsson’s recent departure, the utter incompetence of the Senators management, or the recent announcement from Panarin and his interest in heading to Unrestricted Free Agency.

Whatever the reason, Stone has flown a bit under the radar and while he continues to play in Canada’s capital, he won’t be getting much attention.

Yes Panarin has shown highlight reel plays that can change them game in a single rush, but Stone has consistently been putting up elite numbers in just a short time. While the Rangers are stocked down the middle for the foreseeable future, their wings could use some bolstering.

Tom Urtz Jr. of Blueshirt Banter notes the lack of prospects New York has down the sides.

“Vitali Kravtsov was Adam’s top wing prospect at No. 2 overall, and the next highest ranked wing prospect was Tim Gettinger at No. 15. This overall lack of depth means the team will need to look to the trade market or free agency, with free agency being the likelier option since it isn’t ideal for a rebuilding team like the Rangers to deplete the assets they’ve accumulated.”

Acquiring someone like Stone in the 2019 free agency window would not only save them from trading assets, it would immediately improve their right wing depth as he would slot into the #2 spot behind Mats Zuccarello, assuming that the Norwegian forward is still with the team.

The context

While the Rangers are rebuilding, it’s crucial to remember their cornerstone that has been in net for the last 14 years that doesn’t have too much time left and wants to end his career under the bright lights of MSG. It’s important for the Rangers to rebuild the right way, but if you can obtain a player like Mark Stone who’s young, fills an immediate need, and fast-tracks the process, you do it.

The Senators and Stone recently agreed to a bridge deal when they couldn’t connect on a long term deal. Stone was looking for about $9 million a year while the Senators, known for their frugal spending, did not see the need to reward their star winger with his share. They ultimately settled on a one-year contract worth $7.35M.

If the Rangers fall short on the Panarin sweepstakes they need to take a run at Stone. If there’s mutual interest come summer time, the question becomes, how much would you feel comfortable with giving him?

The Comparables

Corey Perry currently makes $9 million a year and plays with a bit of a bite to his game. Though Perry has been in the league seven years longer, he averages less assists (.42) and points (.8) than Stone (.5 and .81). At 26 years old, would you be willing to give him the same amount of yearly salary for the next 6 years?

How about we compare Stone and Evander Kane? At only a year older (27), Kane has been in the league since 2009. Kane, also making $9 million a year, averages .32 goals per game and .29 assists per game for a total of .62 points per game. That puts him in a lesser tier than Stone who averages about the same amount of goals per game but gets dwarfed in assists.

All-in-all I would feel comfortable giving Stone around $9 million a year for six years. Keep in mind this isn’t the same type of $8.5 million a year when Crosby and Malkin signed on. The cap has gone up and will only continue to go up. While the signing may seem big at the moment it would only take up about 8-9% of the cap and would continue to dwindle as the years go on and the cap rises.

This addition next summer would immediately help the Rangers on the wing while making them a more balanced team.

Of course this is all for naught if they can sign Panarin.