Okay, let's assume the same for Zucker, then. And the same for William Karlsson, while we're at it. Larkin should be available for cheap, no? Again - what do we need to add to Ryan Dzingel for Zucker?
Stone scored at an 88 point pace last season despite being on a hapless team. He has scored at a 70 point pace since his the start of his rookie season. He is elite defensively and is one of the few wingers who consistently receives Selke votes. He is arguably the best player in the league in forcing turnovers. He is a top 10 winger in the game. Additionally, Stone is an RFA, and any team acquiring him would discuss a contract with him before making the deal. Zucker is in the exact same position, but I'm not deluded enough to believe that he will go to UFA next season.
All your posts are filled with pie-in-the-sky, BS assumptions that suit your wishful thinking, whereby the Wild will somehow acquire an elite winger for quarters on the dollar.
It's not going to happen.
If you want to make a thread asking the same question about Zucker, Karlsson, Larkin or whoever else, feel free to. This one is about Stone, and with Ottawa being a complete tire-fire, Hoffman getting traded, Karlsson likely getting traded, or best case scenario, he stays another year before leaving in UFA, talk of Duchene being shopped, it's a perfectly valid question to ask whether Stone feels like re-signing with a team that will likely be a bottom 5 or 10 team for the foreseeable future for his prime years.
Stone may have put up an 88 point pace, but he still only put up 62 points. I get why you would want to keep him if you think he can consistently be an 88 point player, but he doesn't have that value. And he's scored at a 66 point pace since being drafted, yet again, has never even put up 66 points. And again, it's not a delusion to think Stone may want to explore his options next year considering the status of Ottawa as a team and an organization. Comparing Ottawa's situation and desirability to RFA's/UFA's to Minnesota's is a brain-dead move at best.
We're also not trying to acquire him for quarters on the dollar. Zucker is the same age, will likely come cheaper, and has only marginally lower offensive production.
I think you may be over looking that there will be at least 10-15 teams lining up trying to do the same thing. Which is fine. I’m sure the value is alright, probably favors Minn a bit if some of the better adds are off the table. Then it just becomes essentially a bidding war and trying to figure out which direction Dorion is wanting to go
I would fully expect there to be a bidding war for Stone if he becomes available. 10-15 teams sounds right. Maybe even 5-10 serious contenders. I would expect Zucker+small add would be in the top half as far as quality over quantity in those deals. Again, assuming Zucker is signed and Stone isn't, the value doesn't really favor Minnesota all that much. Some fans might argue adding to a signed Zucker to get an unsigned Stone favors Ottawa, even if the add isn't a top prospect.
