I've been as excited about Stone as anyone; and if we knew he was going to re-sign I would have been okay with the Kylington/Dube/1st/Conditional 1st idea. I think Stone is that good.
That being said, it takes some brass balls to stand pat and I am totally okay with that because:
1) If Stone isn't re-signing, it would be a disastrous cluster of an offseason with depleted assets (when we desperately need our high-end draft picks);
2) I don't think this team is the cup favorite even with Stone; it definitely makes it more interesting but this is a year to gain playoff experience and solidify our young defensemen in the playoffs. I know that once the playoffs start it's a crapshoot and anything can happen, and I know it's not the sexy thing to say - but it's what I think is true.
3) We are a young and talented team with only one debatable bad contract in Neal; we have excellent contracts in place with our stars and arguably the best young blue line in the league.
All of which to say, there is no reason to mortgage any of that flexibility if you have even the slightest doubt that Stone re-signs here; I have to believe that his brother has at least a pretty good indication as to whether or not he would, so if the Flames are out I have to believe it's either 1) because the ask is too high (in which case, Bravo Brad) or there is some doubt as to whether he would stay in Calgary, either based on location or $ (in which case again, Bravo Brad).
This team is in a good place. There is great chemistry and management that recognizes what it already has and who it may or may not presently be. Let's get the top two lines scoring again, maybe add a bottom six forward at a low price, and let's enjoy the hell out of the rest of this thing.
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