Vegas Golden Knights Report Card: Mark Stone
Why The Grade
We assessed Mark Stone’s year by looking at it in a vacuum so, in other words, we took into account his numbers and performances for both the Ottawa Senators and the Vegas Golden Knights.
So, as a result, we felt Stone was worthy of an A+ Grade because, when looking at both the eye test and the stats, he was simply magnificent for both teams throughout 2018-19. He finished the year as a finalist for the Selke Trophy and still put up big numbers in Ottawa despite being on a team that was going through a turbulent transitional period.
He also hit the ground running when arriving in Sin City and contributed to the Golden Knights embarking on a hot streak down the stretch, putting up 11 points (five goals, six assists) in the final 18 games of the regular season.
Put on a star-studded second-line with Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty, Stone took his game to a whole new level in the postseason and was arguably Vegas’ best player, finishing the First Round series against the San Jose Sharks with six goals and six assists for 12 points, 21:34 minutes of ice time per night (on average), seven blocked shots, nine hits and 13 takeaways.
He is a player that is wired differently, a cold-blooded robot killer if you want to get dramatic, that doesn’t let the big moments and the high-pressure situations get to him. In-fact, he thrives on those scenarios and is able to somehow elevate his games to new levels that don’t seem possible or achievable for the average player in the NHL.
Stone’s 122 takeaways led the entire NHL and he’s one of the best when it comes to playing a solid 200-foot game while being able to put up monster points in the offensive zone, which is backed up by the fact that he hasn’t tallied less than 50 points since 2013-14.
Next. Alex Tuch is team's secret weapon in 19/20. dark
Under contract through 2026-27, Stone adds to the Golden Knights’ embarrassment of riches in the top six, and his line of Stastny and Pacioretty will provide Vegas with a deadly one-two punch behind the potent top line of Reilly Smith-William Karlsson-Jonathan Marchessault in 2019-20 and for the foreseeable future.
Stone is also a leader on and off the ice and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was announced as the first Captain in franchise history as and when the Vegas Golden Knights do decide to give someone the coveted “C” on their jersey. Mark Stone is in the prime of his career right now and he will be crucial to bringing a Stanley Cup to Sin City.
The Numbers
Games: 77
Goals: 33
Assists: 40
Points: 73
Power Play Goals: 6
Power Play Points: 20
Plus / Minus: +17
ATOI: 19:53
PIM: 27
FO%: 45.2
Blocked Shots: 71
Hits: 72
Takeaways: 122
CF%: 53.4
oZS%: 50.7
Games (Playoffs): 7
Goals (Playoffs): 6
Assists (Playoffs): 6
Points (Playoffs): 12
Plus / Minus (Playoffs): +2
Power Play Points (Playoffs): 4
ATOI (Playoffs): 21:34
Blocked Shots (Playoffs): 7
Hits (Playoffs): 9
Takeaways (Playoffs): 13
Next Report Card: Max Pacioretty