The 2012-13 campaign was a rough one for Ottawa Senators prospect Mark Stone, as he struggled with injuries such as a broken finger and high-ankle sprain and was lost in the shuffle with more established players ahead of him.
The Ottawa Citizen points out that a summer full of moves (letting Daniel Alfredsson walking, trading away players including Jakob Silfverberg) could very well open the door for Stone, 21, to make the team full-time.
(He played four games for Ottawa last season.)
Stone showed that he recognizes the opportunity - and the challenge - when discussing the Senators’ upcoming training camp with the Citizen.
“There are a lot of guys who can play in the NHL,” Stone said. “You realize that everybody is so close, from the AHL to the NHL, it’s just not that far apart, guys are knocking on the door everyday.
“ ... I know I’m knocking on the door. It’s just a matter of me putting together some consistent hockey and showing I can play at this level for an 82-game season.”