Flames re-sign Michael Stone to 3-year, $10.5M deal

The Calgary Flames have re-signed defenseman Michael Stone to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $3.5 million, the team announced Friday.

Stone, 27, was acquired by the Flames prior to the 2017 trade deadline from the Arizona Coyotes. Between the two teams, he tallied 15 points in 64 games with a 43.5 Corsi For rating while averaging 19:49 minutes per night.

This move comes about a week after the Flames traded for defenseman Travis Hamonic from the New York Islanders, giving them one of the deepest blue lines in the league.

With Mark Giordano, Dougie Hamilton, T.J. Brodie, and Hamonic already in the fold, Stone will be one of the highest-paid bottom-pairing defensemen in the league.

In fact, the Flames are the only team with five blue-liners making $3.5 million or more against the cap.

As the old saying goes, defense wins championships. The Nashville Predators almost proved that last season, and it has led to a league-wide increase in price for defensemen.

With Stone re-signing before July 1, the Coyotes will receive Calgary's fifth-round pick in 2018, per Cap Friendly.

The Flames are now left with just under $10 million in cap room heading into free agency.