From 2017-2019, the Jets were right on the fringe of taking the step to becoming a Stanley Cup Championship-level team. After losing in the Conference Final in 2018, and then to the Stanley Cup Champions in 2019, it's hard not to look. back and see how Mark Stone might have helped them make the leap.
Reports had surfaced that the Jets could have acquired Mark Stone for only a top prospect in Jack Roslovic and their late first-round draft pick. Hindsight being 20-20, Roslovic was a bust as a Jet, so this was a minor cost to acquire a would-be Stanley Cup Champion in Stone.
Yes, the Jets were very deep in their scoring ability already, with top-tier scorers of Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, and Nikolaj Ehlers. Instead of trying to bring Stone home, a move that would have ignited the City and the franchise, they decided to bring in Kevin Hayes.
Hayes certainly helped the Jets' center depth, but compare his playoff numbers with Stone's in 2018. Hayes put up 2 goals and 1 assist in 6 playoff games with the Jets, while Stone potted 6 goals and 6 assists in 7 games for the Knights.