Dallas Stars Staying Quiet Is Best Option This Offseason
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars have a lot of decisions to make from within their own organization this offseason. To be honest, their best bet may be to simply make those decisions and avoid all contact with other NHL teams.
Change is an interesting scenario in the fact that it’s never fully agreed upon. Some people embrace it, some people fear it, and some are indifferent.
The Dallas Stars are on the forefront of change for their fourth straight offseason, and there are plenty of different avenues to embrace. As one might suspect, each avenue has support and resentment.
Should Alex Goliogski be pursued or left? What about Jason Demers and Kris Russell? Should Jordie Benn be sought after in addition to one of the other three? Should Vernon Fiddler and/or Patrick Eaves be brought back? Or should they both walk?
But perhaps the most important question that has been floating around is in regards to the goalies. With Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi currently in the crease, the Stars need to decide whether this two-goalie system is going to drive them to a Stanley Cup or not.
A lot of people believe it won’t, but some still have faith. One of these supporters is Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill.
In an interview with Elliotte Friedman this past week, Nill expressed that he would not be buying out goaltender Kari Lehtonen, thus opening a space for another goalie.
This morning, Nill doubled the theory in a talk with Mike Heika when he stated that he would not be buying out Lehtonen or Antti Niemi.
In the interview, Nill basically foretold that the Dallas Stars would be keeping their same goaltending situation intact for next season. After completing a first season of the newly tested two-goalie tandem, the Stars put together a very acceptable season and playoff run. This success was partially due to the fact of the Stars’ efforts in the crease.
To be completely honest, Nill is playing this one smart. Keeping the two goalies will only pay off down the road. Every time you try something new, there must be a learning process that expands over a certain duration of time. These goalies both had to learn a new system. After becoming accustomed to starting 60+ games a year, they were forced to learn how to drop down to 40.
That’s not an easy step. Similar to when young players participate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time. It’s clear that they have a tough time trying to adjust. Same goes with this past year’s ugly game seven effort. Not many of the players on the Stars roster, including Kari Lehtonen, had ever participated in that scenario with such high expectations and stakes.
Now, the duo between the pipes for the Stars can enter a second season with more experience and comfort in the situation. Give it some time.
But that leads me to the major point I’m trying to make. The Dallas Stars should be perfectly alright with laying low this offseason.
Once they handle all of their free agent players, they should settle back and wait. If the right opportunity comes to them, then there may be a decision to be made. But until that time, the Dallas Stars don’t need to go fishing for any more blockbuster deals.
For the past three off-seasons, Nill has made multiple trades and free agent signings in each year. Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Ales Hemsky, Patrick Sharp, Antti Niemi, and Johnny Oduya are all examples of this fact.
must read: Dallas Stars' Report Cards
That being said, another huge offseason would potentially cause more problems. With the cap space getting narrower with each passing season and the spots for younger players becoming less and less, the Stars could potentially be flirting with implosion from within.
Sure, the goaltending duo was not the greatest this season, but it was better than it has been in a long time. The defense was much improved, and the offense remained the best in the NHL. All in all, there really is no areas where improvement could easily be made. The free agent market is not necessarily ideal this summer in the goaltending or defensive departments.
But with the goaltending duo embracing another season with experience finally backing them and the blue line embracing bight new rookies, the Dallas Stars seem set for another glorious run next year.
Next: Stars Can Leave Goalies Alone This Offseason
At this point, there is nothing left to do but speculate and wait. Nill could already be in trade talks, who knows? Considering his resume, no one should be doubting him. But there is no issue with the Dallas Stars sitting back and taking a break this offseason. After all, they were only nine wins away from the Cup this year. That’s not bad for a team that was .500 just four years ago.