Dallas Stars Must Choose Between Fiddler, Eaves
By Josh Clark
It’s always difficult when a team is forced to let go of free agents, especially veterans. For the Dallas Stars, there is one decision in particular that will sting either way.
The free agency market is officially three weeks away from opening. With it, the futures of multiple NHL players will be decided.
It’s an entertaining time in the NHL offseason. Not only are players either re-signing with their old clubs or moving on to new opportunities, but there are also trades that take place. Over the past three seasons, the Dallas Stars have been avid partakers in both signing and trading.
Since the 2013 offseason, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Antti Niemi, and Patrick Sharp have made their way to Dallas from the trading block. Johnny Oduya and Patrick Eaves are two of the players who have signed deals with the Stars via free agency.
But for the first time in general manager Jim Nill’s term, the Dallas Stars may not be in need of making any huge signings or trades. While there are no dire needs for Dallas to address, they still have plenty of internal decisions that must be made.
The Stars have 17 free agents in their system, with eight being unrestricted and nine being restricted. While the majority of the RFA’s will more than likely receive new deals with Dallas, the majority of the UFA’s are all basically a tossup. One of the biggest debates revolves around Vernon Fiddler and Patrick Eaves.
While there is no certainty that the Dallas Stars are planning to re-sign either of them, there is one point that is more than likely certain: they will not be re-signing both.
With the emergence of rookie forwards in the farm system and the development coming along very effectively, the need for an overstocking of veterans is becoming less.
So, if the Stars are willing and wanting to re-sign one of them, which one has the better chance of throwing on the victory green for another season or two? First off, let’s take a look at what each brings to the table.
Vernon Fiddler turned in a complete 82-game season this year. 12 goals and 10 assists picked him up 22 points along with a +5 on-ice rating. He only played an average of 11:38 in each game, the third lowest of his career and lowest since 2004. Still, Fiddler did his part as a fourth line grinder as well as on the special teams.
He scored one goal on the power play unit and two goals shorthanded. He played a dominant role on the penalty kill, helping the Stars turn in a successful year. He turned one goal and two assists in 13 playoff games. As a center, he won just a hair over half of his draws at 50.7 percent.
Patrick Eaves, on the other hand, only started in 54 games. Amidst some lingering injuries and a few healthy scratches, the right winger still scored 11 goals and tallied six assists, along with a -5 on-ice rating. He skated an average of 12:58 in each game.
Eaves was also an impressive special teams member, scoring six goals on the power play. He can scale the lineup and play with any just about any combination, whether at even strength or on the power play. In his seventh Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance, Eaves scored three goals and tallied three assists for six points and a +3 on-ice rating.
Fiddler just turned 36 and Eaves just hit 32 this past May. Like their performances, their contract situations are very similar as well.
Fiddler just finished up a two-year, $2.5 million deal that he signed in the early free agency period of 2014. Eaves completed a one-year, $1.15 million deal. Fiddler had a cap hit of $1.25 million, while Eaves settled at $1.15 million.
With the recent contracts and performances, it’s clear that neither player would take a lot of effort or money to re-sign. The question is whether the Dallas Stars want to return either of them.
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If they are looking to bring Fiddler back, they would more than likely be taking away Radek Faksa‘s starting slot, considering they would have five NHL centers. If they bring Eaves back, they would cut Brett Ritchie‘s chance at starting.
Even with these negatives, the Dallas Stars may still be looking to bring one back. There’s just no telling.
But in the end, the Stars probably aren’t too dead set to bring either player back. If they were to bring one of these two, I would have to guess that they rope Fiddler back in. He plays the fourth line position well and has learned how to become an effective member of the penalty kill.
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Who knows what the Stars are planning to do. Whatever happens, it is going to be difficult to see Dallas letting go of these dedicated players. But it’s all in Nill’s overall plan, and trust is a must. Hold your breath. The intense part of the offseason is closing in.