Dallas Stars Free Agency: Examining Their Restricted Free Agent Class

The 2018 UFA class is an interesting one for the Dallas Stars. But their class of restricted free agents carries just as much intrigue. How should the Stars handle each of their major RFAs?

It’s about that time of year for the Dallas Stars and the rest of the NHL to shift into high-speed mode.

As the NHL Entry Draft and the opening of the free agency market draw nearer, each team is trying to get their affairs in order in preparation for the high time of the NHL offseason. That’ includes the Stars.

After missing the playoffs for the second season in a row, Dallas is once again at the drawing board. What went wrong? What needs to be fixed? How do they go about fixing those issues? Can this team be a contender as early as next season? All of these questions have come up over the past two months for the Stars.

They franchise has already been hard at work in trying to right some of last season’s wrongs as well. Dallas already hired a new head coach in Jim Montgomery back in May and brought Todd Nelson in as a new assistant. But now the focus lies on the roster and what GM Jim Nill plans to do with it.

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And with the offseason now getting into full swing for the entire NHL, it’s time to see if the Stars’ two months of planning have been well spent. But before they dive into potential moves on the free agency or trade markets, they have one more box to check. That box has to do with their own free agents, particularly the restricted ones.

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The Dallas Stars have a unique 2018 free agency class. Unlike in past years when it’s been filled with a mix of aging veterans and young talent, this one is a bit different. On the UFA side of things, there seems to be a valid argument for the franchise both to keep and let go of each unrestricted free agent in question.

On the RFA side of things, however, things are a bit more clear. While it seems like Dallas should bring each of them back, there’s no certainty that they will. And if they do bring a certain player back, on what grounds will it be? Will they simply be qualified? Or should they be looking for a bridge or long-term deal?

The Stars must extend qualifying offers to their RFAs by June 26, so time is running a little slim.

There’s an interesting debate to be had for each player, so let’s break it all down.

Here’s a look at each of the nine RFAs in the Stars’ organization and what their future might look like.