Patrick Eaves Re-signing Rounds Out Dallas Stars Offense

The Dallas Stars were ultimately quiet in the free agent market yesterday. With a few big names being moved around via new contracts or blockbuster trades, none ended up finding their way to the Dallas Stars.

The Stars did dive into negotiations with their own free agents. With one straggling UFA and two RFA’s still hanging around, the Stars finished off 2/3 of the negotiations. They re-signed RFA Curtis McKenzie to a two-year extension worth $1.25 million. Defenseman Jamie Oleksiak still remains as a restricted, but the Stars seem adamant that they will get a deal done and bring him back for another year.

But out of the four unrestricted free agents they went into the offseason with, they have moved on from three of them. Only one remains, and he is one valuable piece to the Dallas Stars offense. This one player is 31-year old forward Patrick Eaves.

Eaves was the only member of the UFA group that even received an offer, and for good measure.

Patrick Eaves signed with the Dallas Stars on July 1st, 2014 towards the end of the day. After the smoke had cleared from the Jason Spezza trade, it was made public that the Stars had brought Eaves on at $650,000 on a one-year deal. This was received with uncertainty from Stars fans. After looking at the roster, it was clear they were already stacked and overloaded with offensive talent. In addition to that, there were plenty of prospects knocking on the door.

But he came in and began to turn some heads right off the bat. Eaves cruised along at a moderate pace throughout the first part of the season, and was the designated scratch at a few points. On December 2nd, Eaves took a puck to the lower leg from a friendly-fire slap shot. He was helped off the ice and ended up suffering a broken leg. He was sidelined for eight weeks, but the Stars offense seemed to get along without him.

Throughout mid-January, the Stars offense seemed to downshift slightly, until Eaves returned at the end of January. He immediately made his presence known, tallying four points in his first four games back. He eventually earned himself a spot on the top line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, as well as a spot on the power play unit.

Eaves showed signs of life until February 13th, when he once again took a friendly-fire shot in the face. After receiving a concussion from that and sitting out for two weeks, Eaves was injury-free the rest of the way. Not only that, but he was one of the Stars best assets on offense.

“Patrick was a valuable part of our team last season. We’re happy to have him back in the fold as he plays a number of different roles throughout the year and is a tremendous teammate.” -Jim Nill

Patrick Eaves ended the year on a four-game point streak, further solidifying his eligibility for a new contract. Through 47 games, Eaves ended up scoring 14 goals and tallying 27 points. His presence in the locker room is a massive boost for all the Stars as he continues to be a motivating presence.

But Patrick Eaves re-signing officially locks up the Dallas Stars offensive corps for another year. For all the people who are calling the Eaves deal a “bad move” because the Stars should open space for new recruits seem to not understand the concept of a returning veteran. Eaves knows the Stars team well. He spent time on all four lines this past season with just about every other player on the club. He understands how each one plays and where each one goes when in the game. Bringing Eaves back is a much better idea than throwing a rookie into the mix and hoping he immediately familiarizes himself with the team and hits the ground running.

Patrick is an exceptional player both on and off the ice. He is one of the kindest players you’ll ever meet, and is always looking to improve. With his return, the Stars offense has regained a valuable member and can go back to striking fear into the NHL as a whole. With a flexible player like that, any team with him would go far. 98 days.

Next: Dallas Stars Re-sign Forwards Curtis McKenzie, Patrick Eaves

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