Dallas Stars’ Offseason Outlook
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars are officially in offseason mode, and there are plenty of questions to be answered over the next five months. Here is all the business that will require attention from the Stars this offseason.
Losing is never easy on a team or the fans that surround them. But when losing happens in game seven in an ugly 6-1 routing on home ice in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it may as well be considered heartbreak.
The Dallas Stars took a beating last night in front of their home crowd in a series-deciding game seven, and are now stuck looking at a long and interesting offseason ahead. Meanwhile, the fan base is either content with sitting in their gloomy state until the pain slowly wears off or putting their GM cap on and trying to assess the Stars’ needs in the coming offseason.
All will be answered before you know it, but it is no secret that the Dallas Stars have a packed offseason ahead.
Going into the next month and a half, the Stars have some big areas of focus that they will need to immerse themselves in. A lot of change could be on the way, but as long as it contributes to the well-being and success of the team overall, it must be done.
The Stars will have plenty of options and opportunities to make significant changes to their lineup, coming in different parts of the offseason. Here are some of the exclusive parts of the offseason that you may want to keep a sharp eye on in terms of how they may affect the Stars down the road.
2016 NHL Entry Draft
The Dallas Stars have had no trouble in the past few seasons with spending their draft picks wisely on prospective forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders. Expect much of that same pattern to follow them into the 2016 draft.
The Stars will boast six picks in the second round (one in each round except the second, considering they gave that pick to Calgary in the Kris Russell deal). Depending on how they deal with their current prospects that are coming up on contract expirations, the Stars may be drafting a whole new slate in each position.
Or they could even do something similar to last year and make deals during the draft, sending picks away in exchange for NHL-caliber players. The Stars have an excellent farm system already in the works, so taking either route would not hurt them.
Free agency market opening
The free agency market opens on July 1st, 2016 this year, and you can bet that the Dallas Stars will be heavily invested in it. The horrible game seven alone was enough to leave a Stars’ fan thinking strongly about what needs changing up until then. Some relevant topics include the goaltending situation, one or two more defensive players, and even a forward that uses the body.
The Stars have relied on the free agent market to fix their problems over the past few seasons, and it has paid off for the most part. But there is obviously still work to be done, and that is something Jim Nill must take into account as he goes on the search for new, tenured pieces to add to an almost completely well-rounded roster.
More stars: Stars Slip Quietly Into Offseason With 6-1 Loss
Training camp
The Dallas Stars’ training camp next season will surely offer plenty of storylines to go off of. Depending on how the Stars act in the free agent market, they may be in a position to call up some more younglings to inject into the professional rotation for good.
From training camp to the preseason games, it will be interesting to see which prospects stand out, especially considering that the Texas Stars have four or five players on the brink of NHL readiness. In the past year, Radek Faksa, Mattias Janmark, and Stephen Johns have all made significant impacts that have proven their worthiness of NHL competition. Will there be more?
These are just a few general topics that Dallas Stars fans can feast on and indulge in as the offseason gets underway. Have fun with them, because you never know what might end up happening.
Next: For Stars, The Bigger Picture Is Their Focus
All in all, the Stars have an intriguing journey ahead over the next few months. The pain will cease and the dignity will return in a matter of days, and then you can solely look ahead to the bright future. Are you up for the ride?