After the Dallas Stars were awarded the third overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, a burning question had to be asked: will they be picking third come June?
Draft picks are a strange form of currency in the hockey world.
On the surface, trading a proven NHL star for a pick that will be spent on a young player who may or may not turn into a capable NHL player seems ludicrous. Yet it typically happens at least once in a given season.
The team receiving the pick is typically either in the midst of a rebuild and has one or two stars that they are willing to give up or is trying to get rid of an aging player or one that is nearing the end of his contract.
The team receiving the player in return is typically labeled a “contender.” They usually are one player short or are lacking in one area that they need to upgrade before they can take the “next step” in their run.
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For the Dallas Stars, they are lucky to be in the latter scenario at the moment.
As crazy as it may seem, the Dallas Stars are still very much in a spot to be a contender. Even after a horrific 34-37-11 campaign this past season that left them in the bottom four in the Western Conference, they are still set up to right the ship as early as next season and make a run at the Cup.
It was just an ugly season overall. Injuries, poor special teams play, a young defense, and an inconsistent effort in the crease were some of the leading factors that helped kick the 2015-16 Central Division champions out of the top of the Western Conference and into the cellar.
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But that season is in the past, Ken Hitchcock is now head coach, and the Stars are moving in a new direction. But they are still going up. They simply could not afford a rebuild at this point, and luckily they won’t have to.
Dallas Stars
Things will still need to happen this offseason, though. Sure the 2016-17 Dallas Stars could do some good things with the right direction next year, but it would be quite the stretch to talk about them being in contention for the Finals. They are just a little rough around the edges at the moment and need a quick offseason buffing.
They received quite the upstart on Saturday night when it was announced at the NHL Draft Lottery that the Stars will pick third in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Their odds were a bit minuscule, but they were selected nonetheless.
Following the announcement, many quickly transitioned to looking up draft prospects and trying to predict which superstar rookie the Stars would be welcoming in this coming June.
But then another question came up: what if the Stars didn’t select third? What if they dealt the pick before the draft?
Some are cautious to this idea, and rightly so. Trading the third overall pick is no small matter. Dallas could easily get a player that is close to being or ready for a long and prosperous NHL career. This pick could work wonders for the Dallas Stars.
It probably would if we were talking about another draft class. In years past, some of the #3 picks include Leon Draisaitl, Jonathan Drouin, and even Alex Galchenyuk. While none of these are “number ones” like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid, they are still names that have a solid impact on their team.
But in this year’s class, the Dallas Stars will likely not be finding a player that is immediately ready to step into the NHL and make a sizable difference. This draft class is simply not as stocked as the past classes have been.
That’s where the trade aspect comes in. A third overall pick could be extremely useful in the trade market. Dallas could offer this pick for a big-name player, such as a young goaltender or top-two defender that they so desperately need.
The goalies that the Stars are likely looking at are all from teams who are already established and consistent contenders, meaning that a third pick could do them some good when building for the future. Meanwhile, it wouldn’t have a negative effect on their current success.
But the Dallas Stars could make out with a solid deal by trading number three. The pick will help them out no matter which way they go. But if Dallas truly wants to abide by the “win now” mentality, they might be smart to shop that pick around. The third pick could be carrying a LOT of weight if Jim Nill talks to the right team.
Not to mention that the Stars might even be seeing double depending on how the Anaheim Ducks fare in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After trading Patrick Eaves in late February, the Stars received a conditional pick in return. Simply put: if the Ducks make it to the next round, Dallas receives Anaheim’s first-round pick in this upcoming draft. That could mean TWO first-round draft picks, successfully doubling the Stars’ chances of making the “pick-for-player” swap.
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We are still a long ways off (wait until the end of the Stanley Cup Finals) before we likely see Nill make a move. That just gives you more time to think about the possibilities.
But just know that he has an entirely new weapon in his trade arsenal now. This weapon doesn’t have a name, but it’s effects could be just what Dallas needs to propel them back into the fight.