Dallas Stars Must Use Cap Space Wisely For Upcoming Tyler Seguin Deal

With over $15 million to spend this off-season, the Dallas Stars can pursue free agents everywhere. But, they’ll need to save some cash for the pending Tyler Seguin extension.

In the National Hockey League, cap space and flexibility are as crucial as anything. Recently, teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings have run into a number of issues due to their little remaining salary cap wiggle room.

With Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane locked up to massive, eight-year, $10,500,000 dual contracts, the Blackhawks have failed to build around their two superstars thanks in part to $21 million being tied up in two athletes. The same can be said of the Kings, who have Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Jeff Carter signed to large contracts, limiting their free agency options.

The Dallas Stars will have to tread carefully in free agency to avoid making a mess in the same aisle. Rumors have floated around regarding the potential long-term, heavy contracts the Stars have the option of committing to, but due to the impending unrestricted free agency of elite center Tyler Seguin, Dallas must keep their most-consistent offensive player in mind.

Alexander Radulov, Kevin Shattenkirk, or even an excess of cheaper, less skilled players could add up quickly. Radulov led the Montreal Canadiens in scoring on a one-year deal, while Shattenkirk was fourth in points amongst NHL defenders this season.

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Both will control a hefty amount of cash on their news deals, regardless of the team delivering them the said money. If that’s the Stars, then Shattenkirk can be expected to sign for $6 million average annual value or more – Radulov is probably in the full, eight-year at $7 million or so per season range.

“Ever since I touched down in Dallas, this place has been my home.”

– Tyler Seguin

The Dallas Stars, with over $13 million of empty cap space left to muscle through the off-season with, can afford each of the players listed without a problem. With expiring contracts like those possessed by Patrick Sharp and Ales Hemsky, and a boatload of young, cheap newcomers, Dallas has money in the bank.

However, Tyler Seguin is much more pivotal for the Dallas Stars to lock up. At just 25 years old, Seguin is still going to get better over time, and he’s already a top-five offensive centerman in pro hockey. Alongside Jamie Benn, who himself is still a youthful 27-year-old superstar, the Stars give themselves the best chance to succeed if Seguin is locked up.

Only three players have at least 70 points in each of the last four seasons: Sidney Crosby, Nicklas Backstrom, and Tyler Seguin – if you’re alone in the same realm as Crosby and Backstrom, two of the best offensive facilitators in hockey’s history, then you deserve all the money you can ask for. Seguin currently makes just $5,750,000 a year (which he will for the next two seasons in Dallas), a steep underestimation of his immense value.

Not only has Seguin already solidified himself as one of the most talented Dallas Stars of all time, head coach Ken Hitchcock voiced his plan of the Brampton, Ontario native being the centerfold of the offensive scheme, while simultaneously becoming a more well-rounded player.

If Seguin signs for anything less than $9.5 million annually, color me surprised. Given that Jamie Benn, at what was the same age, got those terms from Dallas management gives Seguin the leverage to ask for the same. While he could take a hefty pay cut to allow the Stars to build a better team around him and the captain, it would not be shocking to hear about Tyler inking a contract worth an annual value of $10 million or more.

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Tyler Seguin, for those that might disagree, is more than worthy of a $10 million or more contract. Thankfully for the Dallas Stars, the salary cap may very well rise from $73 million up to $77 million in the coming seasons, which would provide Dallas with all kinds of cap flexibility.

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