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Dallas Stars: A Complete Guide To The 2017 Offseason

By Josh Clark |
Apr 6, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Dan Hamhuis (2) takes the ice to face the Nashville Predators at the American Airlines Center. The Predators defeat the Stars 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Dan Hamhuis (2) takes the ice to face the Nashville Predators at the American Airlines Center. The Predators defeat the Stars 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
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With the month of June in full swing and the offseason a matter of days away from kicking off for the entire NHL, here is a survival guide for all Dallas Stars fans. It’s chock full of all you need to know about the coming offseason.

It’s almost that time of the year. One of the best times in the NHL calendar is just around the corner. Yes, I’m talking about the NHL offseason.

While it is disappointing to see the 2016-17 NHL season approach a close over the coming weeks, it’s quite the relief for Dallas Stars fans.

There hasn’t been any Dallas Stars hockey in almost two months, and quite frankly that’s for the best. From October 13 to April 8 of this past season, the Stars team that had built a reputation in 2015-16 as one of the most threatening teams in the league was nowhere to be found.

Sure there were glimpses here and there of the squad, but the consistency never appeared. Instead, Dallas turned in an egregious 34-37-11 record with 79 points. They finished 11th in the Western Conference and sat 15 points out of the final playoff spot. A 30-point drop-off in one year is quite a lot to take in for any team and their community. It was clear that the franchise needed some serious changes.

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And now with a maximum of five games left in the Stanley Cup Final, it’s almost time for the Stars to get moving on making those changes. They have already started things off by hiring Ken Hitchcock to be their next head coach and signing goaltender Ben Bishop to a six-year deal.

But there is much left to be desired. The Stars have voids on defense and the right wing that must be filled sometime during the offseason. In addition, they also have the buyout period, Expansion Draft, Entry Draft, and Free Agency period to watch out for.

With all of that happening within the next 30 days, the next month could get very hectic and difficult to follow.

But have no fear! That’s why we have come up with a Dallas Stars 2017 Offseason Survival Guide. In this guide you will find Stars coverage of:

  • Important dates to know and mark
  • Expansion Draft
  • NHL Entry Draft
  • Pending Free Agents
  • Projected Trade/Free Agent Targets

I’ll try and keep this thing updated as much as possible throughout the next month, so feel free to check in on a regular basis and read up. Bookmark it if you so please. Hopefully it will be a guiding reference for you going forward as we try and decipher all that this next month has to offer. Enjoy.

Feb 28, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars goalie Antti Niemi (31) in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeat the Penguins 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 28, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars goalie Antti Niemi (31) in action during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the American Airlines Center. The Stars defeat the Penguins 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Important Dates to Remember

There are quite a few dates to remember in the month of June, not just for Dallas Stars fans, but also for the entire NHL.

It might be a smart idea to mark them down on your calendar and set some alerts in your phone. The last thing you want to do is forget one of these and miss a potentially massive move by the Stars.

Here are the important dates over the next month to keep an eye on.

June 3, 2017 – Stanley Cup Final Game 3

June 5, 2017 – Stanley Cup Final Game 4

June 8, 2017 – Stanley Cup Final Game 5 (if necessary)

June 11, 2017 – Stanley Cup Final Game 6 (if necessary)

June 14, 2017 – Stanley Cup Final Game 7 (if necessary)

June 15, 2017 – First buyout period opens (unless the Stanley Cup Final goes to seven games, in which case the date will be moved to June 16, 2017).

June 17, 2017 4 p.m. CT – NHL teams submit their expansion draft protection lists to Vegas

June 18, 2017 9 a.m. CT – Protection lists from each team are made public to the NHL community

June 18-21, 2017 – Vegas can talk and negotiate with all UFAs and unprotected RFAs

June 21, 2017 9 a.m. CT – Vegas submits their selection list

June 21, 2017 7 p.m. CT – NHL Awards Ceremony and Vegas roster announced

June 23-24, 2017 – NHL Entry Draft hosted in Chicago

June 25, 2017 4 p.m. CT – Deadline to qualify any remaining RFAs

June 30, 2017 4 p.m. CT – First buyout period ends

July 1, 2017 11 a.m. CT – NHL Free Agency opens

Phew. That’s quite a lot of action going on. The crazy thing is that all of those dates could very well apply to the Dallas Stars and their movement throughout the offseason.

Make sure to mark them all down and clear your schedule as best as you possibly can. There are sure to be some fireworks throughout this month-long span.

Jan 4, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Montreal Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec (14) and Dallas Stars center Cody Eakin (20) chase the puck during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Canadiens defeat the Stars 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Montreal Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec (14) and Dallas Stars center Cody Eakin (20) chase the puck during the third period at the American Airlines Center. The Canadiens defeat the Stars 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Expansion Draft Coverage

The 2017 NHL Expansion Draft is going to bring new levels of insanity to the league as a whole. So before we dive into anything, here is a disclaimer for you: THIS WHOLE EXPANSION THING MAY BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND SPECULATE ON, AND THAT’S OKAY.

If you sit back and think on the Dallas Stars’ expansion draft situation, the possibilities truly are endless. There are so many moving pieces that it is hard to speculate not only who Jim Nill will end up protecting, but also who Vegas will end up taking away.

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    • It could be as simple as Vegas selecting Gemel Smith and being done with it, or it could get as complicated as Dallas trading a few picks to Vegas in exchange for the Golden Knights taking Antti Niemi off of their hands so they can avoid a buyout. That’s just how vast this situation goes.

    Here’s a quick reminder of the basic rules:

    Each team can either protect seven forwards, three defensemen, and one goaltender OR a combination of eight skaters and one goaltender.

    For more in-depth rules, click here for the official posting.

    It’s pretty obvious at this point that considering the Dallas Stars are a team stacked with offensive talent, they will go with the first option.

    Ben Bishop will be the protected goaltender. That one is easy to see.

    In terms of defenders, the Stars will more than likely protect John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, and Stephen Johns. That leaves Dan Hamhuis, Jamie Oleksiak, Greg Pateryn, and Patrik Nemeth exposed (in terms of defenders who played at the NHL level this past season).

    Oleksiak and Nemeth are both RFAs, which means that their contract situation could come up in discussion depending on where they sit come June 18. Hamhuis is a veteran that could provide solid depth and leadership for Vegas, but do they want a 34-year-old with only one year left on his deal if they are trying to build for the future? That all has to be determined.

    The forwards are where things get interesting. Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza must be protected due to no-movement clauses in their contracts (though both were no-brainers for protection in the first place). Tyler Seguin and Radek Faksa are also on lockdown. That leaves three spots open and names like Antoine Roussel, Cody Eakin, Curtis McKenzie, Brett Ritchie, and Valeri Nichushkin open for exposure.

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    Ritchie will likely be protected and Nill has expressed desire to protect Nichushkin as well, even though he is currently playing in the KHL. So do you protect the fan-favorite and developing Roussel? Or do you look past Eakin’s bad 2016-17 and bet on him being a part of your future even though you are already stacked at the center position? Do you try and trade Eakin?

    The illustrious Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge wrote up a solid and in-depth piece about everything expansion. It’s a quality read and can be found here. Make sure to give it a whirl.

    Where does Vegas go? That is the question. Does Nill try and swing a deal via trade? Do draft picks come into play? Maybe Vegas signs one of the Stars’ pending UFAs or RFAs and claims their player that way during the 72-hour window?

    There’s just too many pieces moving right now, but that’s why it’s fun to speculate. There are a number of ways that both Nill and Vegas GM George McPhee could go that make sense. But the question is which route the two will actually take.

    Keep your eyes peeled for developments as these four days approach. June 18 at 10 a.m. is when things will become MUCH clearer. Until then, let’s have some fun guessing and hypothesizing.

    Jun 30, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; Jason Dickinson puts on a team jersey after being introduced as the number twenty-nine overall pick to the Dallas Stars during the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
    Jun 30, 2013; Newark, NJ, USA; Jason Dickinson puts on a team jersey after being introduced as the number twenty-nine overall pick to the Dallas Stars during the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /

    2017 NHL Entry Draft

    The annual NHL Entry Draft will take place in Chicago just 48 hours after all of the Expansion Draft coverage occurs, and this year it means much more than usual for the Dallas Stars.

    That’s because the recent NHL Draft Lottery awarded the Stars the third overall pick in this year’s draft. The Stars will pick immediately after the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers.

    And that won’t even be the Stars only pick in the first round. They also have the 29th overall pick that they received from Anaheim as part of the Patrick Eaves deal back in February.

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    • But will Dallas use both of these picks, or will they end up trading one away?

    While it’s highly likely that the Stars at least keep one of the two picks, there is speculation and talk that Dallas could either move the third pick in a trade for an established defender or move the 29th pick for a variety of pieces.

    If they end up keeping the picks, they will be able to secure two young faces that could be helping the Dallas Stars as early as 2018-19 depending on how development goes.

    Depending on what Nill does near the expansion draft (which seems to be the time when all of the NHL will be moving), one of these picks could very well be on the move. They could be used in a variety of ways, so don’t be shocked if you hear of one of them being dealt.

    At the end of the day, the expansion draft has a strong grip on how the entire offseason will look for the Dallas Stars and every other NHL team. That includes the entry draft. Don’t forget this.

    We will be putting up draft previews and profiles in the coming days, analyzing each potential player that the Stars could pick. Make sure to keep up with them by clicking here.

    Mar 17, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Dallas Stars left wing Patrick Sharp (10) skates during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
    Mar 17, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Dallas Stars left wing Patrick Sharp (10) skates during the warmup period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports /

    Pending Free Agents

    The Dallas Stars have a pretty significant free agent class to deal with this coming summer. Both the unrestricted and restricted free agent classes have a number of Stars’ players that could end up being difficult decisions.

    Basically, it lines up like this for the Dallas Stars (in regards to players who have played NHL time with Dallas).

    UFAs:

    Patrick Sharp, Ales Hemsky, Jiri Hudler

    RFAs:

    Radek Faksa, Esa Lindell, Brett Ritchie, Jamie Oleksiak, Patrik Nemeth, Gemel Smith

    Dallas Stars
    Dallas Stars /

    Dallas Stars

    You can find an in-depth analysis of the UFAs here and the RFAs here.

    Jiri Hudler was a failed experiment, so it’s pretty obvious that he will not return. Sharp is currently on the IR and is pushing 36 years old. If he does come back completely healthy from hip surgery back in March, the Stars may be inclined to sign him at a severe pay cut. The same goes for Hemsky, 33, who missed a lot of the year due to injury.

    If the Stars do end up signing either of them, it will likely only be one. Both of these players likely won’t be back, so it’s a tossup in regards to which one returns.

    On the RFA side, Faksa, Lindell, and Ritchie seem like safe bets to be re-signed or at least qualified. But Oleksiak, Nemeth, and Smith are all names that will likely be exposed in the expansion draft, so do you sign them to a new deal and risk Vegas not finding the deal fitting to their budget and skipping on the player as a result?

    There are some decisions that have to be made free agent-wise over the next three weeks. Which way will the Dallas Stars go?

    Mar 6, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie (77) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars in the third period at Verizon Center. The Stars won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
    Mar 6, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Capitals right wing T.J. Oshie (77) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars in the third period at Verizon Center. The Stars won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

    Projected Free Agent/Trade Targets

    This is the section where we could sit here all day and throw out names that the Dallas Stars could go after. Even though the Stars’ roster is nearly complete as it already is, the two or three spots that need filling could be filled by any number of players. And with the expansion draft, it seems as though just about anyone is available.

    Let’s look at some of the names that have been linked to the Dallas Stars so far this offseason.

    RW T.J. Oshie

    RW Justin Williams

    RW Alexander Radulov

    RW Jarome Iginla

    RW Patrick Eaves

    D Brendan Smith

    D Karl Alzner

    D Kevin Shattenkirk

    D Matt Dumba

    D Jonas Brodin

    With the goaltending problem seemingly solved and the defense and right wing still needing a touch-up, these are some of the names that have been tossed around. Are they all realistic? Not necessarily. But are some of them highly plausible? You bet.

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    Watch for this list to slowly grow and deplete as the weeks go on and new rumors are created as well as destroyed. There’s a lot to look forward to not one at the July 1 mark, but also around the expansion draft when teams will be rather enticed to move some of their players via trade instead of potentially losing them to Vegas for nothing.

    In the end, there’s really not much that can be reported on at this point besides speculation and assumption. The next four weeks are a great cloud of mystery, and we are simply waiting for the dust to settle.

    It’s the ultimate game of chess, and each move could cause a chain reaction across the entire NHL.  Until the Stanley Cup is awarded and these moves finally begin happening, all we can really do is sit and dream. But that’s the fun part about the offseason, right?

    Next: Youth Providing Dallas With A Big Boost For Future

    Make sure to continue checking in to this post as the next few weeks roll along. We will update this post and the site as a whole as the weeks roll on and the news comes in. Until then, enjoy what precious hockey there is left.

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