Dallas Stars Could Move Around In 2017 NHL Draft
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars have two first-round picks in the upcoming 2017 NHL Draft. But with their primary offseason problem already solved and a few minor ones lingering, how good are the chances that they move around?
The NHL Draft is always filled with a little bit of havoc. Whether it’s through player trading, pick trading, or a little mixture of both, there is always fun storylines to follow aside from the players being drafted.
This year, things could really get out of hand. But they probably won’t be going off the hinges at the actual Entry Draft on June 23 and 24. Instead, the week prior to the draft is where things are expected to light up.
The NHL Expansion Draft will be the cause of this mass chaos. With the Vegas Golden Knights being granted the opportunity to take one player from each NHL team, all 30 teams are currently scurrying to figure out who to protect and to find the best solutions for their clubs. For some, that will only come via trade.
Luckily, the Dallas Stars aren’t in the worst position at the moment. While some other teams have two or three solid players that they don’t have protection spots open for, the Stars’ protection list is pretty clear-cut. In other words, there are the obvious choices for who to protect and players leftover aren’t necessarily ones that the Stars need to lose a massive amount of sleep over.
Dallas Stars
But this time of havoc will be a time of opportunity for the Stars. That’s because there will be teams that need to unload quality players instead of losing them to expansion. Dallas still has a few things to correct within their lineup, and that could all be fixed through trading.
The Stars have already fixed some of their problems. They signed veteran goaltender Ben Bishop in early May, successfully solving a goaltending problem that had slowly been growing for the last four years. Bishop will now serve as the primary starter and give Dallas more reliability in the back end.
There is still work to be done, though, and the Stars have the right bargaining chips to work with in order to make it happen. Those chips are picks in the entry draft.
The Dallas Stars currently own two first-round picks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, and that gives them a lot to think about. They were awarded the third overall pick in the Draft Lottery and received Anaheim’s first-round pick after the Ducks advanced to the Western Conference Finals with the help of former Star Patrick Eaves.
Going into the offseason, the Stars had four primary things on their to-do list that needed fixing: a head coach, a starting goaltender, a top-four defenseman, and some help on the right wing. Now that they have crossed the first two off, is it possible that Dallas could move a pick (or even two) in order to further their offseason ventures?
It’s entirely possible and seems likely at this point. Stars GM Jim Nill has talked for weeks about the possibility of trading either pick and how he is open to the idea as long as he gets something significant in return. That could come right around the time when expansion happens in two weeks.
Moving around in the draft would give Dallas a chance to build and complete the bulk of their roster before the free agency period even begins.
But that’s only if the deal is right, of course. Nill has likely been fronting calls around the NHL about the picks. While the no. 29 pick would likely need to have a player packaged with it if the Stars were looking for a player in return, they could likely get a player straight up with the no. 3 pick. It all depends on how Nill manages the conversations.
The Stars could definitely be moving around in this year’s draft. They could move around or completely out of the first round depending on what goes down. Dallas can use their two picks wisely and solve some of their needs in the process.
Next: A Dallas Stars Offseason Survival Guide
With expansion talks dead ahead, the Dallas Stars could be preparing to take action. That could cause some moving around in the draft. But if they get what they need in the process, why not go for it?