Dallas Stars: How To Prepare For First Week Of The Offseason

The Stanley Cup was awarded to the Pittsburgh Penguins last night for the second straight year. That’s great and all, but now it’s time to lock and load. Here’s all that Dallas Stars fans need to know about the first week of the offseason.

Last night, the hearts of Dallas Stars fans broke and rejoiced simultaneously as the Stanley Cup Final came to an exciting end after six hard-fought games between the Nashville Predators and Pittsburgh Penguins.

For the second straight year, the Penguins were the last team standing, winning the series 4-2. While Stars fans celebrated the sight of Trevor Daley winning his second consecutive Stanley Cup and actually being able to contribute throughout the Final, they also mourned the thought of 37-year-old Vernon Fiddler falling just short of winning his first ever Cup.

It was bittersweet, but now it’s all over. While Pittsburgh plans their parade, the rest of the NHL will anxiously prepare for a jam-packed end to the month of June.

With all that is scheduled to happen and all that is still being announced, you might find yourself feeling a little stressed and/or overwhelmed. But have no fear, we’re here to get you updated and on track before all of the craziness settles in.

Dallas Stars

Here’s a quick look at all that is scheduled over the next week or so, considering it will be one of the most active parts of the offseason.

Thursday, June 15 – Buyout window opens

This will be something to keep an eye on simply because the Dallas Stars might be in play among a few other teams. Thursday will be the first opportunity for teams to buy out the contracts of their players, and the Stars could definitely be a player.

With three goaltenders currently on the roster, Dallas will have to shed one of the three. Antti Niemi seems to be the popular pick to be sent elsewhere, so the Stars might buy him out if they cannot swing a deal with Vegas to pick him in the expansion draft. Besides that, there aren’t any other projected buyouts on the Stars’ front.

Saturday, June 17 – Protection lists due

The 30 current NHL teams will have to turn in the lists of which players they are protecting in the expansion draft by 4 p.m. on Saturday. As some teams whittle down their list, they could very well be inclined to trade before the final list is due if they do not have a spot for a valued player.

That being said, expect there to be some form of movement over the next five days. It could get very fast-paced and there could be plenty of surprises along the way.

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Sunday, June 18 – Protection lists released

The NHL will release the protected lists of every NHL team to the public on Sunday morning. We will have complete coverage of the Dallas Stars’ protected list and analyze why it looks the way it does as well as how their exposed list will be handled by Vegas.

Tuesday, June 20 – NHL schedule and Adidas jersey release

This is one of the more exciting days in the offseason because it is usually very laid-back and carries fun instead of stress.

John Shannon reported today that the 2017-18 NHL regular season schedule is set to be released on the 20th. That will give Stars fans an in-depth glance at all 82 games next season so they can begin planning their trips to the AAC and even out of the state for road games.

Adidas also made a big announcement today about the unveiling of their brand new NHL jersey line that will debut on opening night 2017. With Reebok’s contract expiring, Adidas will shift into the role of the primary outfitter of the NHL. They have crafted a new design to the standard NHL jersey and will reportedly unveil it, along with the new designs that certain teams (including the Stars) have made to their jerseys, on the 20th as well.

That’s going to be quite the exciting day.

Wednesday, June 21 – NHL Awards and Vegas roster unveiling

The annual NHL Awards Show will be hosted in Las Vegas and broadcasted on NBCSN on Wednesday night, only this year’s award show will have a twist.

Throughout the show, the complete 2017-18 Vegas Golden Knights roster that they built in the expansion draft will be released. This will be the first chance that Dallas Stars fans get at seeing which player the team ended up giving to Vegas (if it doesn’t happen earlier via free agency negotiations).

More From Blackout Dallas: 2017 Stars Offseason Survival Guide

After all of the expansion hype settles down, the NHL will be right back up and running with the NHL Entry Draft the following weekend.

Next: What Does September 2017 Look Like For Stars?

All in all, the Stanley Cup Final was fun to watch this year. But the games are over, and no matter how sad that might make you, don’t forget that the fun is just beginning. Here’s to an exciting offseason ahead. We’ll be with you every step of the way.