Dallas Stars Expansion Draft: Breaking Down Their List
By Josh Clark
The protected lists for all 30 NHL teams are officially open to the public. Though the Dallas Stars’ list was predicted correctly by a good number of people, let’s take a look at it and see what it could mean for their future.
Well that was probably one of the most climactic moments in an NHL offseason in recent memory.
At 9:30 a.m. (thanks for killing the vibe with your tardiness, NHL) on Sunday morning, the NHL released the protected lists for all 30 teams. Though some lists had been “leaked” on Saturday night and early on Sunday morning, all 30 confirmed lists came out at the same time.
If you skimmed through every team’s list, you likely saw a couple of names that surprised you to some extent. “Why did they protect him?” or “Why wasn’t he protected?” probably crossed your mind once or twice.
But every team has a valid and strong reason for their list. It may not make sense to you as a fan, but it definitely makes sense to the general manager of the team.
The Dallas Stars protected list is no different. Some fans may not entirely agree with it (though the majority seem happy and content with the outcome), but Nill made a list that would help his team out the most in the long run. And he did a pretty good job as far as we can tell.
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The Stars decided to protect forwards Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, Tyler Seguin, Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie, Antoine Roussel, and Valeri Nichushkin. They also protected defensemen John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, and Stephen Johns. In the crease, new goaltender Ben Bishop was protected.
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Everyone take a quick second to breathe. This is a moment that many have been waiting months for, and now that it’s finally here, you may not know what to do with yourself besides contemplate and speculate which player Vegas is going to take from the exposed list. But take a moment to sit back and examine the list.
Let’s take a look at the list and highlight some important points along with take a swing at how the next few days will pan out.
First off, let’s address probably the biggest talking point: Cody Eakin and Dan Hamhuis being exposed. These are the two players on the Stars’ exposed list with the most NHL experience and arguably the ones that bring the most to the table.
In Eakin’s case, the writing was kind of on the wall. After a subpar performance in 2016-17 that saw Eakin score three goals and tally 12 points along with a -7 rating, his status was certainly up in the air. Though he missed the first five weeks of the season due to an injury, he was given plenty of opportunities to produce and could not get it done.
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At the beginning of the season, Eakin would have been an automatic assumption for protection. But anything can happen in a season.
In addition, the Dallas Stars have an overstocking of centers in their system and could bear the loss of Eakin all while putting a younger center with plenty of talent in the lineup.
Dan Hamhuis is will be exposed to Vegas as well. The 34-year-old defender spent his first season with Dallas this past year and did a decent job. Though he struggled early in the year while adapting to the new environment, he improved greatly down the stretch and was one of the Stars’ most reliable defenders.
He’s excellent in puck possession, can break out of the zone quickly, and plays solid defense when pinned in the zone. With Johnny Oduya being injured for a good portion of the season and then being traded in February, Hamhuis became the lone defenseman on the roster over the age of 27. His veteran knowledge rubbed off on many rookies that he was paired with over the season and helped keep the blue line somewhat afloat. But, as we saw, one player can only do so much.
Considering he only has one year left on his deal and is a low-risk player, Vegas might be inclined to pursue him. He could provide leadership on a young and inexperienced blue line and the Golden Knights could trade him away as a rental in exchange for more future pieces once the trade deadline rolls around in 2018.
Then we have the obvious picks: Benn, Spezza, Seguin, Faksa, Nichushkin, Klingberg, Lindell, and Bishop. All are skilled in their respective positions, are big parts of the Stars’ future (both short term and long term), and would likely have been snatched by Vegas if left exposed. These were no-brainers.
Antoine Roussel, Brett Ritchie, and Stephen Johns were all a part of the “up-in-the-air” category. Though there was evidence supporting their claim to protection, no one was sure if Nill would go for all three. In the end, Ritchie and Johns are two big pieces of the future that are quickly unlocking their potential. With Hitchcock now at the helm, both could hit new levels this season.
Dallas Stars
Roussel was probably the most interesting question mark of them all. Why protect a 27-year-old forward that is good for 25-27 points a season and struggles to keep himself out of the penalty box besides the fact that he is the heart and driving force behind the team? He was a candidate for a final spot, but why did he deserve it over Eakin or some of the other young forwards?
Well, there are plenty of reasons. Read all about them here.
The Dallas Stars also have a couple players that could be long shots to be drafted by the Knights. Curtis McKenzie and Gemel Smith are young forwards that are aggressive and come with a scoring touch. Greg Pateryn is a young defenseman that proved his upside when used correctly in the last 20 games of the season with Dallas after being traded from Montreal.
Jamie Oleksiak and Patrik Nemeth are both young defenders that will be RFAs this summer and, as a result, were left unprotected. After giving each 4-5 years of NHL experience and neither solidifying himself as a regular starter, it might be time for the Stars to move on from both and look towards the future with their defense. Vegas could help by negotiating a new contract with one of them.
In terms of goaltenders, Nill could be trying to swing a side deal with the Knights to take either Lehtonen or Niemi off the Stars’ hands in exchange for a draft pick or prospect.
And DO NOT FORGET that just because a player is not protected does not mean that he is for sure being picked (take Eakin for example). Nill still has the opportunity to make a side deal with Vegas to make sure that they leave a player alone. We’ll find out on Wednesday night what moves Nill made with Vegas GM George McPhee and which exposed players he protected using a side trade.
So don’t go giving away any Eakin, McKenzie, or Hamhuis jerseys just yet.
Was that too much to digest? If it was, don’t worry; you have three days before the next big expansion-related move goes down. Until then, take a breather. It’s been a fun ride up to this point, and it seems as though this is only the tip of the icebreaker.
Next: Will Vegas Take A Stars Forward, Defender, Or Goalie?
So go ahead and examine this breakdown, celebrate the fact that #21 is sticking around, and realize that the Dallas Stars are in a good spot right now. Enjoy your Sunday, Stars fans, and get ready for the crazy week ahead. Oh, and Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there!