The 2017 offseason has been a whirlwind of trades, signings, and hirings for the Dallas Stars since it started back on April 9. But even three months later, they still may not be done.
July 5th is always a strange day for hockey fans.
For the past month, the NHL has endured complete chaos, ranging from the Stanley Cup Final, to an expansion draft, to an entry draft, and finally to the opening of the free agency market. It’s been a crazy four weeks across the league.
The frenzy happens every year, though the expansion draft is a rare element.
But then it all stops. Everything goes from 100 to 0, and it usually starts around July 5. The free agency market opens on July 1 and all hell breaks loose. That usually carries into the second and third days of the month. Then we have the Fourth of July where everyone shuts off their hockey brain and celebrates the birth of the USA with fireworks, pool time, and grilling.
Then July 5 rolls around, and everything seems to slow down.
There are rare cases where big things happen past today (we’re looking at you, Patrick Sharp and Stephen Johns), but it’s typically quiet from here until training camp. It’s always a weird transition to make, and it’s even harder when you’re a Dallas Stars fan.
This is because the Stars seem to pride themselves on being the team to watch each offseason. GM Jim Nill has no problem with striking up a blockbuster deal or two every summer, putting the rest of the NHL on watch to see what they do with their new roster in the season ahead.
The 2017 offseason has been no different. When the offseason started on April 9, Nill immediately dove into a massive grocery list that accumulated due to a horrific 34-37-11 season.
Fast forward to three months later, and what has he done? Ken Hitchcock is the Dallas Stars newest head coach and has a strong supporting staff in the assistant roles, veteran goalie Ben Bishop is the Stars’ new starting net-minder, Dallas composed the strongest draft class in recent memory, the Golden Knights traded skilled defender Marc Methot to the Stars, and Dallas signed some amazing forwards to round out their roster in free agency, including Martin Hanzal and Alexander Radulov.
So yeah, it’s been a good offseason so far. This is without a doubt Nill’s best offseason so far as general manager of the Stars, and it’s clear that he’s tired of watching the team fall short of the postseason every other year.
But even with all of the crazy moves that are already in the books, the Dallas Stars still might not be done yet.
Does that mean they are still looking to bring someone else in? Well, not really. With the signing of Radulov on Monday morning, the Stars’ roster is basically locked in for next year. They have incredible talent and depth on offense, stability and potential on the blue line, and a goaltending duo that can compete with any other crease in the league. That being said, they don’t necessarily need to bring anything else in.
But what about on the outgoing side of things? That’s where things are still wide open, specifically on defense.
With the addition of Methot, the Dallas Stars now have nine defensemen on their roster that are ready for NHL play. Carrying nine defenders on a roster during the regular season will not work and is not logical. That being said, the Stars need to trim the blue line down.
Who does that involve? It seems as though Jamie Oleksiak, Patrik Nemeth, and Greg Pateryn are the three choices up for debate. The other six are the consensus picks for the starting lineup.
Dallas needs to try and carry seven defenders next year, so two guys will eventually have to go. Nill talked on Saturday about how he was still looking at ways to make some space on defense.
“We’re still looking to make some more moves,” Nill said. “If we don’t , we know we’re coming to camp probably with nine defensemen and it’s going to be good competition. We want to come into camp with spots open and see where the competition takes us.”
That could be a good strategy, but it may be best to at least get one off of the payroll before camp while there could still be value. Dallas likely won’t get much for any of the three defenders, but a late draft pick is better than nothing.
Next: Radulov Gives Stars Threatening First Line
There are still plenty of moves that the Dallas Stars could get themselves into, so make sure to stay alert. It’s also nice because it gives us something to look forward to instead of starting the slow countdown to training camp, though it will eventually have to happen.
But until then, keep your offseason hats on. Nill may not be done just yet.