Dallas Stars Re-signing Jamie Oleksiak Points Toward Possible Trade

In their most recent move, the Dallas Stars announced that they signed defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to a one-year deal. Is he on his way out?

To say that the Dallas Stars have too many defensemen would be the understatement of the decade. From years of selecting defenders in drafts and acquiring them in what seems like every trade, Dallas has a plethora of blue liners at their disposal.

And they just inked another one to a one-year deal. While Jamie Oleksiak‘s signing may come as a surprise to most, it may be a logical step to progress a possible trade.

Reinvesting in capital

Oleskiak was drafted 14th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, making him quite the investment for the Stars. His adjustment period to the NHL, however, didn’t go as smoothly as either party would’ve liked.

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No. 5 has the advantage of size – standing 6’7 – but was unable to skate well enough to keep up in his zone. This, obviously, led to defensive issues and Oleksiak finding himself in and out of the line-up.

With that said, though, the Stars wouldn’t want to see him go for next to nothing. They’ve invested in his development and he seems to be starting to grasp life in the NHL, so risking losing him would be something the Stars should avoid.

Filling other needs

Now with No. 5 signed for another year before becoming a restricted free agent, the Stars have some moves they could make. A deal with just Oleksiak involved isn’t going to be happening anytime soon, unless it were for a player of similar caliber, but he could certainly be part of a package.

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The question really is what Dallas needs and what other pieces they’d be willing to give up. But considering the conversations Nill had with other teams surrounding the third overall draft pick, the thought that he might have a deal up his sleeve is anything but unbelievable.

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Moving forward

Ultimately, the Stars might wait until the season starts to see how things go. If injuries sideline important players like last season, they’ll look intelligent for keeping so many defenders around.

But don’t be surprised if Nill announces another trade in the near future, involving the man known as the Big Rig.