Dallas Stars Fans Weigh In On Defensive Overstocking

The Dallas Stars have too many players on their roster and they are over the salary cap. Some changes need to be made, and they’ll likely come on defense. Here’s what Stars fans had to say about the issue.

The Dallas Stars kick off their 2017-18 campaign in just 51 days. That may sound like a long way off, but when you realize that it’s less than 14 percent of a calendar year away, it seems closer, right?

Whether that helps brighten your day or not, just realize that hockey is on the horizon. In a little over a month, the Stars will depart for Cedar Park for their 2017 training camp session. Immediately following that will be the preseason, and after that will come the 82-game slate.

It’s expected to be a great time for Dallas (though Stars fans have been led astray before). Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill did a lot of good things and brought in a lot of skilled players this offseason, giving the Stars a solid outlook for 2017-18.

But there are still a few things that must be put to rest before the season starts, primarily within the organization. The biggest problem lies within their lack of cap space.

Dallas Stars

The Stars are currently about $196,355 over the cap space limit and could be even further over after adding other prospects into the equation (i.e. Julius Honka). How they get back under the cap wall has yet to be determined, but it will likely involve their defensemen.

Dallas has an overstocking of NHL-ready defenders and needs to create some space on the blue line. After the practically unanimous projections of the Stars’ opening night defensive lineup, the  three defenders left out of the picture seem to be Jamie Oleksiak, Patrik Nemeth, and Greg Pateryn. These also seem to be the three defenders involved in the parting talks.

But which of the three will be on the roster come opening night? All three have spent extensive time in the NHL and are not bound for a starting spot in the AHL, but the problem still lingers. Something will have to happen between now and Oct. 6.

A trade is the most obvious and easiest route at this point, and the Stars could get something decent in return if they play their cards right. The decision will likely come following training camp or somewhere throughout the preseason.

There are positives and negatives surrounding Oleksiak, Nemeth, and Pateryn. Each has a different stance when it comes to contract situation, experience, skill, and potential, so there’s not necessarily a wrong answer on who to keep. But the Stars will likely need to dish two players so they can be down to a seven defender system.

Which ones go? Assuming that the opinions were probably varied, we decided to collect some information. We put up a poll on our Twitter page a few days back, asking our followers which of the three defenders they would keep if they were in Nill’s shoes. The poll received almost 200 votes, and the results were pretty decisive.

Greg Pateryn came in third place with 16 percent, Patrik Nemeth secured second with 21 percent, and Jamie Oleksiak took first by a mile with a whopping 63 percent.

In a poll ran by Sean Shapiro, the Dallas correspondent for NHL.com, back in early July asking the same question, the results were almost the exact same. Pateryn came in third with 17 percent, Nemeth hit second with 25 percent, and Oleksiak won it with 58 percent.

Next: Greg Pateryn Should Play Seventh Man On Defense This Year

Oleksiak, a former first-round pick, definitely has plenty of upside and could be transformed into an effective shutdown defender under head coach Ken Hitchcock. He has yet to solidify himself as a starter in Big D, but that could change this coming season if he sticks around.

But will he be the chosen one? Or will Nill go another route? At least you somewhat know how Stars fans are leaning now. It won’t be long before it’s decision time.