Dallas Stars: Five Questions The Team Must Face In 2018 Offseason

Does Greg Pateryn Or Dan Hamhuis Get A New Deal?

The Dallas Stars don’t have a significant crop of unrestricted free agents going on the block this offseason. But with the ones that are up for new deals, there are some tough decisions that must be made.

One of those tough decisions comes on the blue line with defensemen Dan Hamhuis and Greg Pateryn. They are the two UFA defenders in search of a new contract this offseason.

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The big question centers around which one the Stars sign back to a new deal. Both expressed their enjoyment with playing in Dallas and said they would like to come back before the season ended, but will it happen?

The Stars likely only have space in their cap (and in their defensive depth chart) to bring back one piece of one of their most consistent defensive pairings in 2017-18. There is also a chance that Dallas re-signs neither defender and trusts internal solutions instead. That’s likely to spark some significant debate over the next two months.

Hamhuis, 35, and Pateryn, 27, bring two relatively different skillsets to the blue line, which is what ultimately helped make them an effective pairing. While Hamhuis brings a balanced two way effort, Pateryn uses his physicality and provides a shutdown presence in the defensive end.

Both gave the Dallas Stars a helpful edge this season and aided in bringing the Stars’ GAA down significantly. Whether it was at even strength or on the penalty kill, both filled a necessary role and arguably earned a new contract.

Pateryn and Hamhuis will likely be some of the pricier defenders on the free agency market this offseason. With that being said, which one will be a Dallas Star going into 2018-19? Will they choose the veteran to help lead a young defense or the former “seventh man” that proved himself to be a legitimate NHL starter this past year? Or will they pass on both and stick to their farm system?

Only time will tell. We will look into each player’s situation as the summer goes on, but it’s definitely something to start thinking about.