Dallas Stars: Assessing First Round Pick Value In 2018 NHL Draft

The Stanley Cup Playoffs will be over before you know it. When they come to a close, the focus of the hockey world will then shift to the 2018 NHL Draft in Dallas. With the Dallas Stars picking 13th, what all might they do with the pick?

The Dallas Stars are hosting their first ever NHL Draft this summer on June 22-23, 2018. And while that’s an exciting step forward for the city and franchise, it comes at a price.

That price is the pressure put on the team itself. When they play visitor in a draft, things are typically easier for a non-traditional team that doesn’t necessarily have a wave of fans all across North America. But when the draft is in their backyard and fans are filling up the American Airlines Center to watch what their favorite team does, there is no time to fumble.

The Stars have done some interesting things in the past few drafts. From trading for Antti Niemi to surprise drafting Denis Gurianov with their first round pick in 2015, Dallas knows how to be a wildcard.

But with the Dallas Stars faithful likely coming in full force to the show this year, there is a need for certainty. And with that certainty comes a level of pressure. The Stars need to make sure (this year more than ever) that the moves they make are the correct and beneficial ones.

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The draft is spread out across two days, with the first round running on Friday night and rounds 2-7 rolling on Saturday. And while there isn’t much talk about day two yet, day one is already carrying plenty of interest and hype with it.

In the draft lottery held at the end of last month, the Dallas Stars received the 13th overall pick. Some teams fell further than expected in the lotto while others soared into prime positions. But all in all, it was a pretty standard lottery.

So while fans and analysts alike fill out their draft boards and put together mock drafts, the question of pick trading comes into play. And for the Dallas Stars, that’s a question that may as well have an answer. After all, what is the 13th pick in this year’s draft worth to both the Stars and the other 30 clubs?

The interesting thing about a first-round pick is that the value can vary depending on the day. Right now, the pick may be worth little. But fast forward to the night of the draft when it’s five picks away and Dallas may be holding a goldmine.

But let’s break this down for a moment. The Dallas Stars missed the playoffs for the third time in the past four seasons this past year. There were a few problems within the team that brought about an epic collapse and removal from the playoff picture, and those need to be addressed.

Can the draft fill those voids (or at least the 13th pick)? Could they possibly take a decent choice at 13th and fill the needs in free agency? Or will trading come into play that may require the deed to their first selection?

It became painfully obvious as the 2017-18 season progressed that the Dallas Stars have two primary needs. Those needs are a backup goaltender that can step in as a starter when needed and more depth scoring. The depth scoring preferably needs to be second-line talent that can round out the Stars’ top six.

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And with a good stock of top-six forwards seemingly on the trading block this summer, will the Stars make a trade? If so, will they use their first round pick?

At first glance, it doesn’t seem as though the first round pick would be a fair trade for a veteran top-six forward (unless that forward is next level). A first round pick carries a lot of weight with it and no. 13 overall is nothing to shake your head at.

The Dallas Stars will more than likely spend their 13th pick on a prospect at the draft unless a near perfect offer comes across their table. But what will they do with their other seven picks? That’s completely up in the air. Just imagine how Dallas fans would react in the stands when it’s announced that the Stars have traded for a superstar winger for their second line?

The 13th pick will get the Stars a prospect that could be in the NHL potentially within two or three years, so it’s a valuable pick. If Dallas wants to further boost their scoring future, there are plenty of forwards in the top of the draft rankings to chose from.

Is there a chance that the Dallas Stars deal their 13th pick in a trade? Anything is possible, but don’t bet on it. A first-round pick is valuable to every NHL team and Jim Nill would likely only trade it in a perfect scenario. It carries a pretty good amount of value and will be treated as such.

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But as stated above, we’ll find out just how valuable it is in five weeks.