James Neal
Last Year’s Cap Hit: $5,000,000
Last Year’s Stats: 25 G, 19 A, 44 P, 70 GP
Dallas Stars fans are already familiar with James Neal, who was drafted by the Stars and played for them for three seasons. He’s a consistent 20-30 goal scorer, which is something the Stars desperately need more of right now. He’s been on an expensive contract for the level he’s produced at, but he’s also played in 56 playoff games in the last three seasons, including two consecutive losses in the Stanley Cup Final. Hey, maybe the third time’s the charm for him and next season he’ll finally lift the Cup.
Why the Stars Should Sign Him: So we can all bring our old James Neal jerseys out of the closet again. For real (deal), this team needs scoring depth. He spent a good amount of time in Pittsburgh playing on the wing of Evgeni Malkin to great success, going almost a point a game during his time there. Outside of landing Tavares, the Stars won’t have a second-line center at Malkin’s level, but if Neal could produce even close to that, the deal could be worth it.
Why the Stars Shouldn’t Sign Him: The Dallas Stars tried to revisit the past with Ken Hitchcock last year and it didn’t work out. This organization is trying to look to the future and bringing Neal back doesn’t fit with that. Also, if he’s not on a variation of the Marian Hossa 2008-2010 path to the Stanley Cup, he might be cursed.
Other options include: David Perron and Thomas Vanek again, or Riley Nash.