Dallas Stars: Five Things To Watch For On Day One Of 2018 Free Agency

The free agency market is officially open for the 2018 offseason. And like every other team, the Dallas Stars look prepared to embrace the craziness. Here are a few things to watch out for in their first day of the frenzy.

It’s July 1, 2018. Though it may seem like a regular day, it’s actually a pretty influential one for the Dallas Stars and the rest of the NHL. In fact, it’s probably the biggest day of the entire offseason.

For the past few years, July 1 has served as the opening day of the free agency market. It’s the first day for free agents across the league to sign new contracts and potentially venture to new destinations.

All 31 teams have a chance to make significant changes to their rosters starting today. Whether it’s crafting up a trade or signing a talented UFA, this is a prime opportunity for teams to begin reconstructing and realigning in preparation for 2018-19.

That includes the Stars. Ever since April 7 when Dallas knocked off the Los Angeles Kings in their final game of the 2017-18 season, they have been preparing for this day. And rightly so, considering July 1 means more to teams that missed the playoffs than it does to teams that qualified.

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After two consecutive seasons of falling short of the postseason, the Stars once again need to concoct a rebirth this offseason.

But the summer is where the Stars and GM Jim Nill know how to thrive. In July 2013, they added superstar center Tyler Seguin via trade. July 2014 brought a trade for veteran center Jason Spezza and a contract for Ales Hemsky. Following that, Dallas acquired Patrick Sharp and Stephen Johns via trade and signed Johnny Oduya throughout July 2015. Dan Hamhuis was the major add through free agency in July 2016.

And then, the 2017 offseason found a way to trump all of its predecessors. From trading for goaltender Ben Bishop and defenseman Marc Methot in May and June, to signing Martin Hanzal and Alexander Radulov in July, the Dallas Stars revamped their roster in a major way during the summer of 2017.

And while this summer doesn’t require as much retooling, Nill and the Stars have already been hard at work in their 2018 offseason moves. They have a new coach in Jim Montgomery and a brand new coaching staff. On top of that, they pulled out a solid 2018 draft class that should benefit them down the road.

And up until Saturday night, they were one of the six teams remaining in the John Tavares sweepstakes.

It’s been an interesting ride so far, and it’s only bound to get more interesting as we push through this Sunday morning and into the afternoon.

But what is it exactly that the Dallas Stars need? What should they be involved in on the market? And what situations must they deal with in-house?

Here are five things to keep a sharp eye out for in the Stars’ corner as this crazy offseason officially gets underway.

2. Where Will The Stars Get Their Next Backup?

One of the Dallas Stars’ most pressing needs this offseason revolves around finding a new backup goaltender.

After Kari Lehtonen couldn’t hold the line down the stretch in Ben Bishop’s absence during the 2017-18 season, the search for a new backup began. It’s pretty clear what type of backup goaltender the Dallas Stars need. But how to go about finding one? That could be more of a challenge.

The Stars are in need of a goaltender that can play a bit more often than the typical backup. Considering Bishop’s history with injuries and the way the 2017-18 season ended, the Dallas backup has to be reliable. And by reliable, I mean one that can play 30-35 games, with a long stretch of starts being possible in that span.

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The backup has to have a proven record of being consistent in their starts as well. If Bishop ever goes out with an injury, the no. 2 guy has to be ready to keep Dallas on track and potentially in the playoff chase.

But the Stars don’t need a long-term solution. They are in the market for a short-term option that can play reliable for two or three years while their young goaltending prospects develop.

Coming into the 2018 offseason, there were plenty of good backup options on the market. Names like Carter Hutton, Jonathan Bernier, and Cam Ward headlined a decent-sized class.

But things are looking south rather quickly in terms of selection. Hutton is reportedly leaning towards Buffalo, while there are also reports that Bernier is bound for Detroit and Ward is signing with Chicago.

Wow, that market dried up fast. Or did it?

One final solid option on the market is Anton Khudobin. The 32-year-old spent the past two seasons in Boston with the Bruins, playing 31 games in 2017-18. His numbers are reliable and he’s been in the NHL for a while, so it could be a good veteran pickup for Dallas.

There are no confirmed reports (as of 7 a.m.), though his name has been linked to Dallas. The Stars will likely be adding a backup goaltender today, so stay alert.

3. What About The Need For Depth Scoring?

The Dallas Stars definitely need a backup goaltender. But another pressing need comes from their second line.

Depth scoring was a significant issue for the Stars in the 2017-18 season. And as the season wore on, that issue became more prevalent.

By the end of the season, the Stars’ scoring was largely coming from their first line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov. But outside of the top trio, there wasn’t much production or threat of any kind.

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The problem (besides Ken Hitchcock’s defensive-minded style) was that Dallas fronted a lot of “spark plug” skaters but not a lot of point producers. While those skaters work well in the bottom six, they don’t necessarily belong on an NHL second line.

And with that being said, the Dallas Stars need at least one natural scorer and producer for their top six next season. So when the first line hits a wall and cannot seem to figure out the opposition, Jim Montgomery has a threatening second line to throw at them as well.

Where will this second-line asset come from? That’s anyone’s guess. There are options on both the free agency market and the trade blocks. And as of 7 a.m. (when this article was published), John Tavares is still an option at the center position.

But there are a handful of conversations that the Stars could be having. Players like Michael Grabner, James Neal, and David Perron are all intriguing options on the free agency side of things. And if Nill finds his way into trade talks, Artemi Panarin could be at the top of the list considering his high potential and current situation in Columbus.

There are a handful of solid options within the Stars’ reach. On top of that, they have the money to spend and could go for a longer-term option depending on the player in question.

In addition, the Stars can also officially sign Valeri Nichushkin to a reported two-year deal today, completing his comeback from Russia and the KHL. He will definitely serve as another valuable source of depth scoring, but can he produce at a second-line rate? That’s up for management to decide.

But like we saw with the backup goaltender market, the Dallas Stars will need to act swiftly. Depending on what happens with Tavares, they need to keep close tabs on their other options in case it falls through. If that does end up happening, Dallas needs other options to lock in. Their offense and special teams for next year may very well depend on it.

4. Tyler Seguin Still Needs An Extension

Through all of the John Tavares news and action, an ever-important Dallas Stars fact might have slipped your mind. And if it did, that’s okay.

But it still must be a top priority for the Stars going into the first day of free agency. That priority involves extending Tyler Seguin on a long-term deal.

At the beginning of the 2017-18 season, the rumblings began about Seguin and July 1, 2018. It’s the first day that no. 91 can officially sign an extension to his current contract, which has him locked down until the summer of 2019.

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Seguin took those rumblings (and any doubts that might have trailed them) and turned them into the most productive season of his career. He finished 2017-18 with 40 goals (career high) and 78 points (the second highest total of his career).

But it was more than just the stats. Seguin turned into an elite all-around center. He was one of the Stars’ best defensive forwards, played extensive minutes on the penalty kill, scored a career-high 14 power play goals, and won almost 55 percent of his face-offs.

Seguin did everything that was asked of him, and then some. He also tallied a new high in average time on ice at 20:55.

All of that is incredibly impressive for a 26-year-old. And it’s the perfect reason for why Dallas needs to extend him as soon as possible and not let negotiations dwindle into the regular season. That’s exactly what happened with the Islanders and Tavares, and look where they are now.

The popular thought is that the Dallas Stars and Tyler Seguin’s camp have not been in significant contact yet because of Tavares. The assumption is that they are waiting to see how much Tavares signs for before setting the table on Seguin’s asking price.

Whatever happens, Dallas needs to make it happen. Seguin is a top-10 forward in the NHL already and has yet to hit his prime. The Stars need to lock down his services for the next eight years, and they can start that process today.

The actual contract may not be agreed upon today, but it should go down within the next few days. That is, if the Stars are smart.

We’ll see how long negotiations take, but make sure to keep your eyes open for news on the Seguin extension front.

5. Is It Time For Lehtonen To Retire Or Play Elsewhere?

The writing has long been on the wall that Kari Lehtonen will not play for the Dallas Stars in 2018-19. This notion came along after Lehtonen couldn’t do enough to save the sinking ship that was the 2017-18 Stars in the final month of the season.

As the team entered the offseason in search of a new goaltender, Lehtonen turned to search for a new home. But is there a chance that he doesn’t find a new home at all?

Let’s lay out the facts. On the one hand, Lehtonen didn’t have a bad year. In fact, he was putting together quite a run as the backup goaltender for Dallas until he was asked to play starter. That’s when things went awry, and it’s partially because the team in front of him couldn’t seem to do anything right.

But Lehtonen’s .912 save percentage and 2.56 goals against average are decent marks for a backup. The only problem is that they were much better at one point in the season.

And on top of that, he considers Dallas to be he and his family’s home for the long run.

“This is home,” Lehtonen said following the Stars’ final home game on March 31. “And this is going to be my family’s home after I’m done playing, too. It’s a big part of our lives and it’s an awesome place.”

The report as of yesterday was that Lehtonen had not found a significant partner to strike a deal with yet.

There is reason to believe that the 34-year-old could still serve as a quality backup goaltender for a decent team and play in 20-25 games. But it doesn’t look like any suitors are making the deal sweet enough.

So does he decide to hang up his skates for good? At the age of 34, he won’t be getting a long-term deal from anywhere. He welcomed his second child into the world this past season, so the family card may be more pressing and appealing than ever at this point.

If he doesn’t generate any significant interest, this could very well mark the end of Lehtonen’s playing career. And if that’s the case, then the Dallas Stars at least owe him a tip of the cap for his years of service to the organization. But we’ll see if he finds a new destination within the first few hours of the free agency window opening.

Next: Stars Mailbag: Previewing Another Crazy Offseason

So there you have it. It’s another jam-packed free agency period for the Stars and there’s a lot going down. Keep your eyes set and your ears open. It’s bound to be a crazy ride once again.