Dallas Stars Cannot Play Waiting Game If They Want Erik Karlsson

After a Tuesday night full of rumors, the Dallas Stars were quiet on the Erik Karlsson trade front on Wednesday. But if they want a deal to happen, there really isn’t much time to delay.

I’ve always enjoyed playing poker. Ever since my dad first taught me how to play five card draw and Texas Hold ‘Em, I’ve loved playing the game with family and friends both for leisure and for competition.

And while I’m not necessarily the most skilled player in my friend circles, it doesn’t matter. I still find a way to win sometimes, and that’s what makes the game so special. There is an amount of skill required when playing, but if the odds are in your favor, anything is possible.

In other words, you could have the least amount of chips of anyone at the table and still manage to pull out a win. A few lucky deals and some smart playing can get you right back on top of the pack at any point in the game, regardless of how many people are sitting at the table.

Right now, the Dallas Stars are at a poker table. They’re playing a high-stakes game and seem to be playing it rather well. And what is the grand prize that they’re aiming for? It’s not money. Instead, it’s Erik Karlsson, one of the top defenders in the NHL.

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The table has been open since the 2018 Trade Deadline. When the Ottawa Senators knew that they wouldn’t be playoff contenders and began to watch their franchise cripple, Karlsson became a player of significant interest to the NHL.

Various suitors pulled up a chair at the table, but none received the hands they needed to land the grand prize. As a result, Karlsson stuck with Ottawa for the remainder of the season.

But now, the table is in use again. Since July 1, a lot has gone down in Karlsson’s corner. First off, he wasn’t traded on day one of free agency because no team offered a return price that was significant enough. On day two, the Senators offered him an extension that was well below the current pay grade for an elite defenseman. Karlsson denied the deal, which helped reopen trade talks going into the third day.

It’s no secret that Karlsson would be an incredible (almost unfair) addition to the Dallas blue line. He skates an uncanny amount of minutes, is one of the top offensive defenders in the game, and owns two Norris Trophy awards in his nine years in the league. It’s hard to argue against his status.

And on July 3, the Dallas Stars officially took a seat at the table and put up their wager. There had been rumors that the Stars had been pursuing the defenseman for a few weeks, but the official report came on Tuesday evening.

GM Jim Nill claimed his seat and quickly worked his way into the game. Not only that, but he also took a quick lead over the other teams that had been at the table for a while. He went from a quiet player to a “top dog.” He played his hands properly and helped Dallas emerge as a “frontrunner” to land the elite defender.

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But then, the updates stalled. Throughout Wednesday, there were very few reports of any significant developments. Besides “ongoing talks,” there wasn’t much else to hang a hat on.

The reason why was pretty obvious. While the Senators like the idea of sending him to Dallas, they want Stars top prospect Miro Heiskanen included in the return package. Nill doesn’t like that idea and is trying to avoid resorting to it.

Whether you agree with Nill’s stance on Heiskanen or not (things seemed pretty split among Stars fans in a recent poll), the fact is that he’s no longer winning any hands. Instead, he’s stepping away from Ottawa’s big bets and cautiously folding his hands. And that’s a problem, especially when considering the other teams currently at the table.

On Wednesday afternoon, it was reported that the Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights are still at the table as well. They had been at the table since the deadline, but were supposedly overtaken by Dallas on Tuesday night. Now they’re both back in the mix.

That’s because Nill is folding. And in poker, folding consistently doesn’t get you far before you start losing ground. It’s not a game for the cautious or indecisive. At some point, a big gamble must be taken in order to stay in the game or fall further out, depending on the outcome. If you don’t, the other people at the table will take advantage, turn the tide in their favor, and quickly take away your footing in the process.

Tampa and Vegas have worked their way back into the game, and Tampa is apparently “pushing” after losing out on John Tavares.

Dallas, Tampa and Vegas are the teams to watch in Karlsson pursuit. Tampa pushing after losing out on Tavares.
— Chris Stevenson 🇨🇦🏒⛳️🍺 (@CJ_Stevenson) July 4, 2018

And that’s why Jim Nill has to make a decision and fast. If he truly wants to land Erik Karlsson, Ottawa might force his hand in the near future. Whatever kind of gamble that might mean is unclear, but Heiskanen seems to be an assured piece of it.

If Nill still isn’t comfortable with the deal, that’s fine. He should take his winnings and move to another table before he spends too much time pursuing a dead end in the Karlsson trade. That time can be better spent elsewhere in another negotiation.