There’s a lot of talk surrounding the Dallas Stars and their 2018 offseason endeavors right now. But don’t let it all distract you from what should be their top offseason priority. An extension for Tyler Seguin needs to happen soon.
The Dallas Stars have been busy this offseason. From hosting an NHL Draft, to making plenty of moves on day one of free agency, and signing most of their restricted free agents to new contracts, it’s been quite a ride so far.
But it’s far from over. Dallas has RFA arbitration cases still to deal with and has been linked to a few different potential trades. If anything, GM Jim Nill could still have plenty more to do in his offseason journey.
From a basic standpoint, that’s good news. Once you dig a little deeper, however, you begin to realize that one huge chunk of the 2018 offseason has yet to be filled. That chunk involves signing Tyler Seguin to a long-term contract extension.
Whether you believe it or not, an extension for Seguin is the Stars’ top priority for the summer of 2018. Finding a quality backup goaltender and adding scoring power in the middle six were important necessities as well, but they fall second to Seguin.
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As the Dallas Stars cleaned out their lockers on Monday, April 9 to embark on another “longer than desired” offseason, something became incredibly prevalent: Tyler Seguin’s contract status.
Seguin, 26, is under contract with the Dallas Stars until the summer of 2019. But, considering he will be a UFA at that point, the Stars could begin talking extensions on July 1, 2018. Here we are on July 12 and little to nothing has happened or been reported.
Should you panic? No. Not yet, at least.
On exit interview day, Nill asked for cautious optimism from the media and fans. He understood that a signing may not happen on the first day, and that that was okay.
“We can talk to him, so I’ll be talking to Tyler and his representatives,” Nill said at the locker clean out. “I hope by July 1 we are going to know where it’s at. If something doesn’t happen July 1, I don’t want any panic out there. I’m banking on getting something done. I’m pretty confident that we will get something done.”
Pretty confident sounds good. But the fact that almost two weeks of the negotiation process have passed and no deal or updates have been announced leaves a lot to be desired.
The thing is that the Dallas Stars need to lock down Seguin for as long as possible. The young center has proven in his five years with the team that he is not only one of the best centers in Dallas history, but one of the best overall players currently in the NHL.
Seguin is on almost a point-per-game pace since joining the Stars (173 goals, 384 points in 387 games), hit the 40-goal mark for the first time in his career last season, and has transformed into one of the more impressive two-way forwards in the game. High-powered offense mixed with smart defense and quality help on special teams has made Seguin a rare diamond in today’s league.
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In addition, he’s also become a regular contributor in the Dallas community, building ball hockey courts for youth and starting various foundations. He’s a great humanitarian and focuses a lot of his free time on giving back. Seguin calls Dallas home and seems to mean it.
“Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought and there hasn’t been much talk at all,” Seguin said on exit interview day. “It’s been so much of living in the now and trying to make the playoffs and win here in Dallas. But obviously, this is the place I call home.”
And that’s exactly why the Dallas Stars need to strike while the iron is hot and get a deal completed during this offseason. Otherwise, they may be in for a rough road as they approach the summer of 2019.
So why hasn’t something happened yet? Jim Nill is good at doing things well ahead of time and this should be no different. It is one of the largest pivot points in the state of this current Stars’ squad. Without Seguin, the Stars do not have a true no. 1 center on their roster and the middle of their offense hits a serious rut.
There is, however, a chance that Seguin might want to hold out and see where things go. As we saw on July 1, superstar center John Tavares decided to pass on an extension with the only team he’s ever known (the New York Islanders) and sign with a new team (Toronto Maple Leafs) instead. At the end of the day, it seems as though he went with the decision that boasted the best winning odds.
Seguin is an elite talent on the ice, but has only been to the playoffs in two of his five years in Dallas. To make matters worse, he was injured for nearly the entirety of the 2016 postseason. So he’s really only competed in one playoff run.
That can’t settle particularly well with a 26-year-old center entering his prime.
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And on top of that, the Dallas Stars are bound to look significantly different yet again this season. The team has brought in its third coach in as many years and will shift to yet another style of play this coming season. If that play doesn’t work out or the current team build isn’t suited to compete for a playoff spot, Seguin may want to still have his options open instead of being tied down to another retooling project for eight years.
Before you jump on him for this, remember that he’s earned a right to wait. His play has earned him the right to watch where the market goes, see how the Stars do, and decide what’s best for him and his future.
But Nill needs to stay the course. Word on the status between Seguin and the Stars was quiet on July 1, and considerably so. Dallas had just fallen out of the Tavares sweepstakes and could finally shift their focus back to other things.
And that’s just the problem. The Dallas Stars seem to be focused on other blockbuster acquisitions this summer. As a result, they’re paying little attention to the blockbuster acquisition (from July 4, 2013) on their roster that needs an extension. They have the cap space for the future and are set up well to make a deal happen while paying the superstar handsomely.
Forget Tavares, Erik Karlsson, Max Pacioretty, and any other big name on the trade block. This offseason needs to be about Seguin first and foremost. Have the necessary talks, get a concrete plan regarding where he’s at, and then take your next step accordingly.
Maybe a big offseason pickup will be the encouragement for the future that Seguin needs. Or maybe he’s willing to sign a deal right now.
Whatever the case, Jim Nill needs to focus on his number one offseason priority: getting the biggest piece of his team’s future locked down.
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July 12 is not the right day to panic. But if things continue toiling away and into the regular season, the Stars might be in for an 82-game slate of uncertainty. And if that happens, they will have to make each game count. Their future could very well depend on it.