Though it may not seem like it due to the lack of news, the Dallas Stars and Tyler Seguin are still working on a contract extension. And from the sound of it, negotiations are beginning to heat up.
As it always seems to be, July 1 was a busy day for the Dallas Stars this year.
After missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year despite boasting a talented lineup and losing a handful of starters to free agency, the Stars had holes to fill just like every other NHL team.
A backup goaltender and more scoring power for the second line seemed to dominate the to-do list. The Stars also had plenty of open cap space in case they wanted to land a big-name player.
But instead, Dallas added a handful of depth players. Though none of them carry the “superstar” caliber, they each bring a different element that will hopefully combine to build overall success throughout the roster.
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As they spent their first day of free agency frivolously spending their cap space and reeling in new additions, one prominent offseason priority was put on the shelf. That wasn’t too big of a worry on day one considering the Stars had pressing needs to deal with on a “first come, first serve” basis with their free agent additions.
But here we are on July 30, and that top offseason priority has yet to be checked off.
29 days ago, the Dallas Stars had their first opportunity to sign superstar center Tyler Seguin to a contract extension. Considering he will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2019, the Stars have one full year to exclusively negotiate a new deal with him. Following that negotiation period, he’s free to hit the market and negotiate a new deal with any of the many teams that will likely be gunning for him.
So, the clock is ticking. And when it comes to the Dallas Stars, you can never be too safe with getting him locked down long-term.
That’s why there is a sense of panic passing through the organization at the moment. Seguin has yet to sign an extension, and because of that, people are beginning to play the “worst-case scenario” game. Thoughts that he will turn into the next John Tavares (who left New York for Toronto this summer) due to the Stars’ lack of winning and head for a more successful team seem to be running rampant.
Jim Nill doesn’t think like that, though. Instead, he’s taking a calm and methodical approach to this dialogue. And though the talks seemed stalled in the middle part of July, new reports suggest that the two sides are negotiating consistently and that a new deal may not be so far off after all.
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“We’ve had continued dialogue,” Nill told Mark Stepneski of DallasStars.com. “They’ve got where they think they should be and we’ve presented where we think we should be, and we just continue to discuss.”
It may not seem like an overwhelmingly promising quote, but it’s something. And the fact that the two sides are talking on a regular basis is good news. Don’t forget that Seguin could have already taken the same route as Artemi Panarin and stated that he wasn’t interested in talking about an extension this summer. The fact that he and the Stars are at the negotiation table and both sides are trying to work out a deal is good news.
It’s no secret that Tyler Seguin has served as a main catalyst to the Stars offense since arriving in Dallas in 2013. He continues to improve every year, has played back-to-back 82-game seasons, and hit the 40-goal mark for the first time in his NHL career in 2017-18. Seguin is an invaluable top-line center that plays solid offense and defense, can serve on the top power play and penalty kill units, and can eat up ice time. He’s the complete package for a no. 1 center at the age of 26. And with that being said, he’s in store for a hefty raise from his current AAV of $5.75 million.
Things seem to be moving along in the right direction and even picking up a certain amount of heat. But the discussions are ongoing, and that’s okay in Nill’s eyes.
“I hope so,” Nill told Stepneski about whether the two sides will reach an agreement by opening night. “But I think I have mentioned from Day 1 that I don’t want people to panic if he is not signed when the season starts. I think the biggest thing is we need to have a good season — get off to a good start. I hope he is signed by then, but I know if he isn’t, we’ll get a good year out of him and go from there. But like I said, I am hopeful we can get it done. We’ll have to see.”
The Dallas Stars have a franchise center to build around with Tyler Seguin. He’s a young skater with an incredibly bright future. With that being said, the Stars need to get him signed to an extension as soon as possible.
The first day of free agency was a big one for the Stars and carried a lot of weight in regards to the team’s future. But these next 65 days or so will carry just as much weight for the club as they try and try and lock down one of their brightest pieces.
Things seem to be heading in the right direction, but only time will tell.