Dallas Stars: Way Too Early Trade Deadline Predictions

Today is the MLB’s trade deadline and because baseball is the only Big 4 sport in season right now, it’s dominating sports news. The Dallas Stars may be in the midst of the dog days of summer, but that doesn’t mean fans can’t use today’s MLB news to dream about what may happen at the end of next February.

The season is still two months away (65 days and counting), but the Dallas Stars still have a few question marks on their opening night roster. That roster and the options around the league will probably change drastically by February, but let’s have some fun and take a look at a few scenarios of how this could play out.

Best Case Scenario

The best case scenario is that the Stars go into the trade deadline like they did in 2015-16, looking to maybe add a few improvements but doing well. That year’s main pick-up didn’t pan out very well, as the Stars had to go for Kris Russell over Dan Hamhuis at the deadline.

This year, if the Stars are doing well, they may not need to add much if anything at the deadline. They could get out of the deadline with the team intact and a clear path to the playoffs. They could also use it as a chance for a deadline rental that might sign a contract with the team in the long run.

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A lot depends on the rest of this off-season and contract negotiations, but there’s a chance the Stars could grab someone like Artemi Panarin or Jeff Skinner as a deadline rental with the potential to work out a contract extension if things go well.

Worst Case Scenario

It’s obviously bad news for the season if the Stars are sellers at the deadline. If things go poorly again next season, the Stars have a few assets that people may be interested in. If Jason Spezza is having a bounceback season while the rest of the team struggles, he could bring some often-desired veteran presence to a team. Marc Methot could help out a defense that’s lacking another solid player.

However, there’s one major way that this could all go horribly wrong that is the absolute worst case scenario for the team.

If Tyler Seguin decides he’d rather test free agency and move on, he would make an amazing trade deadline rental for some other team, but it would be a devastating blow to the Dallas Stars.

It looks like a deal with Seguin may get signed sooner rather than later, but if Jim Nill can’t lock Seguin down, this trade deadline has the potential to be a disaster for the organization. If that’s the case, it’s likely that Nill’s reign as GM, which started with a bang when he brought in Seguin during his first summer, will end with Seguin’s departure.

Most Realistic Scenario

The Dallas Stars can absolutely make the playoffs next year if they keep it together, but it’s very possible that they go into the deadline in the middle of the pack. Nill probably won’t make any major moves one way or another if that’s the case, but there are a few interesting possibilities if he feels the team is only a piece or two away from a deep run at that point.

If Ben Bishop is hurt or if he needs some help, there are plenty of goaltenders who are pending UFAs for next summer that could be potential targets. Many of them will probably sign extensions at some point, but if not, Sergei Bobrovsky or Semyon Varlamov could help if something happens with Bishop. If the back-up goalie is the issue, as is so often the case with the Stars, they could target someone else’s, like Cam Ward or Peter Budaj.

Panarin or Skinner would be flashy additions, but if Nill is looking for some cheap depth scoring, Thomas Vanek may be an option. Eric Staal‘s on a expiring, reasonable contract that’s a great deal for how he’s been playing in Minnesota, but they may not be ready to part ways with him at an affordable price.

There’s also still the possibility that Erik Karlsson is in play at that point. That would certainly help out the Stars’ defense, but it would come at a steep price that probably wouldn’t be worth the payoff.

There’s seven months for things to change wildly, but adding a smaller piece or two and making the playoffs seems like a very possible scenario for the Stars. If Nill can do that and keep Seguin in Dallas, he’ll buy himself at least another year or two from management.