Dallas Stars: Three Best Player Contracts Going Into 2018-19 Season

Every NHL general manager has their good moves and their bad moves. Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill is no stranger to this. But when Nill makes a good move, he knows how to make it count considerably in the long run. Here are three of the Stars’ best player contracts going into 2018-19.

There’s nothing like buying an item when it’s on sale. Whether it’s a flat-screen TV that you’ve been eyeing months ahead of the Black Friday sale, a Dallas Stars jersey at an end-of-season sale, or simply a can of vegetables at the grocery store, there’s not much that beats that small sense of satisfaction.

It’s natural to feel that way when you get exactly what you want and have to give up less in return than you normally would. Saving money and getting the same value is an ideal situation, after all.

The same situation can be found in the NHL. When a team signs a player to a cheap deal and the player ends up paying off in massive dividends, that satisfaction can be felt by the general manager, the team itself, and the entire fan base.

It’s a feeling that most NHL teams get to boast, though some may not necessarily have the same luxury as others.

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There are some, however, that have multiple “bargain” contracts on their roster. They can vary in terms of the player’s role and significance, but any bargain is a good one.

And what is a bargain contract? It’s basically a player contract that involves a good deal in BOTH the salary/AAV as well as the term of the deal. In other words, it’s a player that is signed for cheaper than his skill set demands and for a longer term that gives the team impressive flexibility going forward.

Now, certain skilled or elite players don’t typically sign for little money and long terms. But if a team can sign them at the right time and make the bargain deal happen, the payoff can be huge.

The Dallas Stars have a handful of bargain contracts on their roster right now. These team-friendly deals are associated with both big-name players as well as players with smaller, more specific roles. But the benefits from both can be substantial.

Jim Nill has a knack for signing some of his players to very friendly deals and spotting talent at the right time in their respective careers. That can be a tough skill to acquire for many GMs, so Nill has this working in his favor (at times).

Considering it’s August and the 2018-19 season is slowly approaching over the horizon, let’s take a look at some of the Dallas Stars’ best value contracts. Somewhere down the road, we’ll also break down some of their worst contracts.

But for now, let’s focus on the positive side of things. Here are three Dallas Stars players in particular that are riding on team-friendly contracts and giving the team a consistent mega sale along the way. These are players that have already proven themselves to be bargains and that also have a fair amount of term left in their deal. 

3. Tyler Pitlick

Contract details: Three years, $1 million AAV (two years left)

Only seven Dallas Stars forwards tallied more than 26 points last season. Five of them are under the age of 27. And only two of the seven were not Stars before the 2017 offseason.

But of those seven forwards, only one of them spent the majority of the 2016-17 season recovering from an ACL tear. That’s Tyler Pitlick.

The 26-year-old has been on quite the journey through the first few years of his NHL career. After being drafted 31st overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, Pitlick fought his way through a tough stretch in Edmonton. It wasn’t an easy trek, either.

Blue Line Station

He made his NHL debut in 2013-14, but didn’t earn a starting gig until the 2016-17 season. Things finally seemed to be going in the right direction through the first half of that year. But then Pitlick suffered an ACL injury that required surgery and sidelined him for the rest of the year.

Going into July 1, 2017, Pitlick didn’t necessarily know what his future would hold. He hadn’t played a game since December 2016 and was still an unproven NHL talent. Would anyone try and sign him on the first day of free agency?

GM Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars ended up going for it, and it turned into a beneficial investment. In his first full season as an NHL skater, Pitlick played in 80 games (up from his previous career high of 31), scoring 14 goals and 27 points along with a +9 rating. He did all of this while averaging 13:41 on the ice per game and playing a primarily defensive role against the opponent’s top lines alongside Radek Faksa and Antoine Roussel. His scoring presence as well as his contributions on the penalty kill made him a viable asset for Dallas.

He worked with the time and opportunities he had and made the most of each shift. And though his numbers aren’t entirely glamorous, he turned out to be one of the Stars’ best depth scorers.

But it wasn’t just his contributions in those areas that made him so effective. Instead, a lot of it had to do with his contract structure and how Nill was able to pick him out of the crowd on day one of free agency.

Pitlick actually turned out to be the Stars’ first official signing of the 2017 offseason. Upon the announcement, many fans didn’t know what to expect. With Pitlick’s injury history and his spotty play at the NHL level, there was no certainty as to how Nill wanted to use him. But considering he signed a three-year deal worth $1 million per year, it was clear that Dallas wanted to use him as an NHL player.

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And he produced quite a significant payoff. Pitlick was a reliable third line option for the Dallas Stars in 2017-18. He was one of their top defensive and shorthanded weapons and combined that with a timely offensive touch.

For a guy that missed most of the 2016-17 season and is making $1 million for the next two years, that’s one solid set of skills. The Stars are definitely in good hands with Pitlick in their middle six for the next few seasons.

1. John Klingberg

Contract details: Seven years, $4.25 million AAV (four years left)

Have you ever heard a certain song or band on the radio or somewhere else before they become famous? You allegedly believe that you heard the band or song before it caught a big break. And because of that, you always boast that fact, whether people believe you or not.

“I heard It’s Time by Imagine Dragons before either hit the big times” you claim. And even if people say you’re lying through your teeth, you have that small sense of satisfaction deep inside that comes out every time you hear the band or song.

Jim Nill probably has that kind of feeling every time John Klingberg makes a stellar play on the ice.

Editor In Leaf

On Nov. 11, 2014, a young and wide-eyed Klingberg made his NHL debut against the Arizona Coyotes. It was in a season where the Stars defense was rough and rugged around the edges and ended up turning in the fifth-highest goals against average in the NHL. So, things weren’t necessarily looking promising upon Klingberg’s arrival.

But he didn’t let that set his pace. There was a spot to be won on the roster for the former fifth-round pick and he did everything in his power to claim it. As Klingberg continued to impress, he earned a full-time spot on the top pairing alongside Alex Goligoski and skated top-line minutes as a result. By the end of the season, Klingberg averaged 21:50 on the ice per game, which is pretty much unheard of for a 22-year-old rookie.

The thing about Klingberg that was so impressive was his high-caliber offensive talent mixed with his calmness on defense. With Goligoski acting as a safety net of sorts beside him, Klingberg had the ability to play “his game” in its fullest effect.

That ended up bringing him 11 goals and 40 points in 65 games along with a +5 rating. And considering he was on his way to RFA status, Nill struck while the iron was hot, signing the defender to a seven-year contract worth $4.25 million per year.

Klingberg had definitely earned it at the time. But nowadays, it seems like a steal of a deal.

If Klingberg were to have hit the market as a UFA this past summer, he likely could have garnered an eight-year deal worth at least $8.5 million per year. So, the Stars have him under contract for around half of his potential value. That’s huge.

Klingberg once again impressed in the 2015-16 season, building his status even more throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 2016-17 brought a bit of a learning curve with it as Klingberg was forced to learn what it meant to be a full-time no. 1 defender and a veteran as well.

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But 2017-18 was his best season yet as Hitchcock helped transform him into a complete two-way defender that can crush opponents in both zones. Klingberg is structured and focused on defense, lethal on offense, and can quarterback a power play while also helping on the penalty kill.

This past season, he finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting and had an 82-game slate with eight goals and 67 points (23 of which came on the power play) along with a +10 rating to help boost his case. He also skated an average of 24:04 per game. He also earned a spot in the NHL All-Star Game.

The Dallas Stars have the ultimate bargain contract with John Klingberg. He’ll turn 26 years old on August 14, but still has plenty of time before he reaches the prime of his career. That’s the scary part.

Jim Nill heard Klingberg’s potential before anyone else and made sure to cash in before it was too late. That is solid management.

At the rate he is going, Klingberg will be an elite franchise defenseman for the Dallas Stars for years to come and could even win a few Norris trophies along the way.

And with four more years at $4.25 million per season, there’s not much more you can ask for.