Dallas Stars: Ranking Each Of Their Major 2018 Offseason Signings
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars avoided spending big in the 2018 offseason but still made some noteworthy additions. How does each one rank in terms of the significance they could potentially play with the team this year?
It’s tough trying to imagine the Dallas Stars not being at the center of offseason and free agency action.
Ever since Jim Nill took over as general manager in 2013, the Stars have been at the center of the NHL universe when it comes to offseason acquisitions and blockbuster deals. Whether it’s Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Antti Niemi, Patrick Sharp, or Alexander Radulov, Nill has built up an extravagant list of talent over the years.
Those significant changes bring sizably new lineups and outlooks with each passing season. And while that can sometimes result in a significant upside, it can also come with a certain amount of growing pains.
The last few years have brought about an inordinate amount of growing pains. In 2016-17, the Stars had to adjust after losing some of their regular starters and staying quiet on the acquisition front.
In this previous season, Dallas once again had to adjust to a brand new setup. With a new head coach, new starting goaltender, and new players throughout the lineup, another shift occurred. And while it looked promising for a while, it didn’t last. The Stars slipped up in the final month of the season and once again saw their offseason plans bottom out.
So, as they approached the drawing board in the beginning of the 2018 offseason, Nill took a bit of a different turn. Instead of taking the lack of playoffs as a sign to do another overhaul, he sat back and took a deeper look at his team. He added a new head coach in Jim Montgomery that should complement the Dallas lineup rather nicely and spent his first day of free agency in a somewhat conservative manner.
While he did spend close to ten million dollars on free agents, none of them were necessarily “blockbusters.” The Dallas Stars signed forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Blake Comeau, defenseman Roman Polak, and goaltender Anton Khudobin to add to their NHL roster in preparation for the 2018-19 season.
That left a lot of Stars fans confused, especially after the typical trend that the team follows after missing the postseason.
But now that the offseason is just about over and the Dallas Stars don’t seem as though they will be pulling the trigger on any other acquisitions, it puts things into perspective. Was this offseason a way for Nill to show his confidence in his current roster? By only adding minor pieces that should potentially “round out” the roster, is he under the impression that his team is ready to compete as is?
There’s a debate to be had in both directions. But the four major additions in the 2018 offseason might end up playing rather significant roles in terms of determining how successful the Stars are this year.
So, how influential will each signing be to the team ‘s success this season? Let’s try and rank each of the four.