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Dallas Stars: Three Important Free Agent Negotiations In 2019 Offseason

By Josh Clark

ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 7: Dallas Stars' Mats Zuccarello, left, celebrates with Jason Dickinson after scoring a goal during the first period of Game 7 of an NHL Western Conference second-round hockey playoff series between the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars on May 7, 2019, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Tim Spyers/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - MAY 7: Dallas Stars' Mats Zuccarello, left, celebrates with Jason Dickinson after scoring a goal during the first period of Game 7 of an NHL Western Conference second-round hockey playoff series between the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars on May 7, 2019, at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Tim Spyers/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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DALLAS, TX – MAY 5: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the Dallas Stars handles the puck against the St. Louis Blues in Game Six of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center on May 5, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – MAY 5: Mats Zuccarello #36 of the Dallas Stars handles the puck against the St. Louis Blues in Game Six of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the American Airlines Center on May 5, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. Mats Zuccarello

It’s almost too obvious, right? But that’s what could make negotiations all the more difficult.

When the Dallas Stars traded for Mats Zuccarello on Feb. 23, 2019, it was a move made to fill a gaping void. The Dallas offense had been hitting a wall throughout the first part of the 2018-19 season, couldn’t generate any sort of consistent scoring outside of the top line, and were slowly slipping in the playoff race due to their offensive shortcomings.

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    • Zuccarello was expected to fix that and help the Stars push into the playoffs, but he never really got the chance. After breaking his arm while blocking a shot in his debut with Dallas against the Chicago Blackhawks, no. 36 missed all but one of the Stars’ remaining regular season contests while recovering.

    But once he hopped back in the lineup, his impact was both instantaneous and sustained.

    Zuccarello finished the regular season with one goal, three points, and a +3 rating in a Dallas uniform. In the playoffs, he took his production a significant step further with four goals and 11 points in 13 games. He provided the Stars with a strong option that could round out their top six and make the forwards around him better and more dangerous as well. Simply put: he revitalized the offense and did so while still healing up a broken arm. What might he be able to accomplish on a fully healthy arm?

    For now, though, he’s a pending UFA. Zuccarello will be in need of a new contract this summer and, if the Stars don’t re-sign him before July 1, will be one of the most popular names on the market.

    This is where Dallas will have to take proper care in their negotiations.

    For one, Zuccarello is an offensive catalyst and proved his worth to the Stars in the 13 games that he played with them. His production speaks for itself and the Stars know what he can bring to their team in particular. They also know that they have first dibs in the negotiation process for the next month.

    But what kind of contract will they be willing to offer? Would they give him a five-year deal or try and limit it to four years? After all, Zuccarello will be 32 when the 2019-20 regular season begins. Would the Stars be willing to keep him on through age 37? It’s a debate that must be sorted out.

    On another hand, how much should his salary increase? With the NHL salary cap rising this offseason, Zuccarello could be in for a substantial raise from his previous AAV $4.25 million. Somewhere in the $6 million range sounds reasonable and feasible.

    But this negotiation will be an important one for Dallas. It’s clear that they could benefit from his services in the season(s) ahead and he seemed to generate instant chemistry with the offense.

    What will the cost be to keep him around, though?

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