Dallas Stars: Five Questions Facing The Team In 2019 Offseason

2. How Much Is Mats Zuccarello Worth, And Will The Stars Pay?

Will Mats Zuccarello be a member of the Dallas Stars during the 2019-20 season? That seems to be the top question on the mind of every Stars fan (as well as a good chunk of the NHL), and for good reason.

When the Stars acquired Zuccarello at the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline, it was to fill a void that had been growing since the end of the 2015-16 season. That void was in their second line.

After two and a half frustrating seasons of their offensive contributions coming primarily from their top line, Jim Nill decided to make a move. At the time, the Stars’ offense was in the bottom-five of the league standings in terms of production and couldn’t seem to get anything out of their depth forwards. As a result, they were sitting on the playoff bubble in the Western Conference, hoping and praying that their defense and goaltending would be enough to punch their ticket to the postseason.

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But then Zuccarello came in, and all of that changed (well, sort of). After wooing Stars fans for two periods in his Stars debut but unfortunately breaking his arm in the process, the longtime Ranger only got a chance to play in two regular season games with Dallas. In those games, however, he showed incredible speed, fascinating playmaking abilities, tremendous chemistry, and a unique ability to make his line-mates better in almost every facet of their own game. Tack on a goal and three points and you’ve got a pretty impressive debut considering the circumstances.

He ended up taking it a step further in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Zuccarello played in all 13 games for Dallas (even after being forced to take 3-4 shots in his recovering arm prior to each game to freeze up tendonitis and other lingering issues) and led the team in points with 11 (4G, 7A) while also tacking on a +2 rating in an average of 17:07 on the ice.

It’s clear that Zuccarello had a substantial and lasting impact on the Dallas Stars in his short time with the organization. He made players around him better, created new opportunities for Jim Montgomery‘s offense, and brought the offensive lineup closer to being a legitimate 12-man attack.

But now, the forward is in need of a new contract. The 31-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent and will carry the UFA title for the first time in his career on July 1. That is, unless the Stars get something done.

Dallas has the upper hand in this area because they are the only team that can talk with Zuccarello between now and June 23. Once the 23rd rolls around, however, he can begin conversing with all interested teams.

And that’s why Dallas has to act quickly. But the question isn’t necessarily whether he should be re-signed. After all, his performance helped show the Stars just how dangerous they can be.

"“This is my team now. I’m the kind of guy that when someone believes in you and wants you, I usually like that. We’ll see.” – Zuccarello on exit interview day"

Instead, the question revolves around how much the forward is worth.

Will the Dallas Stars be willing to give him a five-year extension even if it would mean keeping him under contract until age 37, or should they aim for a four-year deal instead? And would Zuccarello be willing to sign for that, or does he want more security?

And what about salary? Is an AAV of $6 million enough to cover a new deal, or will he charge more? How high would Nill be willing to go in the negotiation?

Both sides said all of the right things on exit interview day and entertained the hope of a long-term reunion for the benefit of Zuccarello and the Stars. But a lot of questions still linger on the table about what his next contract should look like and whether he actually wants to stay in Dallas for what might be the final contract of his NHL career.

Either way, Nill has 23 days before other teams can start lighting up the forward’s phone.