The 2019 offseason is here. And with each offseason comes a lot that the Dallas Stars have to keep an eye on. Here are some Monday links to keep you updated on all that’s gone down.
The Dallas Stars sit just four days away from the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, six days away from being able to meet with unrestricted free agents, and 14 days away from the opening of NHL Free Agency. On top of that, they have eight days to qualify or re-sign their remaining RFAs and six days before their own UFAs can begin meeting with other teams.
And while that’s a lot to take in, they’re in good company. This is arguably the busiest week in the NHL offseason when it comes to preparation and looking ahead at a summer of possibilities.
Luckily for the Stars, their current to-do list for the 2019 offseason looks much less cluttered than in previous summers. In the past few years, Dallas has needed everything from veteran help on defense, a new stock of right wings, plenty of help in the depth scoring department, a starting-caliber goaltender, and a scoring forward to compliment their top line.
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But in the offseason ahead, the Dallas Stars seem to be in a pretty good spot. Assuming they can sign Mats Zuccarello to an extension and get their RFAs figured out, this offseason could very well involve Dallas staying relatively quiet (though acquiring a top-four starting defenseman might still be on the radar).
Even so, the rest of the NHL is staying busy with trades, hirings, extensions, and draft preparations.
And on the Monday before draft weekend, there was a little bit of all of that to keep up with. While the Dallas Stars weren’t involved in any of the major moves, it was an important day to take note of as the offseason action begins to heat up.
Here are some links to update you on anything that you might have missed:
With the 2018-19 season over, it’s never too early to start looking ahead at what awaits in the 2019-20 season. ESPN did just that by drafting their way-too-early 2019-20 power rankings (ESPN)
Though Dallas assistants Todd Nelson and Rick Bowness were candidates at one point, the Anaheim Ducks went another direction in their head coaching search by officially hiring Dallas Eakins (Orange County Register)
While the Stars put together a successful 2018-19 season on the ice, their fans put together another impressive showing in the stands. Here’s a look at their 2018-19 attendance numbers when compared to years past (Blackout Dallas)
The 2019 NHL Awards are on Wednesday night in Vegas. Will Ben Bishop walk away with the first Vezina Trophy in Dallas Stars history? Some members of the NHL.com staff break down the debate (NHL.com)
There was trade movement in the Central division on Monday as the Winnipeg Jets dealt defenseman Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers in exchange for Neal Pionk and the 20th overall pick in this year’s draft (TSN)
With the 2019 NHL Draft right around the corner, it’s a good opportunity to look back at some recent draft classes for the Dallas Stars. Mike Heika did that with the 2016 class (DallasStars.com)
The Sharks were also busy on Monday morning as they re-signed defenseman Erik Karlsson to a mega eight-year extension and put the rest of their free agency moves into serious questioning (NHL.com)
Monday brought a lot of news, information, and debates to the hockey world while also causing plenty of teams to likely alter their game plans.
And considering the week is still young, the craziness may just be getting started.