Dallas Stars Rumors: Keeping Up With 2019 Free Agency Reports

The opening of NHL Free Agency is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT. But before we take a headfirst dive into the frenzy, here are some of the intriguing reports and confirmed moves involving the Dallas Stars.

While the NHL world awaits the confirmed destinations of highly-coveted free agents like Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene, and Sergei Bobrovsky, the Dallas Stars are in the thick of the frenzy.

The 2019 NHL free agent signing period opens at 11 a.m. CT on Monday morning, giving teams the first opportunity to begin signing free agents on the market. Whether it’s a big fish that could totally revamp the team or some smaller names to retool certain areas of the roster, July 1 is the best and most accessible time for NHL teams to begin piecing together what they hope will be a contender in the season ahead.

But, just as a child begins speculating what Christmas gifts may be awaiting them under the tree on Christmas Eve based on shapes or weights, the day before Free Agency comes with rumors, reports, and speculations across the NHL.

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On Sunday night, NHL insiders and reporters began leaking reports regarding where some of the bigger names on the free agent market would end up signing. The reports hit Twitter and quickly spread like a virus across other social media platforms and even TV networks.

One of the more popular team names in the reports, as you may have guessed, was the Dallas Stars. There’s a reason behind that.

GM Jim Nill has never been one to shy away from swinging for the fences in Free Agency. From trading for Tyler Seguin in 2013 and Jason Spezza in 2014, to signing Ben Bishop and Alexander Radulov in 2017, the Stars are known for going all out on July 1.

This year looks to be no different. After falling one goal short of a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2019 after a surprising season under rookie head coach Jim Montgomery, the Stars look poised to make another run in 2019-20. But it will take a few tweaks to the lineup.

That’s where the reports and rumors come in. And so, as the free agent signing window opens on Monday morning, here is what we have heard and can officially confirm so far:

• The Stars have been linked to former San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski for the past few days. He visited Dallas on Wednesday and it was reported that he was down to Dallas and Tampa Bay as his preferred destinations. On Sunday night, it was reported by multiple sources that he would sign a three-year deal with the Dallas Stars with an AAV coming in around $7 million.
• Minutes later, a handful of sources reported that the Stars were also targeting forward Corey Perry on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million. Perry was recently bought out of the final two years of his contract with the Anaheim Ducks, but is a veteran forward that still seems to have enough left in the tank for one last push after a knee surgery limited his 2018-19 production.
• On Monday morning, a handful of sources began reporting that the Dallas Stars were also interested in signing defenseman Andrej Sekera to a one-year deal. Sekera was recently bought out by the Edmonton Oilers, but is a veteran defender that could serve as a cheap insurance policy for Stephen Johns (assuming he isn’t ready to play in the 2019-20 season).
• The hiring of John Stevens as an assistant coach and re-signing of RFA Landon Bow on a one-year, two-way deal are the only confirmations so far.

Stay tuned for more updates and confirmations.