Dallas Stars: Wrapping Up A Busy First Day Of 2019 Free Agency

July 1, 2019 came and went, and the Dallas Stars found a way to once again stay busy through it all. With the first day of Free Agency and plenty of signings and acquisitions now behind them, let’s look back at the recap.

When asked about the moves made by Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill on Monday, July 1, head coach Jim Montgomery simply smiled and replied:

“Happy 50th birthday to me. Honestly, an unreal job by Jim Nill and everybody associated that helps him. You look at the type of people we’re adding: leadership qualities, veteran presence, and people that know how to score goals, go to the tough areas, and hopefully draw more penalties next year. A lot of positives.”

In many ways, that’s all you could ever hope to hear from the head coach of your favorite team. And while their reaction to decisions made by management will more often than not be positive in front of the camera, Montgomery made his excitement clear throughout the rest of his nine-minute chat with the media.

“We’re getting pros and we’re getting hockey players. I think the best description you can get is that if someone is an elite hockey player on the ice but that also carries over to their attitude on the ice. We got tougher mentally, we got tougher in the dressing room, and we have more voices that are going to talk in the dressing room. There’s going to be more people to hold each other accountable. Like I said, Jim Nill did a great job.” –Montgomery on the newest additions

And he had every right to be excited. After all, the Dallas Stars were one of the busier teams in the league when day one of Free Agency opened on July 1. But if you’ve been following the team for more than one or two seasons, you already know that Nill’s July 1 activity is nothing out of the ordinary.

Since taking over as GM in 2013, Nill has made a habit of staying consistently active in the weeks leading up to the opening of free agency, which usually gives him the ability to make a sizable splash on day one. Whether that’s landing one or two big superstar names on the market or via trade or signing a number of depth players to round out weak spots on the roster, he’s always busy when it comes to July 1.

But on July 1, 2019, he morphed his two Free Agency “paths” together by reeling in one or two big names that should both round out the roster and help solidify the team as a contender. It’s how he managed accomplish it, though, that might be the most impressive part.

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After dealing with a bit of a cap space dilemma (the Stars had around $10 million in space a little over one week ago), Nill began making moves. He traded Tyler Pitlick to the Philadelphia Flyers for RFA Ryan Hartman and decided to not qualify or re-sign the RFA. He also didn’t qualify RFA Brett Ritchie and left the forward for free agency.

A few days later, he bought out Valeri Nichushkin’s contract and effectively purged out half of the Stars’ bottom six on offense in a matter of days. That opened up almost $4 million in cap space (more if you add in what it would have cost to bring Ritchie back) and gave Dallas the flexibility to make multiple moves on the free agent market.

And when July 1 rolled around, Nill cashed in by signing Joe Pavelski, Corey Perry, and Andrej Sekera. Each move was substantial in its own regard and helped beef up different areas of the organization. In addition, he made a handful of depth signings for the farm system and hired John Stevens to replace Stu Barnes as the newest assistant coach.

With all of these moves compiled together, the Dallas Stars feel like they have formed a contender. You could see it in Jim Montgomery’s expressions on Monday afternoon. You could hear it in Nill’s words and the words of some of their newest acquisitions. There’s a certain feeling looming around the organization right now that, after falling one goal short of a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2019, they are ready to go further in 2019-20.

That’s due in large part to another busy July 1 and impressive effort by Jim Nill.

And with the Stars now planning to “let the dust settle” as Nill put it and handle some internal housekeeping items (like re-signing Jason Dickinson), here’s a rundown of the moves they made on July 1.

Joe Pavelski

After visiting the Dallas Stars’ practice facility on Wednesday as part of his “free agent interview period” adventure and the rumors spreading on Saturday that he was expected to sign in Dallas, the Stars signing Joe Pavelski on July 1 didn’t necessarily come as a shock.

But that in no way diminishes the impact that the signing carries.

Dallas inked the former San Jose Sharks captain and All-Star to a three-year contract that carries an AAV of $7 million. The deal will make him the third highest-paid player on the team, coming in just below Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin in terms of AAV. There’s a good reason for that.

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Pavelski, 34, is coming off of one of the best seasons of his 13-year NHL career. In his fourth season as captain, Pavelski logged 38 goals, 64 points (21 of which came on the power play), and won 53.2 percent of his draws in the face-off dot across 75 regular season games. He also tacked on four goals and nine points in 13 postseason contests.

It was another successful year in a strand of quality campaigns put together by the center. Since the 2013-14 season, Pavelski has averaged 34 goals, 71 points, and a face-off win percentage of 54.0 percent in 19:33 of average ice time per game. He’s also been a reliable force in the lineup, missing just eight games over the past eight seasons combined.

And when the Sharks couldn’t find a fit for him under their cap after signing defenseman Erik Karlsson to a large extension, Pavelski began searching for what should be the final home of his NHL career.

“Well obviously, I was getting closer to the free agent window,” Pavelski said during a phone interview on July 1. “Once that happened, there were a lot of teams calling in. It was kind of always the thought of if we’re going to be leaving San Jose, we weren’t just going to go to the highest bidder. There were definitely some boxes that we wanted checked off. One of them was we wanted to feel that the team was close to winning. And after playing against the Stars and playing against some of their players and kind of the season that they had, they were a team that checked off a lot of the boxes for us.

“So, they were one of the couple of teams that we visited and talked to and that’s how one of the visits started with them. Then we came in and we spent a couple of days there with some of the management, saw the city, the youth rinks, the schools, and the neighborhoods and just really tried to visualize ourselves being here. It seemed like a perfect fit for us.”

And while the Stars check off a lot of Pavelski’s boxes, he more than satisfies many of their needs.

“I showed him video as to why and how we needed him and why he’s going to make us better. Then it was lunch with Jim Nill, Jamie Benn was there, and Tom Holy came because he has a great relationship with him. It was a great team effort, and that’s not bumping anyone’s tires. I think he understood how close we all are and how much we all believe that we’re headed in the right direction, and I think that was important for him. Being able to see and believe that we are and we believe that we’re that close to being one of the elite teams is something that obviously was very important to Joe.” –Montgomery on his role in recruiting Pavelski to Dallas

With Pavelski, the Dallas Stars are getting a veteran leader that can play any position on offense, drive possession, play valuable minutes on the power play and penalty kill, and help round out their top-six. He’s got a knack for scoring goals and succeeds at doing so in front of the net using a deflection after gaining position. He can boost an offense and make the players around him better scorers.

“With Joe Pavelski, he’s someone that has overachieved his whole career in a lot of people’s minds, even people today still underestimate him,” Montgomery said of the newly-acquired center. “Because of his details and his habits, he’s a perfectionist. He works at it and it’s not by fluke that he scores 38 goals at the age of 34. I don’t see him slowing down and I actually think he’s going to make everybody a better goal scorer because of his habits and details. If you don’t learn by osmosis, you’re not out on the ice enough and he’s going to drag you into that.”

Pavelski’s high hockey IQ, reliability, and offensive capabilities make him an intriguing add for Dallas after the departure of Mats Zuccarello. And though he’s a bit older than Zuccarello, there’s no doubt in the forward’s mind that he will be ready to make a sudden and sizable impact in the Dallas lineup next season.

“I feel great right now,” Pavelski said. “I don’t know what people say their prime is, but some of my best years have been 30-35. There’s no reason that number isn’t going to stretch to 35, 36, and 37 and I believe that. The one knock on me has always been my skating and that I haven’t been as fast as the other guys, but I’ve never felt out of place out there and I’ve always been able to get it done. I’ve been at this level for a long time and I don’t see it going down.”

It’s an intriguing add for the Dallas Stars and should bolster an offense that finished 28th in scoring last year. If Pavelski can come in and contribute at least 30 goals (which he’s done in four of the past six seasons) while also generating possession time and making the young forwards around him better, he just might be one of the best additions any team makes in the 2019 offseason.

Corey Perry

While the Pavelski signing had a certain predictability to it, signing Corey Perry provided a bit more of a shock factor (especially for Stars fans that had spent the past 5+ years booing him every time he touched the puck).

And so, when the Dallas Stars announced a one-year, $1.5 million agreement (with $1.75 million in potential bonuses attached) with the 34-year-old forward, there was a sense of caution embraced by many of the organization’s followers.

“It’s been a whirlwind the last few weeks. Not knowing where you’re going to play and going through this whole process, I’m very excited to be joining Dallas. We have a great team and I’m looking to win another Stanley Cup. That’s my biggest goal and that’s why I chose Dallas. You look at their roster right from the goalie on out to the defense and the forwards, it looks like a great fit.” –Perry on joining the Stars

On the one hand, Perry is coming off of a knee surgery that sidelined him for most of the 2018-19 season with the Anaheim Ducks. Upon returning earlier than he was supposed to, he couldn’t keep up with his normal scoring pace and ended the year with six goals, 10 points, and a -16 rating in 31 games.

That combined with the fact that the Ducks are trying to get younger led the team to buy Perry out of the final two years of his contract in early June.

But that doesn’t mean he can’t still be a valuable asset to a Stars team that may end up paying him less than the Ducks do during the 2019-20 season.

“Corey Perry blew his knee out last year in September at camp, and that’s an injury that takes a year to recover,” Nill said of his confidence in Perry. “He came back I think two months earlier than he was supposed to, so we knew there was going to be a period when people were watching him in February and March and he was struggling, but you know that with those injuries.

“Corey Perry has been a world-class player and he’s won Olympics, a Stanley Cup, he’s been an MVP of the league, and he’s won the scoring race. Those guys just don’t go away. He’s still got that fire in him, he wants to win, and that’s why he came here. It’s a contract where he’s saying, ‘You know what? I’m still a player in this league,’ and that’s what excites me because he’s going to have a bounce back year.”

Bolts by the Bay

Perry’s 372 goals and 776 points made him one of the faces of the franchise in his 14 seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. He’s an agitating winger that can play on special teams, provide a valuable net-front presence, and get under an opponent’s skin while adding a valuable scoring touch.

Bringing him onto the roster after a recent buyout is valuable for a few different reasons. On the one hand, the Dallas Stars were able to get him on a cheap contract considering he still has salary coming in from Anaheim. To add onto that, Perry sounds all the more motivated to get back in the game and prove people wrong with a competitive year.

“Physically, I feel great,” Perry said. “I’m 100 percent and the knee feels 100 percent. I’ve already started skating, so it’s definitely going to be hopefully a great year for me and a bounce back year. I’m ready to prove people wrong.

“I think if I can go in, fit right in right away, and get off on the right foot, I think it’s going to be great. For me personally, I’m going in there with the right attitude and motivation to prove people wrong. I’ve done that throughout my whole career and it’s worked so far. Hopefully it continues to do that.”

If the Stars can slot him on the second line or third line as well as the second power play unit while getting 15-20 goals and 30-40 points from him on the second or third line, Perry will simply become another one of Nill’s underrated signings. Either way, the Stars are getting another veteran-caliber player to further load their offense and balance out the youth.

“Accountability, speaking up when the room or team needs it, grabbing guys as a big brother but also maybe punching guys in the stomach sometimes when they need to be punched, that’s what I think they’re going to provide,” Montgomery said of Perry and Pavelski. “They came here to win, so I don’t think they’re going to waste any time trying to assert themselves as leaders.”

“They’re a quick team,” Perry said of the Stars. “Like I said, they have everything that I want in a hockey team and they’re on the verge of putting something really great together. I want to be a part of that. That’s why I chose Dallas.”

And if Dallas Stars fans can find a way to bury their grievances with Perry considering his history of playing against the organization, it’ll be all the more better.

“We’ve had so many battles, that’s for sure,” Perry mentioned. “I think once they get to know me and watch me on a nightly basis and not just playing against them, it’s going to be a good fit. I’m excited to get to Dallas and be a part of that community and organization.”

Andrej Sekera

To round out their July 1 in terms of major signings, let’s talk about another quality depth move that involves no risk and a potentially sizable reward. Let’s talk about Andrej Sekera.

“I think my agent phoned me after I got bought out, probably an hour later, and told me Dallas might be interested and some other teams as well. But Dallas was very straightforward and they offered me a contract. It was a no-brainer for me to take. I know what kind of situation I was in the last few years, but now I am healthy, ready to roll, and I will do my best to help win as many games as possible.” –Sekera on signing with the Stars

The Dallas Stars signed Sekera to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million (with $500,000 in potential bonuses attached). And, much like Corey Perry’s situation, he’s a veteran player coming off of an injury and buyout with something left to prove.

“He’s had two tough years,” Nill mentioned. “He blew his knee out the one year, and the next year at training camp he injured his Achilles tendon. Those are injuries that take about a year to recover from. He came back in February and started playing and then he played in the World Championships We saw him over there and he played really well.

Stars and Sticks

“Once again, just because of the cap situation, Edmonton made a decision that they have to move on. We’re fortunate that we’re getting another guy that wants to show that he still has something left in his game. We watched him in the World Championships and he’s skating better. We think he’s going to get even better just from time and training.”

Sekera is a bit of an NHL journeyman, having played with four different teams in his 13 years in the NHL. But in past seasons, he’s been a steady defender that moves the puck well and can play top minutes. As Montgomery noted, he was the top defenseman for both the Hurricanes and Oilers for a handful of years and knows how to provide stability.

“It makes us almost an all-European defense,” Montgomery added. “It adds to our quota of Europeans, which is important because we do have a significant group and a really important group to our core. So, that’s good. If he plays with Roman Polak, I don’t know if we’re ever going to understand what they’re talking about.

“But it’s important. What we like is his ability to move pucks and his ability that he has been a top-two and a top-four his whole career in the NHL. That’s something to know how to play those minutes in the NHL, manage your ice time, and excel.”

Sekera is a left-handed shot that knows how to play anywhere in the lineup and can log heavy minutes when necessary. Bringing him in with a relatively young defensive group (especially when considering the departure of Ben Lovejoy and Marc Methot) should only further balance out the blue line and help them capitalize a successful performance in 2018-19.

“A lot of young and talented guys on the back end and in the net,” he said of the Dallas defense. “This team was really dangerous last year and it will only get better this year as well. So, a couple of additions they made in the market will help the team and I’m just really fortunate to be a part of this group.”