The Dallas Stars are about to undergo one of the most difficult offseasons in franchise history. With the Stars having just under five million to work with, lots of difficult decisions are going to be made. Whether that be which players to trade in a salary dump, or deciding which pending free agent not to bring back. It's going to be a summer of tough goodbyes.
One of the players whose future is uncertain is Mikael Granlund. After being traded to Dallas in February, he posted seven goals and 14 assists for 21 points in 31 games. He was also a significant contributor during the Stars' run to the Western Conference Finals, tallying five goals and five assists for 10 points. Because of this performance, Granlund should be in line for a big contract this offseason. Here are three teams that will be competing with the Stars for Granlund's services.
1) Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens were one of the surprise teams of the 2024-25 season. Coming into the season, the team was expected to be competitive but was likely to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season. However, they stunned everyone by finishing with a 40-31-11 record and sneaking into the Playoffs. Although they lost to the Capitals in five games, this season demonstrated that the Canadiens are ready to compete again.
The big reason for the Canadiens' success was the emergence of several key players. Guys like Cole Caufiled and Juraj Slafkovsky took significant steps in their development and proved they can be quality top-six forwards. They were also one of the best defense teams in the league, led by Calder winner Lane Hutson. With Martin St. Louis and the young core, the Canadiens are set to become a great team.
However, to truly take that next step, they need another solid top-six forward. That's a role that Granlund can fill. He'll slide into the second-line center spot alongside Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher. This would give the top six a talented playmaker, who should improve the numbers of both Gallagher and Anderson.