Matt Duchene has done so much for the Dallas Stars over the last couple of seasons. From scoring goals to taking bargain contracts, Duchene has helped the Stars stay in contention for the Stanley Cup. When it came to free agency this year, there was no way that Duchene was going to retake another bargain contract. He was going to get a lot more than 3 million for one season. No one knew the price that was coming until it was announced this morning.
Matt Duchene signed a 4-year extension worth 4.5 million a year for a total of 18 million. The fan base was divided over this due to his performance in the playoffs the previous season. They have the right to be critical about that because Duchene's contributions could have helped the Stars make the Stanley Cup Finals this season. However, he's getting rewarded for what he's done during the regular season, and I think it's a bargain if you look at it from that perspective. You don't make the playoffs if you don't have players contributing on the ice over 82 games.
This signing will also give the Stars some much-needed experience in the locker room. Duchene has been one of the veteran voices in the locker room, and I'm sure he was one of the vocal voices during the last couple of playoff runs the Stars have had. That's something that you can't put a price on. The Stars are fortunate to have such a veteran leading this team to the Stanley Cup Finals next season. The only thing the fan base is going to gripe about is how much he's going to cost.
The Stars aren't done in terms of shaping their roster for next season. They don't have much left in terms of salary cap space. They need to make room to comply with league rules and create more space to sign additional players. Jim Nill has a busy three weeks ahead of him with picking out a new coach, managing the salary cap, and navigating the upcoming NHL Draft. There will be more news coming out of the Comerica Center in Frisco. Stay tuned to Blackout Dallas for more news regarding the Stars this summer.