How much cap space do the Dallas Stars have in the 2024 NHL offseason?

The Dallas Stars and their fans are rightfully thinking about winning a Stanley Cup, but it never hurts to take a deeper dive into the offseason to see if they are in a good position to keep their core together and to work toward keeping their perennial Cup contention going for as long as they can. 

The Stars have quite a few unrestricted free agents, but they are mainly in their mid-to-late thirties. This doesn’t mean they shouldn’t re-sign them, as Joe Pavelski, for example, is still one of the league’s better players, and Matt Duchene isn’t far behind. 

But thanks to their respective ages, they won’t cost a lot of money in cap space, nor would lower-liner Craig Smith. Jani Hakanpaa, Scott Wedgewood, and Chris Tanev also wouldn’t cost much to keep around, meaning there is a good chance the Stars don’t look so different next season, especially when you factor in their $19.355 million in cap space.

Dallas Stars have affordable UFAs, respectable cap space for 2024-25

On paper, it also looks like general manager Jim Nill could keep everything intact and even make a reasonable addition this summer. But here’s the issue: Jake Oettinger will be in line for a contract extension when the league year begins. However, there doesn’t need to be a rush to extend Oettinger, especially with four restricted free agents in the lineup who must re-sign this offseason. 

Nill also needs to start thinking about extending Wyatt Johnston, who will also be eligible once the summer rolls around. Should Nill extend both players either in the summer or look to wait until some point in the season, it could hinder Dallas from making any additions if he also wants to keep the entire team intact. 

Considering how well the Stars have played this season, and given their status as one of the league’s deepest teams, should Nill even consider adding more talent? If he does, or can, then great. If not, the Stars have enough on this team to make a similar run next season.