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Jason Dickinson Re-Signs With Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars have come to an agreement with one of their restricted free agents, announcing a one-year $875K contract with forward Jason Dickinson. Dickinson was not eligible for salary arbitration, but didn’t need a very long negotiation anyway to come to some common ground with the Stars.

The 23-year old Dickinson is a tough case for Stars fans to watch. After being selected in the first round five years ago, the big center hasn’t been able to make almost any impact at the NHL level. In 38 career games, 27 of which came this season, he has just five points. Sure, Dickinson has been a good—but not outstanding—scorer at the AHL level, but at some point he’ll be expected to take the next step. That certainly hasn’t happened yet, though there were flashes of brilliance in his play at times last season.

Now coming off his entry-level contract, Dickinson has earned a one-way deal and should get a good shot at locking down a full-time NHL role in training camp. He’s now waiver eligible, meaning the Stars can’t just send him down and hope he keeps developing in Texas. There’s no guarantee someone would pick him up, but he’s exactly the type of low-risk high-reward player a rebuilding club would be targeting near the end of camp. The question will be where he fits into the Dallas lineup, and whether he can produce enough of anything—defense or offense—to stick this time around.

Dickinson will still be a restricted free agent when the deal expires, though his qualifying offer will only increase once again.

Poll: Where Will Erik Karlsson Play In 2018-19?

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Since John Tavares decided on the Toronto Maple Leafs as his destination of choice in free agency, all eyes have turned to another Ontario-based superstar who might be changing locales in short order. Erik Karlsson has been given the opportunity to negotiate extensions with potential acquiring teams, and seems destined to be moved at some point in the next few days or weeks. The Ottawa Senators captain has one year left on his current contract, and was reportedly offered an eight-year, $80MM extension by the team. That number comes in slightly below the contract given to Drew Doughty (eight years, $88MM) which is seen by many as the measuring stick for Karlsson’s next deal.

Recently it was reported that the Dallas Stars had the inside track on any Karlsson trade, and as recently as a few hours ago Chris Stevenson of The Athletic tweeted that talks are ongoing between the two teams. The Stars have plenty of young talent, including Finnish defensemen Julis Honka and Miro Heiskanen, and are looking to compete while Jamie Benn, John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin are still in their prime. A Karlsson deal would make them immediate contenders, though it would obviously cost a ton in assets and salary.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Islanders and even Columbus Blue Jackets have been mentioned among other teams as potential destinations, and it is not clear at this point who will win out and land the two-time Norris Trophy winner. It’s not even guaranteed that Karlsson will move on from Ottawa, which he’s called his home for many years and could potentially still increase their offer to retain him should the offered packages not live up to their expectations.

Where do you think Karlsson will start the 2018-19 season? Vote below and make sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Which team will Erik Karlsson play for at the start of the 2018-19 season?
Vegas Golden Knights 27.41% (773 votes)
Dallas Stars 22.84% (644 votes)
Other (leave in comments) 19.47% (549 votes)
Ottawa Senators 10.25% (289 votes)
New York Islanders 10.14% (286 votes)
Tampa Bay Lightning 9.89% (279 votes)
Total Votes: 2,820

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Dallas Stars Leading Chase For Erik Karlsson

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After the Ottawa Senators offered superstar defenseman Erik Karlsson a contract that was not well-received, the team gave interested competitors the permission to speak to him about contract terms. NBC Sports’ Kathryn Tappen reported that the Senators’ offer was for eight years at $10MM per season, an amazing amount of money to a layperson but truthfully an insult to Karlsson in light of recent contracts signed by Drew Doughty and John Tavares. As such, Tappen and others have added that other teams are now in hot pursuit and serious trade talks are underway.

As of this evening, the leader in those talks are the Dallas Stars. The Athletic’s Chris Stevenson has heard from a source in the NHL that the Stars have emerged as a front runner for Karlsson and that Dallas and Ottawa are deep in talks about a trade that would include the Norris Trophy winner but not overpaid forward Bobby Ryan, a major hindrance in many teams’ acquisition plans. Stevenson is based in Ottawa and is allegedly close to the Senators and his The Athletic colleague in Dallas, Sean Shapiro, says that he has also heard that the Stars are legitimately interested and that a hypothetical deal is a real possibility.

Immediately, the question is what the potential return for the Senators could be that would both pry Karlsson out of Ottawa but also keep Ryan there. Shapiro believes that any deal for Karlsson would have to include young defenseman Julius Honka, while Ottawa may actually prefer a more established name like Esa Lindell. It would also make sense for the Sens to target the Stars top blue line prospect, 2017 third overall pick Miro Heiskanen. Others who could be part of the package include young two-way centers Radek Faksa or Devin Shore, recently re-acquired winger Valeri Nichushkin, and project forward Riley Tufte. While only time will tell if a trade is completed and what the pieces will be, this is the first time that any specific team has been confirmed to be in real trade talks for Karlsson and it now seems like only a matter of time before the all-word defender is traded, to Dallas or elsewhere.

Remi Elie Re-Signs With Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars have turned their attention to their own restricted free agents, and have signed Remi Elie to a one-year $735K contract. Elie had reached free agency for the first time since being selected 40th overall in 2013 and is coming off his first full season with the Stars. The $735K salary was the qualifying offer that Elie was given last week, as he still wasn’t eligible for arbitration.

Elie, 23, played 72 games for the Stars this season and recorded 14 points while getting just over 10 minutes of ice time per game. The big, physical winger was part of a Dallas bottom six that really threw their weight around last season, but will be asked to do more than just bang and crash going forward. It’s not like Elie doesn’t have some offensive skill, but with such a top-heavy lineup in Dallas wasn’t given much of a chance to use it. With a new coach in town in Jim Montgomery, perhaps players like Elie will get a chance to shine more and contribute at both ends of the rink.

Even if he doesn’t take a step forward offensively, an NHL player for $735K is always a bargain. The Stars still have work to do to become the powerhouse that many believed they were headed for a few seasons ago, and getting solid contributions from their young players is a big first step.

Avalanche Sign Scott Kosmachuk, Sheldon Dries; Re-Sign Joe Cannata

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The Colorado Avalanche added depth to their team today signing two players when they inked Scott Kosmachuk and Sheldon Dries, according to Denver Post’s Mike Chambers. No terms were announced for the two signings. The scribe also added that the team re-signed goaltender Joe Cannata, who signed a one-year, two-way, $665K deal (via CapFriendly).

Kosmachuk comes over from the New York Rangers organization where he played exclusively for the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL. The 24-year-old winger posted solid numbers there with 15 goals and 42 points. A Winnipeg Jets’ third-rounder in 2012, he has spent most of his career in the AHL, although he did get into nine games for the Jets back in 2015-16.

Dries may have the most upside as the 24-year-old had a solid rookie campaign last year with the AHL’s Texas Stars, on an AHL deal, after a four-year career at Western Michigan. The undrafted free agent scored 19 goals and 30 points, but even more importantly, posted 10 goals in 22 playoff games which took the team to the Calder Cup Finals. Dries’ new NHL deal is a one-year entry-level contract.

Cannata split time between the ECHL’s Colorado Eagles and the AHL San Antonio Rampage, but spent the majority of the season as the starting goaltender for Eagles, who won their second straight Kelly Cup title this year. The 28-year-old played 28 regular season games, posting a .931 save percentage and then followed that up with 22 playoff appearances in which he picked up 16 wins and a .913 save percentage. With the team’s ECHL affiliate now moving to Utah, the team wants to lock down their champion goaltender for another year.

Ottawa Senators Sign Mike McKenna

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The Ottawa Senators will bring back a familiar face in journeyman goaltender Mike McKenna, who previously played for the organization in 2011-12. The team announced a one-year, two-way deal for McKenna, who is currently slotted at the third-string goalie. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch adds that the veteran will make $700K at the NHL level and $175K at the AHL level, where he excelled with the Texas Stars last season.

More to come…

 

Dallas Stars Sign Forward Erik Condra

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The Dallas Stars continue to make moves as the first day of free agency wears on. The team announced a one-year, two-way deal with two-way forward Erik Condra. No salary terms have yet been disclosed, but it will surely be a step down from the $1.25MM cap hit Condra has carried the last three seasons for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Condra, 31, is a sneaky good signing for a Stars organization that experienced a lot of success at the minor league level with established veterans. Names like Curtis McKenzie, Travis Morin, Sheldon Dries and Mike McKenna took the Texas Stars all the way to the Calder Cup Finals despite being underdogs in every postseason series, and while Condra will attempt to crack the Dallas roster, his presence could bring about another successful season for the minor league club.

Originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators in 2006, Condra has 392 NHL games under his belt including 26 playoff contests, and won a Calder Cup in 2011 while a member of the Binghamton Senators. He helped the Syracuse Crunch to a finals berth in 2016-17 while wearing a captain’s “C” and was an effective player for them again in the most recent season.

Stars Sign Michael Mersch And Joel Hanley

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The Dallas Stars continue a busy day with contract for two valued minor league players. The team signed forward Michael Mersch to a two-year, two-way contract and signed defenseman Joel Hanley to a one-year, two-way contract. Salary terms were not disclosed.

The Texas Stars, Dallas’ AHL affiliate, went all the way to the Calder Cup Finals this season before eventually losing at the hands of the Toronto Marlies and are trying to get back there next season. After losing some of their veteran names, the team has replaced them with two useful options. Mersch, 25, is a big-bodied forward that has a knack for putting the puck in the net and recorded 21 goals and 49 points in just 65 games for the Ontario Reign in 2017-18. He’ll be a big presence at the top of the lineup for Texas, but shouldn’t be expected to compete much for a spot with Dallas.

Hanley, 27, is a well established two-way defenseman that will add some more depth to the Texas blue line and allow the organization to focus on development of some of their young players. He’ll likely be asked to cover some of the tough minutes, and let the more dynamic offensive players take advantage of weaker competition.

Golden Knights Sign Forward Curtis McKenzie

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The Vegas Golden Knights add another name to the mix up front, signing former Dallas Stars forward Curtis McKenzie. Sportsnet’s Rich Dhaliwal reports that it is a two-year, $1.5MM contract for the high-scoring AHLer. At just $750K AAV, McKenzie should compete for a regular job next season as an affordable depth option.

The 27-year-old already has some NHL experience as he has played in 99 games so far in his career, including 53-game season for the Stars during the 2016-17 season in which he tallied six goals and 16 points. However, he was not able to crack Ken Hitchcock’s rotation last year, spending the majority of his season with the Texas Stars where he posted 25 goals and 48 points, including being a major factor in the Texas Stars’ playoff run that got them to the Calder Cup Finals. He tallied 11 goals and 20 points in 22 playoff games.

The AHL veteran will have a tough time winning a spot on the Golden Knights bottom-six, but will be a great depth option as well as beef up their minor-league system as the one-year expansion team still has much work to add to their prospect pool.

Canucks Sign Jay Beagle And Antoine Roussel

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The Vancouver Canucks have decided to add some veteran leadership to the bottom-six, signing  Antoine Roussel and Jay Beagle to matching four-year, $12MM contracts. The pair will carry an average annual value of $3MM each, while both will get some level of trade protection.

Roussel, 28, recorded five goals and twelves assists in 73 games last year for the Dallas Stars, though he totaled 25+ points in each of the four seasons prior. Beagle, 32, if fresh off of a Stanley Cup title with the Washington Capitals and remains one of the top face-off men in the league and set a career-high with 30 points a year ago.

Vancouver GM Jim Benning is clearly investing in bottom-six experience and two-way ability, targeting both players and doing whatever took to bring them in. Both players drew ample attention and the Canucks reportedly had to beat out competitors in a tight bidding war for each contract.

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