Stars Notes: Roussel, Elie, Hemsky
Injuries, a significant factor in the Dallas Stars disappointing season, continue to haunt the club as according to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News, Antoine Roussel is now expected to miss essentially the rest of the season with a hand injury. The physical winger, who leads the NHL in PIM’s with 115, is in the midst of a career offensive campaign with 12 goals and 27 points in 60 appearances. Given that pace, Roussel would have finished with roughly 16 goals and 37 points had he completed the campaign healthy. Instead it appears as if the Stars will be without another of their key contributors for a lengthy stretch.
The bright side, if it can really be called that, is the Stars now have the opportunity to see what some of their AHL talent can do at the NHL level. First up will be Remi Elie, the team’s second-round draft choice in 2013 who has 25 points in 50 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars. Elie was called up last week but didn’t get into a game. Now it appears he will make his NHL debut after the team recalled him from Texas on an emergency basis.
Heika also reports that forward Adam Cracknell, out since February 18th with a lower-body injury, may be ready to return to the lineup as early as Monday when the Stars travel to Washington to face the Capitals. Cracknell, a veteran of seven NHL campaigns, is having a solid season with a career-high seven goals in 52 games while registering a +10 plus/minus rating.
The news of Roussel’s injury comes on the heels of the long-awaited return of scoring forward Ales Hemsky, who made just his second appearance of the season following surgery to repair a groin injury suffered during the World Cup. In a separate piece for the Dallas Morning News, Heika writes that Hemsky “hopes to make a statement” down the stretch in order to prove that he is once again fully healthy and able to contribute secondary scoring to teams who may be in that market this summer. Hemsky, in the final year of a three-year deal with the Stars, is poised to hit free agency and a strong performance in the season’s final leg would likely position the 33-year-old winger to earn an NHL contract next year despite missing much of the current campaign.
For his part, the veteran of 14 NHL seasons would like to return to Dallas and rekindle the chemistry he shared with Radek Faksa and Roussel in 2015-16. According to Heika, that trio was at times the Stars’ best line for a three-month stretch last year and given the likelihood the team will fancy itself a potential contender next season, bringing back a healthy and productive Hemsky on a short-term deal could prove to be a wise and relatively inexpensive move.
Metro Division Notes: Shattenkirk, Rangers, Schultz
Since deciding they would need to deal veteran defenseman Kevin Shattnkirk rather than risk losing him for nothing as a free agent, the St. Louis Blues worked hard to find a team with whom the blue liner would agree to a long term extension and thus be able to extract top value from their asset via trade. Deals evidently fell through with Edmonton and Tampa Bay, however, due to Shattenkirk’s preference to test unrestricted free agency. Ultimately the Blues caved and marketed Shattenkirk as a rental, agreeing to send him to Washington for a fair return, though likely not as high a price as they originally hoped to secure.
But according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post, the idea of Shattenkirk representing only a rental may be a bit premature. The scribe notes that both sides would be open to the blue liner remaining with the Capitals beyond the 2016-17 postseason. However, as Khurshudyan also points out, the team has several other potential free agents that would likely take priority over re-signing Shattenkirk, who may be more of a luxury to the Caps than a vital cog. With $51MM already committed to the 2017-18 salary cap, it’s far more likely the team will focus their limited resources on bringing back potential UFA’s T.J. Oshie and Karl Alzner, while also working out an long-term extension with talented center Evgeny Kuznetsov. Those deals would easily eat up most of the Capitals available space, leaving it nearly impossible for them to also fit Shattenkirk in under the cap barring a surprising trade to clear salary elsewhere.
More from the Metro:
- The New York Rangers, another team believed to have been interested in the aforementioned Shattenkirk, instead opted to shop in the second tier market, coming away with the solid, if unspectacular Brendan Smith at the deadline. It’s unclear whether the Blueshirts have enough talent to seriously contend for a Stanley Cup in a conference that includes the Capitals, Penguins and Blue Jackets, any one of whom has a decent shot to come out of the East. But one prominent former player thinks the team’s speed, skill and depth is enough to launch the Rangers into Stanley Cup contention. Justin Terranova of the New York Post spoke with former Blueshirts team captain Dave Maloney, and the MSG analyst contends the team is a far cry better than the one that flamed out in round one of last season’s playoffs and is good enough to win it all in 2017. He cites the changes made in how the team plays in their own end as a major difference between this year’s Rangers and last season’s edition. Maloney also adds that bringing in Smith addressed a team need and that while the blue liner hasn’t lived up to his billing as a former first-round pick, his size, mobility and familiarity with Ryan McDonagh and Derek Stepan, former teammates of his at the University of Wisconsin, make him a strong fit on the team’s back end. It remains to be seen whether the Rangers defense corps is good enough to slow down teams like Washington and Pittsburgh come playoff time, even after the addition of Smith.
- While deadline day disappointed many given the lack of high profile deals, anyone who needs a refresher that often times less significant swaps turn out to ultimately have more impact than the blockbusters need look no further than Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz. The defenseman entered the league with high expectations after a stellar college career, but Schultz struggled in three-plus seasons with Edmonton before a deadline deal to Pittsburgh just one year ago helped resurrect his career. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette notes that the 26-year-old blue liner last night broke the 40-point plateau for the first time and may now be well on his way to scoring a lucrative multiyear extension as a restricted free agent this summer. Twelve months ago, in search of some skill and depth on the blue line, the Penguins shipped a third-round pick to Edmonton for Schultz and the former Wisconsin Badger ended up playing a significant role in the team’s run to the Stanley Cup championship. Now with 10 goals and 41 points on the season, he is among the league’s top offensive threats from the back end and may be in line for a huge raise over the $1.4MM salary he currently makes. Not bad for a relatively inconsequential trade deadline acquisition one year ago.
Snapshots: Quincey, Duchene, Smith
Kyle Quincey has been removed from the lineup for the New Jersey Devils tonight against the Montreal Canadiens and though a deal is not imminent it is likely before Wednesday’s trade deadline. The team is keeping him in the press box to make sure he doesn’t suffer an injury as they are now firmly in the selling position. Deb Kaufman Placey of MSG Network reports that Quincey came to the arena today expecting to play, but was told by GM Ray Shero what was in store for him.
Quincey was signed for just $1.25MM this summer after the Detroit Red Wings let him walk in free agency. Once thought of as an integral part of the blueline in Detroit, his effectiveness was questioned over the past few years and it was ultimately decided to not re-sign him. In New Jersey, he’s put in a quietly effective season as one of the only players on the team with a positive plus/minus and improving possession numbers. He spoke to the media about the last time he was dealt at the deadline, in 2012 back to the team that drafted him. He’ll likely add to the Devils’ growing collection of draft picks in the next couple of days.
- Matt Duchene isn’t worried about what the trade deadline has in store for him, but will definitely be glad to see it pass. Terry Frei of the Denver Post caught up to Duchene after practice this morning where the young forward told him he’s “just focusing on getting to Philly tonight and preparing for the game tomorrow.” Unfortunately for Duchene his name will undoubtedly come back up as soon as the season ends if he isn’t traded by Wednesday’s deadline, as the team clearly seems to want to move on from their current core. The Avalanche are still in dead last in the league with only 37 points and will have the best chance to select one of Nolan Patrick or Nico Hischier to replace the star centerman should he make his exit in the next few months.
- As written today after the Detroit Red Wings signed defenseman Nick Jensen to a two-year extension, the team has now turned to a possible extension for Brendan Smith. Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News reports that Smith’s agent is in active negotiations with the Red Wings and has hopes for a deal being signed soon. Smith is earning $2.75MM this year and is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Lightning Trade Ben Bishop To Kings
Superstar goalie and impending free agent Ben Bishop has been traded by the Tampa Lightning to the Los Angeles Kings. TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to break the news. The return for Tampa is confirmed to be 2016-17 surprise Peter Budaj, 2015 second-round defenseman Erik Cernak, a 2017 seventh-round pick, and another conditional 2017 pick. Details of the conditional pick are complicated, but in essence there is no pick if the Kings miss the playoffs and can go as high as a second-rounder depending on L.A.’s postseason success and Bishop’s play.
If this trade confuses you, you’re not alone, as it is officially the biggest surprise of the 2017 NHL Trade Deadline to date and will be tough to beat. The Kings just got back starter Jonathan Quick last night, after he had missed all but one game this season with injury. This is the same Quick that led the team to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014 and has a career 2.26 goals against average, a Conn Smythe, a Jennings, and an All-Star appearance. In his return, Quick allowed just one goal on 33 shots against the rival Anaheim Ducks and looked like he was fully healthy and ready to lead the Kings back into a playoff spot. So is Bishop an insurance policy for the stretch run? It’s possible. Bishop is an impending unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and would be, without question, the top goaltender on the open market. As far as deadline deals go, the Kings did not give up that much either. As good as Budaj has been, the 34-year-old was not in L.A.’s long-term plans. Cernak is a solid defensive prospect, playing for the OHL’s Erie Otters, who has a smart, responsible defensive style, but Cernak also lacks much offensive punch and was the King’s third or fourth-best defensive prospect at best.
The truly strange situation is that the Kings are currently fifth in the Pacific Division and sitting outside of a playoff spot and if they are going to get in, need scoring and not better goaltending. Budaj has been stellar and Quick is finally healthy. So why give up anything for Bishop when you may not even make the playoffs. It seems like Los Angeles could possibly have future plans for Bishop then. So does that mean Quick is on the trade block? Bishop’s career numbers are slightly superior to Quick’s, but Quick is the established goalie in Los Angeles and is signed long-term with a decent $5.8MM cap hit until 2022-23. Bishop would more than likely command a greater salary than that on the open market. So what’s the next move for GM Dean Lombardi and the L.A. Kings.
Meanwhile, the Lightning have received a solid backup to Andrei Vasilevskiy for the remainder of the season and possibly beyond, a young defenseman (which they are in need of), and some picks for a player they were willing to let walk in free agency. While many will debate this trade from the Kings side for the next month plus, GM Steve Yzerman can rest easy that he got something for nothing at this deadline in a time where Tampa Bay needs any good news they can get.
St. Louis Blues Sign Patrik Berglund To Five-Year Extension
Well there goes that option at the trade deadline. Patrik Berglund has signed a five-year extension with the St. Louis Blues for an AAV of $3.85MM. Thought to be on the market over the past few weeks, rumbling began the last few days that the two sides were trying to reach an agreement. For the Blues, they’ve locked up a key player at a very reasonable cap hit for the next few years, while Berglund gets some stability and stays with the organization that gave him his first opportunity. The deal will also include a partial no-trade clause, the details of which are yet to be revealed. 
The 28-year old center has gotten back to his goal-scoring self this season with 17 markers so far, and looks like he may set a career high this season. A consistent 20-goal threat, $3.85MM is only a small increase on his current salary of $3.7MM. The Blues were likely trying to get this done before the deadline forced their hand. Berglund signing will now turn all the attention to Martin Hanzal and Brian Boyle in the coming days as the already small group of free agent centers becomes even smaller.
Berglund was a first-round pick back in 2006 for the Blues, who viewed him as a potential dominant center with his combination of size—6’3″, 220 lbs—and skill. While he hasn’t quite turned into a top-line presence, he has scored 145 goals in his 615 games and been a dependable player at both ends of the rink. He’s physical, can play on both special teams and doesn’t kill you in the faceoff dot (though he isn’t great there either). Most teams would have been interested in adding him at this number, and after losing David Backes and Troy Brouwer to free agency last season, it’s a nice signing for the Blues.
A comparable contract is that of Darren Helm, signed just this offseason by the Detroit Red Wings. Helm will earn the same amount for the same length, but received a full no-trade clause in the deal. Helm doesn’t have the scoring ability of Berglund and is a year older, but does have quite the reputation for his defensive game. At that number, the Blues can afford to install Berglund in the #3 center role for the duration of his contract and pay a little bit more to the two players ahead of him.
Pierre LeBrun provided details on the no-movement clause, while the actual deal was released by the team itself.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Latest On Kevin Shattenkirk
As we learned yesterday, the St. Louis Blues have had three different deals fall through for Kevin Shattenkirk in the last nine or so months, starting with one that could have taken the star defenseman to Edmonton before they eventually dealt for Adam Larsson. As Bob McKenzie of TSN reported, the latest trade would have had Shattenkirk sign a seven year, $42MM extension upon the completion of the deal, and Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch thinks he knows which team it was.
While he can’t be sure, Rutherford writes that it was likely the Tampa Bay Lightning who had the deal completed in principal but needed the extension to pull the trigger. Just six weeks ago Shattenkirk vetoed it, which would have been right around the time the Lightning were 19-19-4 and struggling to get anything going in the Eastern Conference. It’s unclear what they would have given up, but Rutherford does mention that the Blues have shown interest in both Tyler Johnson and Jonathan Drouin in past discussions.
All this while Darren Dreger of TSN very much believes that the Toronto Maple Leafs are still involved in discussions about the right-handed defenseman, recently saying that they’ve had consistent interest in him. As yesterday, they still are balking at the asking price which has been talked about as a first round pick, prospect and perhaps even more. Dreger says that Shattenkirk has played himself into a perfect spot, where he can either stay where he is “comfortable” in St. Louis, or head to a playoff team—which St. Louis is currently—and then hit the open market in a few months.
For any player, signing a long-term extension with a team before you’ve set foot in their organization would be a tough decision. In free agency you can take your time and have several meetings, be shown the facilities and talk about the state of the club going forward. During the season none of that can take place, and agreeing to go live and work in a city that you may not know very well would be a life-changing decision. Shattenkirk looks more and more like a rental piece that you’ll have a few months to try and convince to stay, rather than get an extension done prior.
Many teams in the league should be happy with that, as even rentals of his caliber don’t come around very often. The bidding will be high, but likely will include some conditional picks hinging on the team’s ability to re-sign him. What we know though is that he obviously doesn’t want to rush into an extension, if he’s already turned down three.
Casey Cizikas To Miss Four Weeks With Upper-Body Injury
After leaving last night’s game, Casey Cizikas will be out for approximately four weeks according to Arthur Staple of Newsday. 
The Islanders made an emergency recall of Bracken Kearns today to fill in, but was thought of as the fill-in for Cal Clutterbuck who also left with an injury. We’ll wait and see what the lineup looks like tomorrow against the Montreal Canadiens.
With Cizikas out, the Islanders have lost even more depth at a position they severely lack. Center ice has been a problem for them all season with Mikhail Grabovski fighting concussion symptoms and Ryan Strome not being able to make the transition at the NHL level. Cizikas has played up and down the lineup for the team and takes the second most draws behind only John Tavares. His absence will not only leave a defensive hole, but also a physical one. He and Clutterbuck have formed one of the most punishing combinations in the league in recent years—along with Matt Martin who signed with Toronto this summer—and have worn out defenders with a persistent forecheck.
For the Islanders, who are actually tied for a playoff spot currently, it is a big blow to an already depleted forward group. Since watching Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo leave in free agency, the team has had a difficult time finding forwards that can provide consistency for them. Cizikas even has more points than the big offseason fish Andrew Ladd, though that is turning around recently. This may force the team to pursue an upgrade at the trade deadline, even if it does come in the form of a rental from one of the bottom-dwellers of the Western Conference.
Trade Candidates: Patrick Eaves
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.
Patrick Eaves is having the best season of his career, and it’s not even close. The Dallas Stars have had the opposite luck, though. The Stars are eight points behind the Predators for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, and Nashville has three games in hand on them as well. For all intents and purposes, Dallas’ season is over. Their playoff hopes are all but dead and they should be major sellers at the deadline with a plethora of talented expiring contracts. Yet, a team that can move Patrick Sharp, Jiri Hudler, and Johnny Oduya may actually get the best return from the career grinder Eaves; he’s been that effective this season.
Contract
Eaves is on a one-year, $1MM contract. It is the third year in a row that he has signed on for one season at a time with Dallas. By the Trade Deadline, Eaves’ pro-rated cap hit will be only about $250K.
2016-17
To say that Eaves is having the best season of his career is an understatement. Despite several major offensive contributors missing extensive time due to injury in 2016-17, Eaves has emerged, seemingly out of nowhere, as the top goal-scoring threat in Dallas this season. Prior to this year, Eaves’ career-high in points was 32, during his sophomore season with the Ottawa Senators, and his career best in goals was 14, during the same campaign. With 23 games remaining this year, he has topped the former and shattered the latter. Eaves is tied with All-Star Tyler Seguin in goals and behind just he and captain Jamie Benn in points. He has scored 50% more goals than his career-high already and has done so as a sniper, with a shooting percentage in the top 25 in the NHL. Eaves is also averaging about four more minutes of ice time than his career average, in a season where he has transformed from a serviceable bottom-six forward to a relied-upon top-six scorer. After a career that to this point had largely been defined by durability problems, only modest offense, and a dependence on high-energy, checking play, Eaves has capitalized on his impending free agency in a week free agent class by playing like he never has before. The only question now is whether he can keep it up on whichever team trades for him.
Season Stats
57 GP: 21 goals, 14 assists, 35 points, -12 rating, 147 shots, 14.3% shooting, 16:33 ATOIP
Suitors
Eaves would be the perfect addition this season for cap-strapped teams in need of some forward depth. As always, the Chicago Blackhawks meet that description to the letter. The dynastic franchise has made it through this season so far with a couple of questionable pieces in the top nine, but would jump at the chance to add a 20-goal scorer at a $250K cost. One major concern about Eaves is that his numbers will drop off outside of the Dallas system, but if he’s playing alongside Jonathan Toews, there’s far less risk. Chicago has ten picks in the draft this season, including their own picks in rounds one, two, and three, and some nice forward prospects in the pipeline. GM Stan Bowman can put together a package worth Eaves and will probably enjoy the returns.
The Anaheim Ducks have very little wiggle room against the cap ceiling, but even they can afford a quarter-million accommodation. Anaheim was having trouble balancing their offensive lines, and that even before Antoine Vermette landed a long-term suspension. The Ducks are loaded with promising prospects at forward and defense and can afford to peddle away some players in a deal with Dallas. Eaves would provide a much-needed veteran scoring presence, especially on a team that has just one 20-goal scorer so far.
Cap space might not be a problem for the Ottawa Senators, but they’ll still have interest in acquiring the affordable Eaves and he may enjoy the idea of a return to his NHL roots. The Senators are surprisingly very much in the Cup hunt and adding another goal-scorer is at the top of their deadline wish list. Eaves would bring a veteran presence and some energy to a young forward corps than could sometimes use a bit more intensity.
Likelihood Of A Trade
The Dallas Stars have no reason not to trade Eaves. Yes, he may be a product of the system in Dallas and they may want to bring him back next season on a multi-year deal. No one is stopping them. Traded or not, Eaves is not foolish enough to not test the market after the season he’s had, even at age 32. By trading him, the Stars can get a good return to help make up for what has been a huge disappointment of a season, and could still join the bidding for his services this summer if they so choose. As much as GM Jim Nill might look at his roster and think it’s a contender, he’s missing some major pieces in all areas of the ice, including a true starting-caliber goaltender, a reliable top-four defenseman, and some youthful depth at forward. All of those problems won’t be solved by whether or not the team can re-sign Eaves, but adding some trade capital could.
Trade Candidates: Ondrej Pavelec
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.
Ondrej Pavelec entered the league with much fanfare, but never developed into an elite goaltender. He’s had sparks of success—including 2014-15 where he posted a 2.28 GAA and a .920 SV%—but he’s regressed that past two years to a borderline AHL goaltender. Maybe Pavelec needs a change of scenery to reboot his career, but his current stats do not provide much optimism for increased performance.
Contract
Pavelec is in the final year of an escalating base salary deal averaging $3.9MM a year. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
2016-17
Bumpy is the best way to describe Pavelec’s season so far. In a surprisingly but not entirely shocking move, the Winnipeg Jets sent Pavelec down to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose to start the season. The Czech goaltender stayed in the AHL until Winnipeg finally called him back up on January 16th. He’s been the team’s starter ever since, but his numbers leave Winnipeg wanting more. Through his eight starts this season Pavelec has an .888 SV% and a 3.55 GAA. Unfortunately for Winnipeg, however, its other two goaltenders—Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson—aren’t faring much better.
Season Stats
NHL: 8 GP, 4-4-0, .888 SV%, 3.55 GAA, 0 SO
AHL: 18 GP, 8-7-2, .917 SV%, 2.78 GAA, 0 SO
Suitors
Any potential suitors for Pavelec are ones in the market for cheap goaltending insurance. Whatever potential Pavelec may have harbored over the past two years is almost surely gone, and GMs see Pavelec’s current stats as indicative of his future performance. Nonetheless, one only has to look at Devan Dubnyk‘s resurgence for hope that Pavelec turns it around elsewhere. Written off after underperforming in Edmonton and Arizona, Dubnyk joined the Minnesota Wild and immediately became one of the league’s best goaltenders.
Pavelec is a pending UFA which should ease the risk for teams looking for goaltending services. Teams will not be on the hook for Pavelec after this year, and the allure of goaltender insurance is strong. GMs know that losing your starting goaltender spells disaster for a team’s chances at a deep playoff run, so a cheap insurance option may appeal to some.
Likelihood Of A Trade
The goalie market is stagnant. Ben Bishop, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Jimmy Howard all remain with their teams, and those dominos have to fall one way or another before teams take a flyer on Pavelec. Pavelec could be the cheaper option for most teams, but it’s unclear whether his play will improve this season. The Jets may have to bite the bullet and accept anything they can get for Pavelec before they lose him to free agency.
Western Conference Snapshots: Russell, Davidson, Coyotes, Stars
Like many teams, the Edmonton Oilers will face some difficult choices when choosing whom to protect in the expansion draft. The recent emergence of Brandon Davidson and the team’s reported desire to re-sign Kris Russell beyond the current campaign has created a surprising logjam on the blue line. Assuming the team elects to protect seven forwards and three defensemen, it’s a near certainty that the Oil will keep Adam Larsson, Oscar Klefbom and Andrej Sekera, which means the team will have to expose Davidson. But David Staples of the Edmonton Journal offers up a solution for Edmonton: protect four defenders, including Davidson, and make Jordan Eberle available to Vegas to select.
While acknowledging that Russell has been a solid, if unspectacular addition to the team’s defense corps and probably would be worth a modest extension, Staples argues that Davidson, four years the former’s junior, is a better long-term option due to his cost and similar on-ice performance. As a pending free agent, Russell won’t have to be protected from the expansion draft unless he inks an extension prior, but Davidson will or the club risks losing him for nothing. One way to make the numbers work would be to leave Eberle unprotected. Eberle, who has two more years on a deal with a $6MM annual cap charge, has underachieved this season, registering just 11 goals in 55 games. If Vegas took a chance on the gifted offensive winger, it would solve two problems for Edmonton: one, it allows the team to keep Davidson and two, the team would save a sizable chunk of cap space which can then be allocated to long-term extensions for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who will reach restriced free agency following the 2017-18 and 2016-17 seasons, respectively.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- The Arizona Coyotes are one of only a small handful of teams known to consider themselves sellers ahead of the trade deadline and they have several marketable assets that will draw interest in the coming weeks. Sarah McLellan of AZ Central lists the players she believes could be moved at the deadline. Martin Hanzal headlines the list as she notes his size and two-way acumen would appeal to practically any playoff contender. Right-shot defender Michael Stone, in the final year of his contract, could be an attractive piece since most teams are looking for blue line depth, particularly on the right side, at this time of year. McLellan includes Shane Doan but writes that it may be next to impossible to find the right fit; a serious Stanley Cup contender in need of a player of his ilk. Perhaps the most interesting name to make the cut was that of Anthony Duclair. The 21-year-old winger was considered a foundation building block coming into the season but with just nine points in 41 games earning him a demotion to the minors, it’s clear he has fallen out of favor in the desert.
- Mike Heika recently fielded questions from readers in a mailbag feature on SportsDayDFW.com and offered insight into a wide array of Stars-related topics. The biggest concern readers seem to share is the club’s struggles in the goal-prevention department. Heika points out that goaltending is a huge problem, with the team’s netminders registering a Save % of 0.904 compared to the Washington Capitals league-leading rate of 0.928. The Stars have committed more than $10MM of cap space to Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen, a figure more than any other team has allocated toward their top two goalies. If the Stars want to salvage their season they may need to strongly consider an upgrade between the pipes and as we learned yesterday, the team has apparently shown interest in Marc-Andre Fleury already. While the Penguins are likely going to deal Fleury before the upcoming expansion draft, it’s unclear how much they would get in return.