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Free Agent Focus: Dallas Stars

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With free agency now just a couple weeks away,  teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Fresh off of a heart-breaking loss in the Stanley Cup Final, the Dallas Stars will have to evaluate the cost of bringing back the veteran UFA’s that contributed to their playoff run while also maintaining enough space to extend several core RFA forwards.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Roope Hintz – Hintz came out strong as a rookie in 2018-19 with 22 points in 58 games only to top that this year with 19 goals and 33 points in 60 games. The 23-year-old is still trending upward and projects to be a core piece for a long time for the Stars. Coming off of his entry-level contract, Hintz is in for a major raise, especially on a long-term deal. And with so many of their top forwards on the wrong side of 30, Dallas will likely aim for a lengthy deal to make sure Hintz is around to help take over.

F Denis Gurianov – Gurianov is part of that next wave of core forwards in Dallas as well. The 2015 first-round pick took some time to arrive on the NHL stage, but in his first full season with the Stars this season shook off any doubts about his potential. With a team-leading 20 goals and 29 points in 64 games, backed up by 17 points in 27 playoff games, Gurianov proved himself to be a dangerous scoring threat. With his entry-level contract expiring, Gurianov is in for a payday, perhaps even more so than Hintz, due to the possibility that he could be Dallas’ top goal-scorer for years to come.

F Radek Faksa – Faksa’s future with the Stars may be a bit more uncertain than his fellow RFA forwards. The 26-year-old center, who is owed at least a $2.2MM qualifying offer, declined this season and his role moving forward in Dallas is unclear. Faksa snapped a three-year streak of 30+ points with just 20 on the year, his lowest per-game rate since his rookie season. He also finished outside the top nine scoring forwards for the Stars and saw his ice time slashed as a result. A good two-way player, Faksa is best suited for a bottom-six role but Dallas may question how much that role is worth to them. Faksa could sign a short-term deal, especially given the current flat cap conundrum, with the chance to prove himself worthy of an extension before he reaches unrestricted free agency.

Other RFAs: F Tony Calderone, F Joel L’Esperance, F Josh Melnick, G Landon Bow

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

G Anton Khudobin – Has Khudobin priced himself out of Dallas? After outplaying Ben Bishop this season and then taking over for the injured starter in the playoffs and marching the team to the Stanley Cup Final, Khudobin’s stock has never been higher. Which is saying a lot about a player who has been considered one of the top backups in the league for many years. With so many teams looking for a shake-up in net this off-season, including several teams with young netminders who would love a reliable veteran to share starts, Khudobin should draw a ton of interest on the open market. With a solid starter in Bishop and a promising young option in Jake Oettinger pushing for opportunities, will the Stars keep up with the top bidders to retain Khudobin? It seems unlikely.

F Corey Perry – Perry is another player whose stock soared this postseason. A former superstar now past his prime, Perry was still clutch in the playoffs and showed over the course of the whole year that he can still be an effective player. An intense physical presence and a smart offensive mind, Perry can still make a difference even if his 21 points this season is more reflective of his new ceiling. In fact, while Perry may be limited to another one-year deal this off-season, he might be able to command more than his $1.5MM “show me” salary from this season. As the price goes up on the open market, it becomes less likely that Perry returns to Dallas. However, if he’s seeking consistency in his older age, Dallas was a good fit and a return makes sense.

D Andrej Sekera – Dallas has everything you could want in a defense corps: high-end talent, depth, size, experience in the minors, and budding young prospects. However, sometimes a respected veteran and leader is the finishing touch that a contender needs. Sekera is not the player he once was -not really even close – but was a great fit on the bottom pair in Dallas. Sekera can still play meaningful minutes, provides solid defense, blocks shots, and can contribute on offense from time to time. An experienced asset who can help bring along the Stars’ young defenders while playing a reliable role, Sekera fits well in Dallas and should return on another minimal deal as long as he wants to keep playing.

Other UFAs: F Mattias Janmark, F Michael Mersch, F Oula Palve, D Gavin Bayreuther, D Dillon Heatherington

Projected Cap Space

CapFriendly projects the Stars to have about $15.5MM in current cap space. However, that projection includes two-way players whose roster spots are not necessarily secure, such as forward Justin Dowling and defensemen Taylor Fedun and Ryan Shea. It also seems likely that forward Joel Kiviranta and defenseman Joel Hanley have earned roster spots next season with strong playoff performances, but are not included in the current projection. All things considered, the Stars should have at least $16.2MM in flexible cap space heading into the off-season. This will be plenty to extend Faksa, Hintz, and Gurianov while leaving room to explore the free agent market.

West Notes: Lindholm, Garland, Josi, Boeser, Toffoli

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While the Anaheim Ducks blueline seems to be getting healthier with the pending returns of Josh Manson, Erik Gudbranson and Cam Fowler soon, the team didn’t get a positive update for the return of Hampus Lindholm. The defenseman, who is second on the team in ice time, has no timetable for a return yet and with just 14 games remaining, it’s legitimately possible that he could miss the rest of the season, according to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens (subscription required).

Lindholm has missed the last five games after falling awkwardly into the boards while battling for the puck with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl. The upper-body injury is part of the problem, although Stephens added that a back issue is also part of the issue. The 26-year-old has two goals and 22 points through 55 games with 71 blocks, while averaging 23:04 of ATOI.

Regardless, the team expects Manson (upper-body injury) to potentially return as early as today, while Gudbranson (upper-body injury) and Fowler (lower-body injury) are both a week or two behind him.

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced that forward Conor Garland will be out “week-to-week” after suffering a lower-body injury Friday against Calgary. The injury occurred when Garland collided with Flames’ goaltender Cam Talbot. It’s a tough blow for Arizona as Garland leads the team in goals scored with 22.
  • The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry. The incident happened at 15:13 of the second periond (video here) in which Josi cross checked Perry in the head after the play was over. Josi received a two-minute minor, although many have suggested that he should have received a five-minute major instead. Perry was a constant target in Saturday’s game after he received a five-game suspension during the Winter Classic after knocking Ryan Ellis out with a dirty hit. Ellis missed 20 games with a concussion.
  • The Vancouver Canucks look to be getting back forward Brock Boeser soon. The 23-year-old forward, who has been out since Feb. 8 with a rib injury, and while he is not expected to play today, Boeser feels that he “is close” to returning, likely later this week, according to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. He participated in a game-day skate with the team in full-contact gear. Boeser has 16 goals and 45 points in 56 games and should immediately upgrade the team’s top-six.
  • Sticking with the Canucks, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre writes that Vancouver is unlikely to be able to retain the services of Tyler Toffoli after this season. The forward was acquired from Los Angeles at the trade deadline for Tim Schaller, prospect Tyler Madden a second-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick based on whether the Canucks could sign him to an extension. Already dealing with cap issues, Vancouver still has to give out new contracts to goaltender Jacob Markstrom and defenseman Chris Tanev. Toffoli, who is currently making $4.6MM, might be too expensive to hold onto, although there is always the possiblity that the team moves out some contracts to make it happen. Toffoli has five goals and eight points in eight games since arriving in Vancouver.

Trade Deadline Primer: Dallas Stars

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With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Dallas Stars.

The Stars look to have a lock on a playoff spot as they hold one of the top three records in the Central Division this season and with the next closest team seven points behind, it’s unlikely that Dallas is in danger of falling out of the playoff race. However, they are in quite the battle with both the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues for the Central Division lead and could gain a distinct advantage if they could come out on top of the division with the chance to face off against a wild card team as opposed to playing one of those two teams, which is going to make the Stars as buyers.

Record

35-20-6, third in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$4.75MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: DAL 1st, DAL 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th
2021: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 3rd, DAL 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th

Trade Chips

Perhaps the biggest problem for the Stars is that their assets don’t match those of the Colorado Avalanche or even St. Louis. The Stars were quite active a year ago when they acquired Mats Zuccarello and Ben Lovejoy at the trade deadline, which cost them several draft picks and traded several other picks earlier than that, which leaves the team short a second and third-round pick for this coming draft and it would seem unlikely the team would trade their first-rounder this year. However, the team does have its full complement of picks for the 2021 season, so Dallas has some picks available if it wants to add a player a the deadline.

Another trade chip, although not a big one, might be Julius Honka, whose rights still belong to the Dallas Stars even though he is playing the season in Finland with Jyp HT Jyvaskyla in the Liiga. The 24-year-old was a highly-touted first-round pick in 2014, but failed to earn a full-time role with the Stars in 87 NHL games and finally requested a trade. However, few teams showed interest this past summer and Honka opted to sign overseas. He has four goals and 15 points in 38 contests in the Liiga and could have generated enough interest for a team to make an offer on him.

The team is highly unlikely to move their top prospects in forward Jason Robertson, defenseman Thomas Harley and goaltender Jake Oettinger. However, the team has some secondary prospects, including Ty Delandrea, Ben Gleason, Oskar Back and Adam Mascherin.

Five Players To Watch For: F Oskar Back, F Ty Delandrea, D Ben Gleason, D Julius Honka, F Corey Perry.

Team Needs

1) Top-Nine Forward: The Stars are always in need of scoring that can add to the team’s offense, but the real question is whether the team has the assets, or more importantly, is willing to spend what it might take to go out and get a top player like it did a year ago. However, with random injuries and the team trying hard to have three equal lines at the top, the team could use a goal scorer, who can add to the team. However, with the high cost so far for top players, it might seem unlikely that general manager Jim Nill pulls the trigger.

2) Forward Depth: It’s far more likely that Dallas is a top candidate to go out and add some depth to their bottom-six, which could be quite a bit cheaper than for the team. Throw in the fact that there is little cap room with which to maneuver on this roster and this is the more likely scenario, picking up a veteran that can help out and serve as a replacement if there are any other significant injuries in the stretch run.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Corey Perry Suspended Five Games

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The Department of Player Safety has been busy today. Corey Perry has been given a five-game suspension for his elbow on Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis during the Winter Classic. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that while we acknowledge Perry’s argument that he did not intend to elbow Ellis in the head, he is in control of this hit at all times and solely responsible for the end result. While Ellis is releasing a shot, he does not move sharply or suddenly in an unexpected that contributes to the end result of this hit. Perry acknowledges that he initially takes an angle of approach to attempt to make a play on the puck, causing him to cut in front of Ellis’ body. Now unable to make any meaningful body contact, Perry follows through with his elbow, driving it into Ellis’ head.

Not only did Ellis suffer a serious injury on the play—he left the game and has been placed on injured reserve today—but Perry also has another factor working against him. Even though he has played in more than 1,000 games, he has two previous suspensions on his record which only make this punishment more severe.

The Dallas Stars will be without Perry for almost two weeks, as the next game he is eligible for will be Thursday, January 16th at the Buffalo Sabres. Of note, that means he will miss the Stars’ first trip to Anaheim to take on the Ducks, where he played the first 988 games of his NHL career.

Denis Gurianov Recalled From AHL

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The Dallas Stars are off to a 1-5-1 record early on, and struggling to create much offense. They’ve scored just 13 goals through those seven games, but will get a boost soon with the return of Corey Perry. Today they also brought back young forward Denis Gurianov, who will get another chance to prove he can stick at the NHL level.

Gurianov, 22, played three games with the Stars earlier this season but found himself back in the minor leagues last week. It didn’t take long for him to earn a recall however, recording a hat trick on Friday night against the Iowa Wild. Gurianov scored 20 goals and 48 points in 57 games with the Texas Stars last year, really finding his game after early career struggles.

Selected 12th overall in 2015, there were questions surrounding Gurianov’s work ethic in his first few professional seasons. In the Stars’ 2018 Calder Cup run, the 6’3″ forward was even made a healthy scratch despite being one of the team’s best goal scoring threats in the regular season. In 2018-19 though things changed, with a more invested player dominating the AHL competition on a routine basis.

With Dallas struggling, perhaps they’ll give Gurianov a longer opportunity to see what he can do at the NHL level.

Snapshots: Stars Injuries, Bruins, Islanders, MacDermid

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The Stars will soon be getting some good news on the injury front.  Head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters, including Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link) that winger Corey Perry is expected to make his season debut on Friday after breaking his foot when he slipped off a step back in mid-September.  Meanwhile, winger Blake Comeau is out for another two-to-four weeks as he works his way back from a lower-body sustained in their first game of the season.  They’re also close to getting blueliner Roman Polak back as well as Montgomery also gave him a two-to-four week timeline after suffering a fractured sternum in that same game.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Sportsnet’s Mark Spector relays (via Twitter) that he was once told that the Bruins would have interest in bringing center Colby Cave back if he was to be made available. Cave was put on waivers earlier today so now is their opportunity to get him.  They are carrying a full 23-man roster at the moment though so a move would need to be made to bring Cave back.  Karson Kuhlman is the only waiver-exempt forward among their 14 active forwards.
  • The Islanders may once again be without a pair of veterans once again tonight. After missing Friday’s game, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that center Casey Cizikas is listed as doubtful for their upcoming game against Florida while defenseman Nick Leddy is questionable.  Cizikas hasn’t been skating during the week due to an unspecified issue despite stating that everything is fine health-wise while Leddy is also dealing with an undisclosed issue.
  • Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, notes Lisa Dillman of The Athletic (Twitter link). The blueliner was injured on Tuesday against Calgary in his first game of the season.  Los Angeles has been carrying eight defenders this season so they won’t need to bring anyone up while he’s out.

Injury Updates: Gardiner, Vegas, Perry, Balcers

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It may take a little longer for Jake Gardiner to make his official Hurricanes debut.  The defenseman was believed to be ready to return just a couple of days ago but was held out of their final preseason contests and head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer (Twitter link) that Gardiner’s status is the most worrisome among their banged up players heading into Thursday’s opener.  While the exact nature of the issue hasn’t been disclosed, it’s worth noting that Gardiner battled back issues last season which likely was a factor in why it took until just three weeks ago for him to land a contract.

Other injury notes around the league:

  • Vegas will be without winger Alex Tuch for the start of the season. He suffered an upper-body injury partway through Friday’s preseason game and as a result, he’s listed as week-to-week, notes Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  That’s a tough blow for their attack as the 23-year-old was fourth on the Golden Knights in scoring last season.  Gotz also adds that center Cody Eakin is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body issue of his own.
  • Dallas winger Corey Perry was hoping to be available for the start of the regular season after fracturing his foot. However, head coach Jim Montgomery told Mike Heika of the Stars team website (Twitter link) that the veteran will be out for two more weeks.  This is Perry’s first season away from Anaheim after spending 14 years with them but he’ll have to wait a little longer to make his debut.
  • The results on the testing for Senators winger Rudolfs Balcers’ leg injury are in and Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the youngster will miss the next month. He looked to have an inside track at a roster spot heading into training camp after spending the second half of last season with Ottawa but now, some time in the minors to get back up to speed seems like a probable outcome when he’s cleared to return.

Snapshots: Rieder, Paquette, Perry

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The Calgary Flames are in talks with the agent for Tobias Rieder according to Eric Francis of Sportsnet, after the free agent forward impressed on a professional tryout. Rieder failed to receive a qualifying offer from the Edmonton Oilers this summer after he infamously scored zero goals in 67 games with them last season. The 26-year old had tallied at least 12 in each of his previous NHL seasons.

After signing Matthew Tkachuk earlier this week, the Flames are in quite the tight financial situation and would need to clear someone else off the roster to fit in Rieder even on a minimum $700K deal. Given that he needed to take a PTO in the first place however, there seems to be a good chance that they could get Rieder through waivers and have him in the minor leagues as some useful depth if they chose to go that direction.

  • The NHL has fined Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette $2,500 for high-sticking Florida Panthers forward Frank Vatrano last night. This the first and only supplementary discipline the NHL has given out during the preseason, something that Vancouver Canucks fans won’t be very happy with after Chris Tierney hit Brock Boeser from behind, resulting in a concussion for the young forward. For Paquette, this isn’t the first time he’s been involved with the Department of Player Safety, but his on-the-edge play is something the Lightning value given the lack of physicality elsewhere in the lineup.
  • Corey Perry could need another week before his fractured foot is re-evaluated, meaning he likely won’t be ready for the start of the regular season. Dallas Stars reporter Mike Heika notes that things should be more clear tomorrow, but regardless, this is a disappointing start to what was supposed to be a bounce-back season for the veteran forward. Perry was bought out by the Anaheim Ducks earlier this summer and signed a one-year, $1.5MM deal that could climb all the way to $3.25MM if he hits all of the performance bonuses. In terms of the ones given for games played, Perry needs only 50 to secure a total of $1.25MM.

Training Camp Notes: Byfuglien, Dach, Perry

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The Winnipeg Jets today announced that Dustin Byfuglien has been granted a leave of absence from the team and will not be participating at the start of training camp. Head coach Paul Maurice and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff both explained that it is not injury related and that it is “nothing sinister.” There is no timetable for his return, but hopefully he can get whatever it is sorted out quickly.

More notes from around training camp:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have given an update on the status of top prospect Kirby Dach after he was removed from a game during the prospect tournament recently. Dach is in the concussion protocol and will not be in the Blackhawks lineup when they start their exhibition schedule. Philipp Kurashev, who left the same game (along with two others), will not practice today with left knee and shoulder contusions. Calvin de Haan, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery, also now has a groin strain and is expected to be out for another two to three weeks.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have officially announced that Zach Bogosian, Matt Hunwick, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Lawrence Pilut will not take part in training camp due to injury. These had been previously reported, but it is still disappointing for a player like Pilut who has a chance to make a big impact on the NHL club this season.
  • Nolan Patrick wasn’t on the ice when the Philadelphia Flyers opened camp, sidelined with an upper-body injury according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. After missing much of his draft season with various injuries, Patrick has battled minor ailments through each of his first two NHL seasons but still managed to play in 145 games. Still waiting for his breakout, missing camp would be a frustrating outcome for the 20-year old forward.
  • Though all the questions were about Julis Honka’s trade request, the Dallas Stars also announced that Corey Perry has a small fracture in his foot and will be reevaluated in two weeks according to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic. That isn’t a good start for Perry in Dallas where he’s trying to revitalize his career following a buyout from the Anaheim Ducks.

Stefan Noesen To Sign PTO With Dallas Stars

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Tuesday: Shapiro has new information today it seems, as the Athletic reporter now tweets that Noesen will be joining the Stars on a PTO after all.

Monday: It has been a quiet summer thus far for forward Stefan Noesen, who became an unrestricted free agent earlier this off-season when the New Jersey Devils opted not to extend a qualifying offer. Noesen’s name has hardly been whispered on the rumor mill with so many teams still needing to sign their RFA’s and other talented UFA’s waiting for the dominoes to fall. However, Noesen has finally resurfaced in the most likely of places. The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that the Texas native skated with the Dallas Stars today.

Now, Shapiro stops short of claiming this is an indication of even a PTO, nevertheless a contract. However, he does note that Noesen was the only non-Star in attendance and was wearing Dallas gear. That in itself is not conclusive, but surely lends itself to the idea that Noesen may be officially linked to the team in some way. Yet, Dallas’ roster construction may suggest the opposite. The Stars were active in free agency this summer, adding Joe Pavelski and Corey Perry to a forward corps that was already relatively deep. It has left the team with less than $1MM in cap space with only 22 players on the projected roster. On a minimum contract, Noesen could fit as the final member of the roster, but it would leave the Stars with less roster flexibility than would a waiver-exempt prospect. The team could use a young, established bottom-six player, but likely not at the cost of cap and roster confusion.

Noesen, 26, would have to first prove he is worthy of a contract anyway. It is unlikely that the Stars, or any NHL team for that matter, are willing to give the two-way forward a guaranteed deal after such a down season. Noesen entered 2017-18 with high expectations after a career-high 27 points the year prior, but took a major step backwards. Noesen recorded just eight points in 41 games and watched the other 41 from the press box. The Devils themselves regressed as well, but Noesen’s struggles were mostly a product of his own poor play. The 2011 first-round pick still has the tools and experience to be an effective player, but he first needs to show that he is ready for NHL action. The Stars have already shown a willingness to add PTO’s, formally inviting Scottie Upshall to camp, so Noesen could very well be getting that shot. If not in Dallas, he still seems like a solid candidate to get a look somewhere. However the invitation is just the beginning and the once highly-regarded prospect will need to work hard to show he still belongs at the top level.

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