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Jim Nill Discusses Robertson And Oettinger’s Next Contracts

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Recently, Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill discussed with the media the upcoming negotiations he has on the table with impending RFAs Jason Robertson and Jake Oettinger (link):

“We’ll have to see what they’re looking for. The cap’s been a flat cap. They might look at it, their representatives might look at it different that the cap’s going to go up. Is it going to jump another 6, 7, 8% over the next four or five years? Are they better to go short term? Those are things that we’re going to have to walk through to see what works.”

Nill’s comments appear to suggest that on one hand, if the players’ representatives see the current flat salary cap as something that won’t go up reliably, they could take a safe approach, resulting in a long-term contract. On the other hand, if either player sees the salary cap rising significantly or reliably coming out of the flat cap, then a bridge-deal leaving them with UFA status as the cap begins to expand could be another smart option.

A long-term deal at a reasonably higher AAV could be an option either way, as it would guarantee something both sides want regardless of the cap situation. If that were the case, it could put Dallas in a tricky cap situation during the flat-cap years, but could be a favorable deal thereafter, and regardless, it locks up a franchise cornerstone player for the long haul. For the player, if the salary cap did expand, they would still have the benefit of a guaranteed long-term contract which could pay them, based on the result of the negotiation, more than they may have made during their RFA seasons.

To state the obvious, Robertson and Oettinger are not everyday RFAs for Dallas. A first-round pick in 2017, Oettinger made an immediate impact for Dallas in his debut for the Stars last season, following it up with another standout performance in 2021-22. The 2022 playoffs were Oettinger’s true introduction to the NHL though, as he almost single-handedly eliminated the Calgary Flames in the first round, playing to an incredible 1.81 goals-against average and .954 save-percentage in seven games. The start to Oettinger’s career sounds remarkably similar to that of Matt Murray, who had a strong, but quiet debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16 before bursting onto the scene in the 2016 playoffs, dominating for the Penguins en route to a Stanley Cup. Murray would follow it up with a strong showing in his first full season in the 2016-17 regular season and playoffs before signing a three-year, $11.25MM contract with Pittsburgh. If Oettinger were to take a bridge deal while waiting out the flat cap, one could expect it to look similar to this. Best yet for Oettinger is after Murray failed to replicate his early success during the life of that contract, he still was able to sign a four-year, $25MM deal after being dealt to the Ottawa Senators, signing before the 2020-21 season.

Impressive as Oettinger’s breakout was, Jason Robertson arguably stole the show. Dallas’ second-round pick in 2017, Robertson debuted for three games in 2019-20 before a strong rookie season in 2020-21, where he tallied 17 goals and 28 assists in 51 games. Already established as a key piece for Dallas, Robertson became a superstar in 2021-22, scoring 41 goals to go with 38 assists in just 74 games, adding another four points in seven playoff contests before hitting the RFA market. Like Oettinger, Robertson has put himself in a strong position going forward, but must decide how to approach the negotiations, considering the state of the salary cap.

As the above-mentioned article suggests, Robertson could go for the shorter bridge deal, potentially leading to a cap hit of $7MM, but could find himself with a cap hit as high as $9MM should he agree to a long-term deal. New York Islanders’ forward Mat Barzal signed a three-year bridge deal worth $7MM prior to the 2020-21 season. Though Robertson’s 2021-22 season was stronger than Barzal’s 2019-20, Barzal did have three years of success, including an 85-point rookie season, as well as significant playoff experience, as compared to Robertson’s two full seasons of overall similar quality to Barzal.

Looking at a long-term contract, there isn’t much precedent for a contract in the $9MM AAV range for players coming off of their entry-level contract. Kyle Connor signed a seven-year contract with an AAV just shy of $7.15MM after back-to-back 57 and 66 point seasons and Nick Suzuki signed an eight-year contract with an AAV of $7.875MM after 41 points in 71 games in his rookie season and another 41 points in a lesser 56 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. Notably, Suzuki also produced an outstanding 23 points in 32 playoff games over those two seasons. Going the other way, Mitch Marner signed for six-years at just over $10.9MM per season after 94 points in 82 games the season prior; this season, Robertson was on pace for 87 points over 82 games. Unlike Robertson, Marner began his career with 61 and 69 point seasons. With no perfect comparison to Robertson, taking the history of these three comparable players shows that a long-term deal for Robertson in the $9MM AAV range is certainly within reason.

After an impressive playoff performance, Nill will have plenty on his plate this offseason to help a Stars organization complete with a mix of veteran and young talent take the next step and ultimately transition it from the veteran core to the young core. The first of these steps will be a big one, necessitated by these two big RFA contracts.

Stars Notes: Tocchet, Savard, Hintz

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While the Rick Bowness era in Dallas officially came to a close two days ago, it could have ended far sooner. On the 32 Thoughts segment of last night’s Sportsnet broadcast of the Avalanche-Blues game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Dallas Stars “considered a coaching change” around the All-Star break, and had “zeroed in on” former Arizona Coyotes head coach and current TNT analyst Rick Tocchet as their next bench boss. Friedman states that the two parties could not come to terms on a deal at the time, but speculates that he could be a name the team circles back to for their current vacancy.

Tocchet, 58, last coached the Arizona Coyotes in 2020-21 and has most recently been working as an analyst for Turner Sports’ NHL coverage, primarily on TNT. Tocchet also coached the Tampa Bay Lightning for two seasons from 2008-09 and 2009-10. Tocchet’s results as a head coach are mixed, with his teams only making the playoffs once, in the unique bubble situation of the 2019-20 season. But with those mixed results comes the two Stanley Cup rings Tocchet won as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and there are many coaches who have difficult early tenures only to finally figure things out in a second or third job. While Tocchet never played for the Stars during his illustrious 1144-game NHL career, it seems that he may end up there as their next head coach.

Now, for some other notes regarding the Dallas Stars:

  • Another former player is, like Tocchet, on the Stars’ radar for their vacant head coaching job. Marc Savard, the rookie head coach of the Windsor Spitfires who now has his team in the semifinals of the OHL playoffs, is “on Dallas’ radar,” per Marek. Savard’s Spitfires posted a 44-17-7 record this season, and his connection to prized prospect Wyatt Johnston, who tore the OHL apart this season to the tune of 124 points, could prove useful should he choose to pursue the job.
  • The Stars’ offseason is a crucial one for reasons beyond just their coaching search. Star forward Jason Robertson and goaltender Jake Oettinger, the team’s playoff hero, are out of contract and are eligible for restricted free agency. The direction the team goes in terms of their extensions could dictate what the Stars are able to do in terms of adding other players. Another crucial Star, Roope Hintz, is not out of a contract but eligible for an extension thanks to there only being one season left on his current deal. Per Marek, the Stars want to get an extension “done early” and lock up Hintz along with their other core players. Given Hintz’s play these past two seasons, the Stars’ reported desire to extend him now seems wise, because his price is likely only going up as he gets more productive seasons under his belt.

Dallas Stars Shopping Anton Khudobin

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The Dallas Stars have a goaltending tandem they trust – and it doesn’t include veteran Anton Khudobin. Free agent addition Braden Holtby leads the team with ten appearances and has looked like his old self, posting a .927 save percentage and 2.30 GAA. Yet it is young Jake Oettinger who has been making headlines, recording a stunning .951 save percentage and 1.41 GAA in six games. In contrast, Khudobin is playing the worst hockey of his NHL career with an .837 save percentage and 3.73 GAA in seven appearances. While the Stars have been hot of late, currently riding a six-game winning streak, Khudobin has not played since November 18.

With Holtby and Oettinger having earned the NHL jobs and (though easy to forget) former starter Ben Bishop still trying to work his way back from a long-term knee injury, Khudobin has become expendable. However, despite his struggles, the Stars will not simply just waive the respected veteran, at least not yet. Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that the team is actively shopping Khudobin in hopes of finding a trade partner.

While the Stars surely will not receive nearly the package they might have commanded for Khudobin just a couple years ago when he led the NHL with a .930 save percentage, the Stars still have incentive to search for a trade rather than keeping him for depth. The first is obvious; Khudobin may still have some value around the league. In fact, Marek states definitively that the Buffalo Sabres have expressed interest in the experienced netminder and there are certainly other teams that could also use help in net. With confidence in their current options, there is no reason for Dallas to pass up potential trade capital. However, Khudobin’s contract is another factor that the Stars need to manage. Simply waiving and demoting Khudobin only saves the team $1.075MM of the goaltender’s $3.33MM cap hit. That contract also carries an additional year. Dallas needs the space that could be opened up from moving Khudobin’s contract in its entirety, which means they will work to find a team with enough need in net to trade for the veteran. The next step would be to waive Khudobin and hope he is claimed; even if he is unclaimed the Stars will continue to shop Khudobin, who will have some extra transactional versatility should he clear.

One way or another, it seems like the Stars have come to the conclusion that they can benefit more from being rid of Khudobin than continuing to keep him around. At some point, it is likely that the veteran keeper will find a new home this season.

 

Ben Bishop Agrees To Waive No-Movement Clause For Expansion

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The Dallas Stars may not have to expose Anton Khudobin to the Seattle Kraken after all. Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News reports that Ben Bishop has agreed to waive his no-movement clause for the expansion draft, meaning the Stars will not be forced to protect him. Bishop’s agent, Allain Roy, explained why his client made the decision:

I thought that was a good move for him and the team. In the big picture, the goal is to win the Stanley Cup, so I think he felt that was the right move for the team to be the best team possible next year. Makes sense.

The 34-year-old Bishop missed the entire 2020-21 season due to injury, but remains an enticing option for the Stars if he can get back to full health. Since arriving in the NHL, the 6’7″ netminder has been one of the league’s best, posting a .921 save percentage over 413 appearances. That number has Bishop sitting fifth in NHL history, with Tuukka Rask the only active netminder ahead of him (Dominik Hasek, Johnny Bower, and Ken Dryden are the other three). A three-time Vezina Trophy finalist, he was outstanding in his first three years in Dallas, posting a .923 in 143 games.

Of course, that success would also make him a very attractive choice for Seattle, if only they knew he would be healthy enough to play. That uncertainty and the $4.92MM cap hit likely keeps him off the Kraken’s radar, but waiving the no-movement still helps out the club. Jake Oettinger, the team’s presumed “goaltender of the future” is still exempt from selection, meaning the team can protect Khudobin and keep their depth intact.

USA Hockey Announces World Championship Roster

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The IIHF World Championship roster is always a little different. Because the tournament takes place during the NHL playoffs, many players are unable to attend. Many others choose not to participate because of injuries they sustained during the season, meaning there are often some interesting choices that compete for their country.

This season is perhaps even more difficult for U.S. Men’s National Team general manager Chris Drury. Not only does he have injuries and the postseason to deal with, but many players haven’t seen their families for months and just want to spend some quality time at home. With that in mind, this year’s team has both players not yet drafted and others that have already aged out of the NHL.

The full roster is as follows:

G Jake Oettinger
G Cal Petersen
G Anthony Stolarz

D Adam Clendening
D Matt Hellickson
D Zac Jones
D Connor Mackey
D Matt Roy
D Ryan Shea
D Matt Tennyson
D Chris Wideman
D Christian Wolanin

F Justin Abdelkader
F Matthew Beniers
F Colin Blackwell
F Brian Boyle
F Sasha Chmelevski
F Ryan Donato
F Jack Drury
F Conor Garland
F Kevin Labanc
F Trevor Moore
F Jason Robertson
F Eric Robinson
F Kevin Rooney
F Tage Thompson

The U.S. team will be coached by Jack Capuano. The tournament kicks off on May 21 in Riga, Latvia.

Trade Deadline Primer: Dallas Stars

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Although we’re just two months into the season, the trade deadline is already less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Dallas Stars.

The simple truth is that the Dallas Stars cannot be true buyers at the deadline. Yes, the team currently has $4MM in unused LTIR space, but that will disappear when starting goalie Ben Bishop returns to action. Without any cap space, any trade that the team makes will have to be a hockey deal with a salary going out in order to bring a salary in. With those types of deals more unlikely this season than in most years, the Stars might not have much choice at the deadline.

True, they are within reach of a playoff spot and could certainly stand to improve their roster. However, this is a team that just won the Western Conference last season and hopes to have Tyler Seguin and Bishop back this year. Those internal additions may be enough to get them to the postseason and make them a potential threat. Even then, the Stars likely face a Stanley Cup rematch with the Tampa Bay Lightning right away. There simply isn’t enough upside to be buyers, even if there was flexibility.

Could they be sellers? Possibly, but they don’t have much to offer. The team would likely gain more from keeping their roster together in hopes of making the playoffs and even re-signing some of their impending free agents rather than dealing them for minor returns. Again, Dallas could try to peddle some of their impending UFA’s in order to clear space for an addition, but most teams aren’t looking to add salary this year unless it is attached to a top quality player. Those are in short supply among the Stars’ expiring contracts.

They likely won’t touch their term contracts, either. This is a team that found success in the postseason last year and returned virtually the same roster this year and will be back together again next year. Injuries and a start slowed by COVID Protocol has impacted Dallas this season and, while their team isn’t perfect, they could be an off-season piece or two away from getting back to Stanley Cup Final in no time.

So for now, they should probably just stand pat.

Record

9-9-7, .500, 4th in Central Division

Deadline Status

Stand Pat

Deadline Cap Space

$0MM in full-season space (LTIR), 0/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 3rd, DAL 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th
2022: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 3rd, DAL 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th

Trade Chips

In deciding whether or not to move players off of their current roster, the Stars have options but lack upside. With only a handful of impending free agents, most of whom are merely bottom of the lineup players at best, Dallas may be better off keeping their group together and hoping to sneak into the playoffs.

If Dallas does decide to sell, their most valuable piece will be defenseman Jamie Oleksiak. A big, physical defender – the team’s current hits leader – who skates well and can play big minutes, Oleksiak is a solid addition to any team looking to stabilize their blue line with a strong defensive presence. In a rental market that is severely lacking in defensive talent, Oleksiak could return a nice package, especially given his reasonable price tag. The caveat though is that Dallas has traded Oleksiak once before, only to bring him back and have both sides realize that he is a great fit as a reliable defensive complement to the Stars’ offensive-minded blue line. If there is mutual interest in an extension and Dallas remains close to a playoff spot, they likely hold on to Oleksiak.

Versatile defenseman Mark Pysyk makes more sense to move. In his first season in Dallas on a one-year “show me” deal, Pysyk has failed to do just that. The Stars’ No. 6 defenseman spot has been split between Pysyk and Hanley this season, with neither doing enough to seize the consistent role. Both have been unproductive on offensive and largely invisible on defense while playing minimal minutes. Pysyk at least brings more experience playing in a regular role and has also experimented with lining up at forward, which could be especially valuable to teams down the stretch and in the postseason who want to avoid depth issues caused by possible COVID-19 restrictions. At $750K, Pysyk is affordable in cap terms and should be cheap to acquire as well.

Up front, the Stars may be willing to part with veterans Andrew Cogliano and Blake Comeau, but there may not be much interest in the duo. Both have been consistent and dependable two-way players throughout their careers, but their play this season has lacked offensive upside. The pair have totaled just four goals and 13 points in 46 combined games. In a cap-strapped climate, Cogliano’s $3.25MM and even Comeau’s $2.4MM may be too rich for players that would have to fight for top-nine jobs on a contender. They are more likely to move if Dallas is just swapping contracts to bring in new blood for the stretch run.

Given that Dallas was a Stanley Cup finalist just last year, the team is unlikely to make any drastic moves this season with their core players, all of whom have term remaining on their respective comments. Names like John Klingberg and Alexander Radulov are occasionally bandied about, but trading either in-season is both unlikely and ill-advised for the Stars. If they were to make a surprise move, it could be in goal. With young Jake Oettinger holding his own in net, the Stars could decide to move current starter Anton Khudobin if actual starter Bishop is healthy before the deadline. Khudobin is set to be exposed in this summer’s Expansion Draft and should be a strong candidate for selection. With both Landon Bow and Colton Point satisfying the goalie exposure requirement, the Stars could instead trade Khudobin to a team with needs in net this season rather than potentially lose him for nothing in expansion. A healthy Bishop backed up by Oettinger should be enough for the Stars the rest of the way this season and moving forward.

Others to Watch For: D Joel Hanley ($700K, UFA), D Taylor Fedun ($737.5K, UFA), F Tanner Kero ($762.5K, UFA), F Justin Dowling ($750K, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Defenseman – If the Stars can find a way to move contracts around and open up cap space, it will likely leave room for just one acquisition. While they are only middle-of-the-road when it comes to scoring and could use a spark up front, that might come in the form of a healthy Seguin. There is no one coming to take over their No. 6 defenseman role, a spot where Dallas has received no production from this season. A reliable blue liner to improve the starting defensive corps would be a key addition. If they can find a defenseman with some offensive upside and power play experience, that would be even better.

2) Term Forward – While it would again require shuffling salaries, which may make it a more likely move in the early off-season, the Stars at some point could look to add a forward who they can expose in the upcoming Expansion Draft. Currently, with the assumed protection scheme, the Stars are short both forwards that meet the games played and term requirements that the expansion quota demands. Their options to fill those spots internally are to re-sign UFA’s Cogliano and Comeau (unlikely) or RFA Jason Dickinson. RFA Nick Caamano will also be eligible with eight more games played. However, extending Dickinson or Caamano will only make them more attractive to the Seattle Kraken. Either of the players, the arbitration-eligible Dickinson specifically, may also not want to rush into an extension before the drat. As a result, the Stars could choose instead to add another eligible forward to expose.

Anton Khudobin To Be Benched For Disciplinary Reasons

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When the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Stars take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, it won’t be playoff hero Anton Khudobin starting in net. Or dressing as the backup either, for that matter. Instead, the beloved veteran will sit in the press box, benched by head coach Rick Bowness for disciplinary issues. While Bowness would not disclose the specific reasoning behind Khudobin’s punishment beyond calling it an “internal issue”, per The Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks, he did provide a short synopsis of his thoughts on the topic:

You deal with things by communicating and making your feelings known, what is and what isn’t acceptable. I have very few rules, but you damn well better follow them.

The experienced coach clearly is not happy with Khudobin’s actions, as his words express. As a result, highly-touted rookie Jake Oettinger will get his third career start tomorrow with experienced AHLer Landon Bow serving as backup. Both players were in attendance at practice on Saturday; Khudobin was not. The veteran netminder showed up at the end of practice and skated without his teammates. It remains unclear whether Khudobin’s absence was a cause or effect of these ongoing “internal issues”.

When asked whether Khudobin’s benching would last beyond Sunday, Bowness remained non-committal. “We’ll deal with it one day at a time” was all that he would say at this time. With starter Ben Bishop on Long-Term Injured Reserve as he rehabs a knee injury and not expected back until March, Khudobin will obviously return to the Dallas crease at some point and there is no indication at this point that his current issues are anything that would force a trade or any other major move. However, with an off-season approaching in which Khudobin will be exposed in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, this could only add fuel to the fire that Khudobin’s time with the Stars could be coming to an end this season. If Bishop returns and appears healthy and Oettinger seems ready to become an NHL backup sooner rather than later, bad blood between Khudobin and Bowness could see the Stars hoping that the Seattle Kraken select the talented veteran keeper. Just a few months ago, that statement would have been unthinkable as the well-liked Khudobin led Dallas to postseason glory. However, something has clearly changed.

Central Notes: Wild, Husso, Stars

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Despite no start date set for next season, several Minnesota Wild players, who live locally, have begun skating once a week in Edina with skating and skills consultant Andy Ness, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required). Among those participating are Ryan Suter, Jared Spurgeon, Zach Parise, Marcus Foligno, Nick Bjugstad, Kyle Rau as well as former Wild players Luke Kunin, Eric Staal and Jason Zucker.

Russo said that according to sources, Suter, who was injured in Game 3 of the playoffs and missed Game 4 before being eliminated, looked good on the ice and should be fully ready for the start of the season. Reports also suggest that Bjugstad, who the Wild acquired from Pittsburgh earlier in the offseason and is recovering from back surgery, is progressing nicely.

  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes it’s very likely the St. Louis Blues stick with backup goaltender Ville Husso in net as opposed to going out and signing a veteran netminder for one more year. Husso, has never made an NHL appearance and would appear to be a candidate to struggle considering his limited experience at the NHL level. However, the scribe writes that besides being cheap, the team has a number of other young and talented goalies in the system and the team must learn sooner or later what Husso can offer them. He has been the No. 3 guy for a while now, but Jordan Binnington and Jake Allen never got injured, so Husso never got a chance to show what he can do at the top level.
  • The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf (subscription required) writes that the Dallas Stars are likely going to have to turn to some rookies to step in for Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop who are both expected to miss a large chunk of next season. The team will likely turn to top prospects Jason Robertson and Ty Dellandrea to step in and fill roles, with Robertson a leading candidate to fill a top-six role while Seguin is out. The team will also have to depend on rookie Jake Oettinger to backup Anton Khudobin, while Bishop is on the mend. Seguin underwent right hip arthroscopy and labral repair, while Bishop underwent right knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus.

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.

Snapshots: Martinook, Toews, Tortorella, Khudobin

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The Carolina Hurricanes really don’t like the NHL’s Return to Play plan. After Jordan Martinook and the ‘Canes were one of just two teams to vote against the initial postseason format last month, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Martinook was also one of the two NHLPA representatives who voted against ratifying the Return to Play plan and CBA extension. Martinook has previously stated that he and his teammates felt that the expanded playoff structure was a disadvantage to teams who were safely in the postseason picture, but not within the top four in their conference. It is a fair opinion for Carolina to have; the team has the second-best record of qualifying round contenders and almost certainly would have made the playoffs. Their reward for those regular season efforts? A five-game series match-up with a New York Rangers team that was playing their best hockey down the stretch and has been a tough match-up for the Hurricanes all season. As a result, Martinook tried not once but twice to change the league’s plan, but to no avail. They will face the Rangers in just over a week’s time with a playoff berth on the line.

The other “no” vote against the Return to Play plan was reported to belong to Chicago Blackhawks representative Jonathan Toews. However, Toews has come out today and refuted that report. There is no doubt that Toews asked hard questions about health and safety protocols and gameplay logistics and made the case for why his peers should consider voting against the plan, but he tells Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times that at the end of the day he voted “yes”. In fact, he said that he always planned to vote yes but wanted to make sure that there was a thorough conversation before a decision was made. There is no word on who the mystery second “no” vote came from, but it was not the Blackhawks captain.

  • Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella might be re-thinking his teams approval of the expanded postseason plan. While a standard 16-team format would have excluded his team, which was in ninth in the Eastern Conference at the time of the league’s pause, their preparation for the knockout round is not going according to plan. Tortorella told NHL.com’s Craig Merz outright that he does not like what he has seen from his best players. “My concern is some of the people that we are going to need to make a difference for us to win a series, I don’t think they’re ready right now,” the Jack Adams finalist stated. “I don’t think they’re doing the things they need to do right now to get ready for that series… This isn’t getting ready for the regular season and then trying to find your game in 15 games during the regular season. This is a sprint… I don’t want us to fall into this trap of wading in. We need to be ready to go.”
  • Anton Khudobin and the Dallas Stars have some extra time to get ready for the postseason as they are one of the four top seeds in the West and will have four round robin games ahead of them before the real competition begins. Although Khudobin may only see action in the round robin and not in the Stars’ postseason series, as starter Ben Bishop will get the nod unless his play warrants a change, Khudobin’s value to Dallas cannot be understated. One of the best backups in the NHL, Khudobin recorded a .930 save percentage and 2.22 GAA in 30 games this season. While these numbers are outstanding, even better than Bishop’s, it doesn’t appear that Khudobin is looking to move on from Dallas to a greater role. He tells Matthew DeFranks of The Dallas Morning News that his preference is to remain with the Stars for a while longer. However, the impending UFA admits that he will let his agent work out the details and find the best opportunity. Khudobin is certainly comfortable and thriving in Texas, but the Stars’ limited cap space and the presences of Bishop and top prospect Jake Oettinger may mean that his current team cannot offer him top dollar. On the other hand, a potentially strong goalie market and Khudobin’s age, not to mention a flat salary cap, may mean that there won’t be the demand on the open market that Khudobin’s performance would normally command. This seems to be the case with another elite backup, Boston’s Jaroslav Halak, who recently signed a one-year extension for less guaranteed money despite another stellar season as the Bruins’ backup after replacing Khudobin himself. Perhaps Khudobin will have to settle for the same fate, especially if he wants to remain in Dallas.

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