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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.

Dallas Stars Announce Playoff Injuries, Remove Interim Coaching Tag

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Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill has finally spoken to the media about the injuries their team suffered through the return to play, and it is quite the list. From Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press, captain Jamie Benn was playing through a shoulder injury. Blake Comeau suffered a separated shoulder, Jason Dickinson suffered foot and ankle injuries. Radek Faksa broke his wrist, while Roope Hintz suffered an injured hip and fractured ankle. Esa Lindell and John Klingberg were playing through hand and shoulder injuries, respectively, while Ben Bishop had undergone knee surgery in May. Tyler Seguin, who perhaps took the most criticism for his play in the postseason, suffered a torn labrum in his hip and will be out for the next four months. Anton Khudobin, who played throughout and was the team’s playoff MVP, had surgery to relieve numbness in his hands because of a nerve issue.

Nill also announced that Rick Bowness will return as head coach and removed his interim tag. Bowness took over when Jim Montgomery left the Stars midseason and took the team all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals despite this long injury list. He’ll return to try again, though it’ll have to be without his postseason star.

Khudobin, 34, will test free agency according to Nill, who explained that their cap situation couldn’t handle bringing him back at the price he is going to command. More than just your average backup, Khudobin proved that he can be the perfect 1B for a contending team looking for elite goaltending, even if he may not be able to handle the full load of a starter. In 30 regular season games he posted a pristine .930 save percentage and would likely have won the Conn Smythe trophy if the Stars had been able to find a way to win the Stanley Cup.

Central Notes: Maatta, Ellis, Sissons, Fabbro, Klingberg

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The Chicago Blackhawks worked hard at upgrading their defense last summer by trading for Calvin de Haan and Olli Maatta. De Haan fared well when healthy (he’s now out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery). However, Maatta has struggled often and found himself often playing third-pairing minutes in his first season in Chicago and finds himself playing a career-low 17:54. The problem with Maatta is that he still has another two years on his contract at $4.08MM.

The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus (along with Scott Powers — subscription required) make several predictions for 2020 for the Blackhawks, and Lazerus believes that with new pending contracts for Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Strome and Robin Lehner, the team will have to free up some cap room. He suggests that Maatta would be a logical candidate for the team to cut loose, along with forward Zack Smith. Buying out Maatta would save the team $3.4MM over the next two years, while buying out Smith would save the team $2.1MM next season. With the expected arrival of Ian Mitchell and the continued development of prospect Nicolas Beaudin, there may be no need or even roster space for Maatta.

  • Nashville Predators head coach John Hynes said that Ryan Ellis and Colton Sissons, both on injured reserve, continue to make progress in their recovery. However, neither player is expected to travel with the team on their two-game road trip, starting on Sunday, to Winnipeg and Edmonton, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan. Ellis has been on IR since Jan. 3 with an upper-body injury, while Sissons has been out since Dec. 23 after suffering a lower-body injury.
  • Vingan also reports that defenseman Dante Fabbro is close to returning after practicing with the team on Satuday. Fabbro, out since Jan. 1, but found himself paired with Mattias Ekholm in practice, which suggests he may be ready to play again. Fabbro has been solid in his rookie campaign, scoring four goals and nine points in 39 games, while averaging 19:20 of ATOI.
  • NHL.com’s Mike Heika reports that Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg skated Saturday. The blueliner has missed three games already with a lower-body injury, but is expected to miss a few more as Heika adds that Klingberg isn’t ready to return yet.

 

Injury Notes: Klingberg, Kupari, Ducks

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The Dallas Stars buried the lede on Tuesday night, announcing that they had recalled defenseman Joel Hanley from AHL Texas. The reason behind the move was far more important, as the team has placed top defenseman John Klingberg on injured reserve. Klingberg has not played since the Winter Classic, considered day-to-day with a nagging lower-body injury. His IR placement is in fact retroactive to January 1, meaning he could return to action as early as Friday. However, there is no time frame for Klingberg’s return and Hanley’s promotion ahead of a four-game road trip for the Stars suggests that the valuable defender could remain sidelined for a while still to come.

  • Los Angeles Kings prospect Rasmus Kupari had not made his NHL debut prior to being loaned to Team Finlnd for the recent World Junior Championship tournament and now it is certain that he will not make that debut at all this year, his first in North America. Kupari was knocked out of the WJC with an injury and the Kings announced today that he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. The 2018 first-round pick will undergo surgery later this month and will miss the remainder of the season. The greater concern now is ensuring that Kupari is as close to full strength as possible before next season so as not to slow the development of a player that has already had his issues adjusting to the pro game.
  • The Anaheim Ducks are one of the more banged-up teams in the NHL, but things are looking up. The team issued an update on multiple injured players, including announcing a return to the lineup for core contributor Rickard Rakell, who has been out for two weeks. Perhaps the biggest news though is that young forward Troy Terry, expected to miss ten weeks with a broken bone in his knee suffered in mid-December, has instead been cleared to play after just four weeks and is considered day-to-day. Defenseman Korbinian Holzer has also been cleared to return, although not in Tuesday night’s lineup, while forwards Derek Grant and Nick Ritchie have been cleared to skate and are expected to return after the All-Star break. Perhaps a Ducks team at full health can turn around the team’s 14th-ranked record in the Western Conference.

Central Notes: Bouwmeester, Stars, Calvert, Caggiula

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Early last season, it looked as if Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester was playing his final year in St. Louis.  He was coming back from hip surgery and there were some early struggles.  However, he picked up his play and eventually signed the one-year, $3.25MM deal (which carries an extra $250K in bonuses) that he’s playing on this season.  While he’s now 36, the veteran indicated to Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he’s open to returning for what would be his 18th NHL season.  However, given their salary cap situation for next season (already nearly $74MM in commitments and Alex Pietrangelo still unsigned), Bouwmeester may have to take a more bonus-laden deal in order to stick around; he’s eligible to sign one of those as long as it’s a one-year pact.  He’ll be eligible to put pen to paper on an extension starting in January.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • The Stars are hoping to have a pair of key players back this weekend. Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News notes that defenseman John Klingberg and winger Roope Hintz are nearing returns from their respective lower-body injuries.  Dallas won’t have to make any roster moves to accommodate their returns as they’re carrying two players under the maximum 23 at the moment.
  • Avalanche winger Matt Calvert took to the ice on Friday before practice for the first time since being hit with a shot to the side of the head last Saturday, reports Ben Frederickson of the Denver Post. While there’s no timetable for his return, that’s certainly a positive sign.  Meanwhile, he adds that winger Tyson Jost (upper body) is doubtful to play tonight against Toronto.  He has missed the past three games due to the injury.  They sent Jayson Megna down yesterday which hinted that Jost may be ready but Colorado still has 12 healthy forwards on their roster so they won’t need to call him back up.
  • The Blackhawks announced (Twitter link) that they have placed center Drake Caggiula on injured reserve.  He has been out for two weeks already and the placement is retroactive to November 10th so he can be activated at any time.  However, the move allows them to bring someone up to take his place on the roster.

Early Notes: Klingberg, Canucks, Draft Rankings

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Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg will have an MRI today to determine the severity of his injury after being struck in the neck by a puck last night. The team announced to reporters including Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News that it would be at least two weeks, while Dreger suggests a 2-4 week timeline was the original prognosis.

The Stars are already without Andrej Sekera, Roman Polak and Stephen Johns, meaning their defensive depth will be stretched awfully thin over the next few weeks without Klingberg in the lineup. That comes just as they are finally hitting their stride, winning seven of their last eight games to climb back into the Western Conference playoff race.

  • The Vancouver Canucks have given extensions to their assistant coaching staff according to Scott Rintoul of Sportsnet. The team has not confirmed exactly who received these extensions or how long they are for, but this is an obvious sign that the front office is pleased with the progress over the last while. The Canucks took the defending Stanley Cup champions to overtime last night and are now 9-3-3 on the season.
  • Sportsnet has released their November draft rankings for the 2020 class, and it comes as no surprise that Alexis Lafreniere and Quinton Byfield lead the group. The pair of CHL stars have absolutely dominated their respective leagues to this point, with a combined 76 points (43 for Lafreniere, 33 for Byfield) in just 36 games.

Gavin Bayreuther Re-Signs With Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars have to be happy about taking a waiver on a little-known college free agent out of St. Lawrence University two years ago. Gavin Bayreuther has proven to be a more than capable pro, successfully translating his game from NCAA level. After back-to-back strong AHL campaigns, as well as 19 NHL games this past season, Bayreuther has been rewarded with a new contract. Dallas has announced a one-year, two-way extension with the blue liner. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

Bayreuther, 25, is a New Hampshire native and the cousin of former Stars teammate Ben Lovejoy, who also grew up in New England. An undrafted prospect out of The Holderness School, Bayreuther played on season in the USHL before enrolling at St. Lawrence, where he immediately became a force on the blue line for the Saints. Over four seasons, Bayreuther compiled 111 points in 142 games and twice led the team in scoring. His play caught the attention of Dallas, who signed him to a two-year entry-level contract after graduation. It paid off immediately, as Bayreuther continued to dominate as a puck-moving defender, recording 32 points in his first pro season to lead all defenseman in scoring for AHL Texas, proving he was an NHL asset. He added another 25 points in just 53 AHL games this year, but also added five NHL points over 19 games with Dallas.

The challenge moving forward for Bayreuther is no longer to prove he belongs in the NHL, but to prove that he is more worthy of starts and ice time than his many competitors. The Stars are deep on the blue line, led by the likes of John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, and Miro Heiskanen. Veterans Roman Polak and Andrej Sekera will also have a leg up in the position battle, as will the re-acquired Jamie Oleksiak. That potentially leaves one roster spot available for Bayreuther, Taylor Fedun, injured Stephen Johns, and still-unsigned restricted free agents Julius Honka and Dillon Heatherington to fight over. It won’t be easy for Bayreuther to crack the NHL roster or even ensure that he spends considerable time at the top level this year, but if he continues to produce regardless of the level, the Stars may be left with little choice but to give the young rearguard a regular role.

John Klingberg Cleared To Return To Game Action

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Though it had been expected since earlier this week, the news was made official today. John Klingberg will return to the Dallas Stars lineup tomorrow night. Klingberg has been cleared by the Stars medical staff and will be reinserted into the lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks. Joel Hanley, who had cleared waivers earlier this week, has been assigned to the minor leagues.

It’s been over a month since Klingberg suited up for the Stars, suffering a hand injury in early November that required surgery. In his stead, young defenseman Miro Heiskanen has stepped up and become the leader on the blue line while Esa Lindell has continued to log big minutes against tough competition. With Klingberg back, the Dallas defense corps will immediately get a huge offensive boost as they wait for some of their injured compatriots to return.

The 26-year old Klingberg finished sixth in Norris Trophy voting last season while establishing a new high in points with 67. Though it’s unlikely he’ll match that total now that he has missed so much time, his near point-per-game pace from the early part of the season should be a welcome addition to the Dallas attack. He had also been logging more minutes than ever before in his career, something that may not continue right away given Heiskanen’s emergence. Still, it’s a huge boost for a Stars team that still has playoff aspirations and sits just a few points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The team is now 17-14-3 on the year and carries a positive goal differential at +1.

Central Notes: Klingberg, Koivu, Morrissey, Kayumov

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While many people may not have noticed as much with the impressive play of rookie Miro Heiskanen, the Dallas Stars have been missing their top defenseman John Klingberg for an entire month after suffering a hand injury. The team’s top defenseman, however, is closing on a return and is expected to be back somewhere around Christmas, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski.

“The latest we would think would be Dec. 27, the game after Christmas,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said earlier this week. “But he might be right before Christmas.”

Klingberg has already missed 13 games and is not expected to join the team for their upcoming four-game road trip starting on Sunday. However, the 26-year-old hopes to begin practicing with the team when they return from that road trip. While his hand has been improving, he still has trouble of doing specific things with his hand, which includes tying his skates. However, he has gotten clearance to do more with his hand.

“It’s been tough because I haven’t been able to lift anything with this hand,” Klingberg said. “I saw the hand doctor [Thursday], and they said they you are good to go and try as much as you can and no sharp pains. So, I am going to grab a stick next week and when the guys come back home we will see where I am.”

  • Sarah MacLellan of the StarTribune writes that with Minnesota Wild Mikko Koivu returning to Minnesota to get his lower-body injury looked at, the team hopes that other players might step up with more minutes available. Koivu led all forwards this season in ATOI with 18:32. That could mean more minutes for guys like Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter as well as youngsters Joel Eriksson Ek and Jordan Greenway. “Mikko’s obviously a huge part of our team,” goalie Devan Dubnyk said. “He’s irreplaceable, but that’s a good opportunity for people to fill some different roles and get some more ice time. When we’re winning, we’re winning because we’re deep and everyone’s chipping in. That doesn’t change when somebody goes down.”
  • While sitting out for the last week, Winnipeg Jets’ Josh Morrissey has been doing nothing but studying film in his off time, according to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun. Morrissey has watched more than a dozen NHL games, including some of his own to see what’s missing from his game, while keeping an eye on future opponents. In the meantime, the defenseman has passed all of his tests, while recovering from a lower-body injury, and hopes to return to the Winnipeg lineup on Sunday.
  • While the Chicago Blackhawks have liked what they see on the ice from 2016 second-round prospect Artur Kayumov so far in his early career, the 20-year-old picked up some negative publicity recently as the KHL announced that Kayumov has been suspended for 13 games after a hit to the head to Jokerit’s Jesper Jensen as well as punching a referee in the process. Kayumov, playing currently for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv, has 11 points and 55 penalty minutes this season.

 

Snapshots: Kovar, Simmonds, McQuaid, Stars Defensemen

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The Bruins are close to making a decision regarding the future of center Jan Kovar, reports Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston.  The 28-year-old is currently on a minor league deal with the team but he has skated with Boston for the last couple of days.  Kovar initially signed with the Islanders last summer but after failing to crack their lineup, his contract was mutually terminated and he caught on with AHL Providence shortly after that.  Head coach Bruce Cassidy commented on the situation:

“There are clearly skills. He’s proven that in Providence, he’s put up numbers in the past.  It’s just is he going make us a better team or do we like what we have, and want to work with what we have? That’s the ultimate question.”

Kovar has indeed been productive in the minors, collecting four goals and six assists in a dozen games at that level.  If the Bruins decide not to tender him an NHL offer, it’s likely that he will look to return to the KHL where he has spent the past five seasons.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Prior to Philadelphia relieving Ron Hextall of his duties as GM, the Flyers were in discussions regarding a contract extension for winger Wayne Simmonds, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News (Twitter link). However, Hextall indicated that the two sides were not close.  Simmonds is a pending unrestricted free agent but given his style of play and tendency to play through injuries, locking the 30-year-old up long-term will carry some risk.
  • Rangers defenseman Adam McQuaid is getting closer to returning from his lower-body injury. Head coach David Quinn told Larry Brooks of the New York Post that the 32-year-old is likely a couple of weeks away from getting back into the lineup.  McQuaid has missed 16 straight games with the injury and has played just eight times so far this season.
  • Stars coach Jim Montgomery provided an update on some of their injured defensemen to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Connor Carrick (lower body) and John Klingberg (hand) are expected to miss about three more weeks each while Marc Methot (lower body) is more uncertain.  He’s slated to undergo more testing that will hopefully determine how much longer he’ll miss.

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