10 Burning Questions For The Dallas Stars In The Offseason
It's that time of the year again. The offseason. Time when everybody suddenly becomes an Armchair GM or heats up the buyout calculator on the CapFriendly page. Possibly both. Why not us? Let it ride.
The urge to do it this year and fantasize about possible roster changes will be that much higher, because the Stars were that much closer to their ultimate dream – winning the Stanley Cup.
Some could say it was a missed opportunity this season – and they might be right. Even though progress isn't linear in hockey (see: Panthers, Florida), you gotta go through some stages of grief that will only be caused by failure once you're excruciatingly close (see: Golden Knights, Las Vegas) on your path to achieve the goal.
The Dallas Stars are one of the teams that are close. After all, their appearance in the Western Conference Finals wasn't caused by an accident. But they are still ways from being the ultimate powerhouse that you need to be in order to become perennial contender — year in and year out.
I wanted to do a quick overview of the most pressing issues Dallas will face during the summer that could (and probably will) influence how they will approach the roster decision making this summer. Why is this an important task for the management team? Because while in-season trades and additions can only do so much, it's been proven that your team is essentially built by the decisions you do (or don't do) in the summer.
So, without further ado, let's go through some of the most burning question marks on all three roster areas – forwards, defensemen and yes, even goaltending.
Addressing the forwards situation
Q: Do you re-sign Max Domi or Evgeni Dadonov?
Let's set the table first. There is simply no space to keep both Domi and Dadonov through the next season, neither from the roster or the cap perspective. The cap is currently still projected to rise by only 1 million and while there are rumblings of more significant growth, it won't be the dramatic rise it could be as soon as during the next summer. So, if the Stars are indeed willing to keep some of their deadline acquisitions, thus scratching the rental tag, it will be a decision between these two. The math simply won't allow for more.
I know there has been more talk about re-signing Max Domi rather than keeping Evgeni Dadonov. He's younger, more versatile but also … he's gonna cost a lot more than Dadonov. So, if the Stars are in a position to look and add help also at the other end of the ice, it would be prudent to go for the less expensive option – which won't hamstring you for the next 4 or 5 seasons down the road. Beware of adding the next Marchment-like contract on your books.
I could see Evgeni Dadonov taking the 1-year deal to extend his stay in Dallas, although I'm sure his agent will probably look for a 2-year deal at minimum at around 2.75 million AAV per year. Bear in mind he's also 34 years old so anything more than two years should be considered as a showstopper in negotiations. After all, he's no Ryan Suter.
My answer: Re-sign Evgeni Dadonov rather than Max Domi. It will be cheaper, it won't hamstring your cap flexibility down the road and Dadonov could genuinely provide a more positive overall impact next season than Domi on your roster.
Q: Is Logan Stankoven a lock to make the opening night roster next season?
If you've followed me on Twitter long enough, you might have noticed I consider Logan Stankoven as the next big thing. And I'm not the only one. He's the next Wyatt Johnston, even though the Wyatt Johnston is still technically a rookie – remember, the NHL season doesn't officially end until June 30th. Logan Stankoven is coming and there's no way of stopping that. Everything he has done in his career was surpassing the expectations, but let's not collectively freak out if he's not an immediate staple in the lineup after the preseason in September.
There are multiple candidates to break through to the big team – and keep an eye on no else than Mavrik Bourque. What Bourque possesses (except for that killer name) is the same game-breaking ability Stankoven has. He's also one year older and physically a bit more mature, having played an entire AHL season and the playoffs for the Texas Stars.
It remains to be seen whether the Stars go full rookie mode on the opening night with both Stankoven and Bourque side by side. I'm just saying there is still a chance for one, if not both, to start the season in the AHL. For every Wyatt Johnston, there is one Thomas Harley, I guess. The Stanley Cup was also never won in October and look how that prolonged stay in the minors helped Harley settle with the big team later in the season.
Don't worry about the contract implications though. It is already set in stone Stankoven will be RFA in the summer of 2026, while Bourque has already played the first year of his professional entry level deal and will be RFA one year earlier – 2025.
My answer: Pre-season will tell us a lot, but it doesn't really matter whether Stankoven will make the opening night roster. The key is for both Stankoven and Bourque to be ready in April, not in October.
Q: Who do you bring back from the remaining UFAs among forwards?
As pending UFAs, both Joel Kiviranta and Fredrik Olofsson are nice stories, free agent pickups from Europe but thanks to their respective resumé, Kiviranta will probably command more money on the market than Olofsson. Their impact is very comparable, some would even say Olofsson is a bit more impressive, given he's had far less opportunities throughout the season and was a factor even when put higher in the lineup.
Luke Glendening was a typical gritty veteran free agency pickup couple offseasons ago, but let's be honest: he adds next to nothing on the offense. Yes, he's a great penalty killer (so is Kiviranta) but I've always wondered how much is it the system versus the isolated impact of a single player. I mean, if he's willing to stay for a league minimum deal, I guess you *could* make the argument of keeping him, but I'd rather promote the players from within – Riley Tufte, Rhett Gardner or even sometimes forgotten Riley Damiani come to mind.
My answer: Bring back Fredrik Olofsson. If pressed, *possibly* bring back Luke Glendening, but only at a league minimum as a 13th or 14th forward and the locker-room presence.
Improving defensive deficiencies
Q: Do you buy out Ryan Suter?
I know, I know.
Again, those who follow me on Twitter probably know where I stand on this one. But there is a greater chance the management won't buy him out rather than that they will. Why? He's had a push back of some sort during the first round against the team that, ironically, bought him out two summers ago.
But apart from that? His play has been deteriorating defensively and just optically he was a liability on the ice during 5v5 play and analytically more so on the power-play. He's taking a roster space that younger and more capable players could and probably also should occupy. And you know the other space he's taking off more than he should? That's right. Cap space.
Buying him out saves you a considerable 2.86 million in cap space for the next season that could be allotted to a defenseman with a better acumen for moving the puck, a thing this entire defensive corp sorely lacks, apart from Heiskanen and Harley. If you really want to take the next step, you oughta be proactive. The obsession of the coaching staff to defer to the services of a soon to be 39 year old veteran needs to be stopped at the management level. Proactively. Or…
Q: Do you buy out Esa Lindell?
There's a strong argument to be made that Suter wasn't even the worst value player amongst the defensemen. That honorary title would go to one Esa Lindell. Yes, Jani Hakanpää wasn't something to write home about either, but the big difference between the two Finnish players is one is making 4.3 million dollars less per season than the other.
You can try to trade Jani Hakanpää or use him as a 7th defenseman, he's not such a burden when it comes to the actual cost. Hell, you can even bury him in the minors and the cost would be negligible. His contract is also expiring next season. Suter and Lindell however? Ooof. Both have full no movement clauses thus the only way to get rid of them is via buyout.
Buying out Lindell also saves you half a million more than Suter for the next two seasons, while the dead cap in years 3 and 4 of the buyout is almost identical. But we have to be realistic, out of the two, who do you think is more likely to get bought out? Both Lindell and Suter could be valuable contributors if they're utilized correctly – i.e. playing outside the Top 4. But you just simply cannot have both of them back, especially when you also have a player like Jani Hakanpää still in the fold.
My answer: You know my answer on this one.
Q: Do you consider trading a young player like Ty Dellandrea to further bolster the defense?
This might be probably the boldest of questions in this article and I'm sure this wouldn't go that well with many in the Stars fanbase, not to mention their franchise goaltender, who is the ultimate bestie with Ty Dellandrea. Ty Dellandrea could very well be the next coming of Mike Fisher, as he was proclaimed by Jim Nill many times since being drafted. He's about to pop, just as he did in Game 5 of the Conference Finals. So why even consider moving him out? Because you have holes to fill in your lineup. Hear me out:
When the Stars made the bold trade for Nils Lundkvist, many of the Stars fans wondered if it was indeed Dellandrea coming the other way. Fortunately at that time, it wasn't. He was acquired for a moderate price (29th pick overall in 2023 NHL draft and a mid-round pick in 2025). Maybe now could actually be the time to pull the trigger.
Just one example: You have a tumultuous GM situation in Toronto. Every competent GM should be wandering around their roster to try and take advantage of the situation. Insert a guy like Timothy Liljegren. Also a former first-round pick, also a player who is about to pop under the right circumstances. Sometimes you gotta give to get and those kinds of trades could very well be what put you over the horizon.
You have players in your system that could replace Dellandrea on the roster. You can't say the same about a talented right-handed defenseman like Liljegren.
My ideal trade scenario would be trading a forward like Ty Dellandrea and Jani Hakanpää for immediate defensive help in Timothy Liljegren. That way not only you get the best player in the trade, but also clear some essential cap space by doing so. This is also a way to be proactive to create one forward roster space extra for a guy like Mavrik Bourque.
The reason against trading Dellandrea is one-fold. After probably not tendering offers for Kiviranta and Glendening, losing another useful penalty killer could be proven costly. And while the effectiveness of your penalty kill directly flows from the system you enforce, you have got to have the right personnel to do it.
My answer: I'm not saying they should do it. But they should at least consider it, especially when a quality right-handed defenseman could be going the other way.
Q: Do you go shopping on the free agency market?
Say you're hesitant to part ways with a young cost-controlled asset like Ty Dellandrea. I get that. The sad news is, you still need to upgrade that defensive core, whether you like it or not. The current one was hammered by a heavy forecheck of either Seattle or Vegas and that issue needs to be solved. You need somebody who can move the puck out of the zone, crisply and on the linemates' tapes.
And while the current crop of free agents is thin, there are some possible replacements on the market. Think Damon Severson for example. He's a very good, puck moving defenseman that always performed well, analytically. Yes, he's also prone to make the occasional “big mistake” but overall? His impact vastly outperforms any of the Stars defensemen, except the obvious top duo of Heiskanen and Harley. Did I mention he's right handed, too? I project he could fetch a contract just under what T.J. Brodie signed for Toronto – at around 4.5 million for 4 years.
Or say you actually do trade a player like Dellandrea for an up-and-coming defenseman in Liljegren. Then your need to go and spend big decreases a bit and you just need to fill out the missing roster spot, most probably at RD3 – as a partner of Esa Lindell/Ryan Suter.
My answer: If you are willing to overhaul the defense corps, at some point you should probably look at the options you could get on the free agency market. If you don't want to overspend too much, look for a cost-controlled asset in a trade route first and then fill out the necessary pieces later.
Q: How do you utilize Nils Lundkvist?
The start of one of his periods of scratches came after a 4-5 collapse against Calgary – a game where he definitely wasn't the worst defenseman on the Stars team. Hell, even the game winning goal that came a few seconds before the end of regulation was a glaring mistake by Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpää. Yes, there was the blunder of a game, in Calgary ironically, a few weeks after. But other than that? He was solid and I felt the more ice time he got, the better he played.
Now, the question remains: can he hold the fort while playing the tough minutes with Miro Heiskanen? We've seen Ryan Suter can't do that for a sustainable period of time. Thomas Harley could, but you want to spread the talent, especially on D, as much as possible. Lindell and Lundkvist pairing didn't work, because both of these players had trouble moving the puck cleanly out of their own zone.
To properly maximize having Nils Lundkvist in your lineup, you need to have a much deeper blueline, not to squander his potential and ill-advisedly pair him with a player like with Ryan Suter last season. Otherwise, he's simply a bad fit.
My answer: Nils Lundkvist can effectively be a Top 4 defenseman, but you have to pair him either with Miro Heiskanen and/or Thomas Harley.
Q: Do you need to find another goalie you can trust in case of injuries?
It felt Jake Oettinger was never the same after he had to endure a very draining stretch of hockey, both physically and mentally. Yes, he had a very strong bounce back after being called out but they rode him pretty extensively during March and I have to assume it had a trickle down effect on his up-and-down performances during the playoffs.
One thing is clear. Oettinger is your franchise goalie. He can lead this team to the Stanley Cup – as early as next season. That being said, this team will go only as far as he is able to take them. So you need to be very careful with that. I'm not saying the regular season doesn't matter, it very clearly does. But there should be an internal limit set on the amount of games you want Oettinger to feature in.
Currently, the Stars depth when it comes to their goalies is good, but not great. Behind Oettinger there is Scott Wedgewood as a bonafide backup. I wonder if they’ll consider upgrading the backup position but there aren’t many options available in the Wedgewood pay area, so while they may look onto the alternatives, chances are they won’t find any suitable option.
Moreover, Scott Wedgewood is embracing the role of a backup and seems to fit like a glove to a unquestionable starter that Jake Oettinger is. He has the potential to steal a game (or five) but he has to remain healthy. Otherwise, depth problems arise.
In the AHL you have up and coming Matt Murray, but also Remi Poirier and Adam Scheel. Granted, all three of these goalies are capable of leading your AHL team but how much do you trust them to take over the net in the NHL, say for the two weeks stretch? Because that might happen next year.
Even if only Wedgewood is injured, you need to balance the split between Oettinger and his backup very precariously. A guy like Keith Kinkaid, Aaron Dell to mentor the younger goalies in the AHL while being able to hold the fort for a necessary time needed in the NHL. One obvious thing: it has to be a buriable contract, you certainly don't sign the guy for more than Wedgewood makes.
The argument against that is right now, your goalie depth is very well structured. You have Oettinger and Wedgewood in the NHL. You have two talented goalies in Murray and Poirier splitting time in the AHL and you also have Adam Scheel, capable AHL goaltender, who has been on a heater in the ECHL with Idaho Steelheads. Do you want to disrupt this structure by adding another body, thus taking some key development time away from the up and coming goalies in your system?
My answer: Given you've stockpiled a nice amount of talent in the minors, you don't need to rush the search for another goalie. Let Murray or Poirier potentially grow into the backup position naturally. That includes getting their feet wet this season in case of injuries. That way you will know where you stand when you to replace or extend Wedgewood next year.
Q: After all this potential roster turnover, can you fit a complete roster under the cap?
My answer in full: This is probably the biggest one and it flows through almost every question before. For example, the reason I think you should re-sign Dadonov rather than Domi is to be better positioned against the cap for next season but also, very importantly, for seasons after.
Maybe an even better question should be: What will be the cap space exactly? We're operating under the assumption that it will be 83.5 million next season but there are rumblings it could possibly be a tad more. Nevertheless, let's focus on just the overall cap hit and go from there.
This is what the roster could potentially look like if you decide to bring Dadonov back (I project he'll sign at around 2.75 million AAV) and insert both Stankoven and Bourque into the lineup. The forward's lines are actually looking quite good, if you ask me. Quite symmetric, even. All of your left wingers shoot left, all of your right wingers shoot right. You have the balance of two left-shooting centers and two right-shooting centers. Not that this actually matters that much, but anyway… And you also have at least two natural centers on every line.
Putting Marchment onto the 4th line might create one of the most expensive fourth lines in the league but with Faksa and Dellandrea, this might be the killer line come playoffs, as Vegas has demonstrated against this very Stars team this article is all about. Worth noting this 22-man roster roughly has a total cap hit around 83.2 million dollars. A smidge below the most frequently used ceiling of 83.5 million.
But what about that defense, huh?
Applying the Ryan Suter buyout, you are then hypothetically operating with around 3.1 million of usable cap space. Say you do pull the trigger on another hypothetical move, trading Dellandrea + Hakanpää for Liljegren and you're suddenly trimmed your cap spending to 79.2 million dollars, leaving you around 4.3 million to spend for the one last roster spot you need – right defense.
(Credit to capfriendly.com as usual for making the Armchair GM tool so cool)
And that's when free agency could come into the picture. Players like Justin Holl (who actually is pretty okay moving the puck out of zone), Radko Gudas (if you want to add grit), Connor Clifton or even John Klingberg (imagine that) will be available and you could fit any of them without significant cap problems.
A blueline of Heiskanen, Lundkvist, Harley, potentially a guy like Liljegren, Lindell and Gudas/Holl signing sounds much more competent than whatever was there before them.
As you can see, there is still very much to resolve during the upcoming weeks and months in order to set up the best team possible that can challenge for the Cup again. And again.
And as you've surely seen proclaimed many times on Twitter, the fans will be back in October. But the real work for the management group starts right now.
(Title image credit: mayekawa.com - Dallas Stars Executive Offices)