The Dallas Stars have a high-caliber player on offense, defense and in net, writes Adam Proteau. The big question is who they will sign to round out their offense.
Now that we’re in the 2023 off-season for the NHL, we’re breaking down each team’s 2023 summer plans and their outlook heading into the 2023-24 campaign. We’ve been analyzing teams in alphabetical order, and today, we’re examining the Dallas Stars.
2022-23 Grade: A
Biggest Positive Heading Into the Off-Season
The Stars made it to the Western Conference final this past spring before being eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Vegas Golden Knights. Although the disappointment of nearly running the table is likely still fresh for Dallas, the team enters the off-season with elite-level talents at all three main positions.
At forward, the Stars employ one of the game’s ascendant great snipers in winger Jason Robertson. On the blueline, Dallas has tremendous two-way contributor Miro Heiskanen. And in net, youngster Jake Oettinger is the Stars’ starter and the backbone of their defense.
Some NHL teams don’t have a single foundational player of top caliber at any position, so it’s a credit to Dallas GM Jim Nill that he’s been able to draft and develop difference-makers and reduce the need for outside-the-organization solutions.
The Stars have only about $7.395 million in salary cap space this off-season, per PuckPedia. But Nill has locked up 17 players for the 2023-24 season, and he doesn’t need to spend all his cap space right at the moment.
Instead, he can hold on to his cap flexibility and use the space to address needs as they arise during the season. That’s a luxury not every team possesses, but Dallas’ savvy cap management now has afforded Nill that luxury.
Any potential new Star player can join the team knowing they don’t have to be the biggest contributor. Simply chipping in at the right time will be enough for newbies.
There will be a cap reckoning of sorts for Dallas in 2024-25, with four UFAs and two RFAs scheduled to go on the market in the summer of 2025. But for now, the Stars are in a great position to capitalize on their solid balance of youngsters and experienced hands and make another deep playoff run next spring.
Biggest Need Heading Into the Off-Season
With so many key components under contract for 2023-24, Nill can focus on the Stars’ key need – an infusion of veteran know-how to fill out the fourth line of forwards. Nill may well choose to add grit and a robust physical game to make the Stars into a tougher team to play against.
There has been some speculation Dallas will buy out the final two seasons of veteran D-man Ryan Suter’s contract, which currently carries a cap hit of $3.65 million per year. However, Suter is still capable of giving the team 20 minutes of ice time per game, and the buyout of his contract would necessitate replacing what he brings to the table. There’s an offsetting cost-benefit dynamic that will most likely keep Suter as a member of the Stars for this season.
Perhaps that changes after 2023-24 is over, but for now, Suter’s someone Dallas can count on to provide expertise and sandpaper. The Stars can focus solely on the fourth line as the area that deserves most of their cap space and attention.
Bottom Line for Them This Off-Season
It’s difficult to give the Stars anything but a solid ‘A’ rating, given they were one of the final four teams still active in the playoffs at season’s end.
They crumbled in the face of Vegas’ relentless forecheck – and the undisciplined behavior of veteran winger Jamie Benn also has to be noted – but Dallas is going to make the playoffs once again this coming season, and they will be a bona fide threat to get back to the Western final and beyond.
So long as Robertson, Heiskanen and Oettinger are healthy, the Stars have a chance to win every game they play. In the end, they fell in six games to Vegas, but with a slight tweaking of the roster, they could beat anyone in the West and square off in the Cup final for the fourth time in their history.
They’ve got the bedrock foundation, and now it’s all about staying healthy and peaking at the right time of year.