Thomas Harley is a restricted free agent and still needs a new contract ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Training camp for the 2024-25 season is one week away for the Dallas Stars, but the season may not feel so close for the Stars young defenseman Thomas Harley.
The 23 year old's entry level contract ended last year, and Harley is still in negotiations for his next contract offer from Dallas. Harley was drafted 18th overall in the 2019 draft, and after sliding his first two years, his ELC started in the 2021-22 season.
He finally established himself as a reliable blueliner in the 2022-23 season. Harley played the last six regular season games and became a pivotal piece for the Stars on their playoff run that ended in the Western Conference Final. Last season, he played his first full NHL season and recorded 15 goals, 32 assists, and 47 points. Now after earning himself a big paycheck, Harley's contract is the last loose end the Stars have to tie up before the season starts.
"There's no urgency. Camp doesn't start for a week. It's kind of in the process of negotiations," said Jim Nill in a conversation with DLLS Sports and EP Rinkside reporter Sean Shapiro.
Shapiro also goes on to suggest that the deal will be a short one.
There could be a couple factors to why a short-term deal would benefit both the Stars and Harley. As it stands, the Stars have around $6.2 million in cap space for the upcoming season. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin are nearing the end of their high-priced deals, which could re-structure the available cap in the next few seasons for Dallas. The Stars have Jamie Benn ($9.5 million), Mason Marchment ($4.5 million), Esa Lindell ($5.8 million), and Matt Dumba ($3.75 million) all coming off the books by the end of the 2025-26 season, with Seguin's contract expiring the year after. Allocating some of that money to a bigger contract for Harley in the future would benefit both sides.
Harley is also still a bit unproven, only having the two playoff runs and one full regular season under his belt. Despite his outstanding prior season, there are some defensive lapses that remind everyone that he is young and still developing into his full potential.
While a shorter deal could help the Stars avoid a bad contract if last season was a fluke, they also run the risk of Harley's value sky-rocketing if he continues to play at a high level.
If the Stars are able to get Harley's contract significantly under the $6.2 million they have available, they could possibly sign an extra forward to add depth if some of their other pieces added during free agency don't work out. On the other hand, Nill likes to play salary cap wizard and could hang on to the extra cash and use it at the trade deadline in March.
Either way, Harley is a key part of the Stars future whether he signs long or short term. The priority now lies in getting the deal done before the season so Harley can focus solely on what goes on in the rink.
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