Following Pittsburgh’s bold gamble on unproven talent, Dallas must decide if securing their towering defensive prospect now will prevent a massive salary cap headache in the future.
The hockey world was stunned this past Thursday when the Pittsburgh Penguins announced a surprising extension for depth forward Ville Koivunen, inking an eight-year, $32 million deal carrying a $4 million cap hit.
The most eyebrow-raising part of the move was that Koivunen had just seven points, two goals and five assists, in 39 games during his first real stint at the NHL level this past season.
The 2021 second-round pick, originally taken by Carolina before being dealt to Pittsburgh as part of the Jake Guentzel trade, has proven to be an above-point-per-game player at the AHL level and could turn into a valuable, cost-controlled piece for the Penguins for years to come.
It begs the question across the league of what other players haven't gotten their biggest opportunity at the NHL level yet but could be candidates for similar long-term bets?
Down in the Lone Star State, plenty of eyes turned to one of the Dallas Stars' most exciting prospects in Lian Bichsel.
The towering 6-foot-7 defenseman played his second season at the NHL level and held his own, posting four goals and four assists for eight points across 50 games before a lower-body injury that required surgery cost him significant time. He returned to play in all six of Dallas' playoff games, continuing to establish himself as a physical, dependable presence on the Stars' blue line.
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The former 18th overall pick from the 2022 draft is entering the final season of his entry-level contract and is now eligible to sign an extension. Stars General Manager Jim Nill spent much of this offseason navigating a crowded and expensive roster, with the Jason Robertson situation dominating headlines.
With Robertson's contract situation being handled with his one-year, $12 million deal, Nill now has a bit more clarity to turn his attention elsewhere, including the long-term picture on his blue line.
Bichsel could be exactly the kind of player worth locking up early as contracts around the league are only going to keep climbing as the salary cap continues to rise.
The 22-year-old Swiss import is a physical, mobile defenseman with size who can also chip in offensively from time to time and fits the profile of a player teams want to sign before his price tag balloons. Following Pittsburgh's blueprint with Koivunen, that means getting a deal done sooner rather than later.
It may only be a matter of time before the Bichsel contract conversation heats up in Dallas, and after watching Koivunen's deal in Pittsburgh, Nill may want to take a page out of another GM's playbook.
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