The Dallas Stars decided to make the Ryan Suter buyout happen on Thursday. This move has Dallas part with the 19-year veteran. Suter was entering the final year of his contract and was due $4.3 million. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, the buyout will save Dallas $1.4 million.
The Dallas Stars are buying out the remainder of Ryan Suter’s contract.
With one year remaining on Suter’s deal this move will add $1.4 million on the Stars cap for the next two seasons.
The Stars will save $1.4 million with the buyout.
— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) June 27, 2024
Despite the buyout, it appears Suter plans to continue his NHL career.
Ryan Suter Buyout History
The move makes Suter just the second NHL player to be bought out twice. Defenceman Tony DeAngelo became the first when bought out by Philadelphia last summer.
Dallas signed Suter in 2021 after the Minnesota Wild bought him out after nine seasons with the team. He spent three seasons in Dallas, playing all 82 regular season games each year. His best season with the Stars was his first in Dallas as his production and average ice time diminished each season since.
Why Buying Out Suter Makes Sense
Suter has many accolades throughout his career but is not the same player he once was. At his peak, he was an impactful top-pair defenceman — nominated for 10 Norris Trophies and receiving votes for the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP on three occasions.
These days, he doesn’t move as well as he used to but still makes plays and has a high hockey IQ. Those traits could be valuable to a young team, especially as a mentor for young defence units.
From that standpoint, it may have made sense for Dallas to keep him around. However, the Stars may want to clear playing time for up-and-coming players and need the cap space to make more significant moves this offseason.
Impact of Ryan Suter Buyout
The Dallas Stars buying out Suter impacts the team on and off the ice. As The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf points out, the defenceman was a leader in the locker room and well-respected. If he stayed with the club, there would have been immense pressure to keep him in the lineup over others knocking on the door of the NHL.
By buying out Ryan Suter, Jim Nill is helping out Pete DeBoer. Having Suter on the roster means having to have him in the lineup no matter what, or risking a ripple effect in the locker room. That’s even more so w/ Joe Pavelski, leader and one of Suter’s best friends, retiring.
— Saad Yousuf (@SaadYousuf126) June 27, 2024
Losing leaders like Suter and Pavelski in the same offseason will take a lot of work to overcome. However, they seem to have rubbed off on the young players in the organization enough to continue to impact the team from afar.
Furthermore, the move gives Dallas more wiggle room to try to retain defenceman Chris Tanev and possibly even forward Matt Duchene. Both have expressed interest in remaining in Dallas. However, Tanev is the more significant piece based on the Stars’ roster. They have plenty of offensive firepower yet can always improve defensively.
The top pairing of Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell remains intact and under contract. Jani Hakanpaa and Derrick Pouliot are unrestricted free agents while Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist are restricted free agents. Lian Bichsel also figures to enter the lineup after almost making his NHL debut in the Western Conference Final.
The Stars may also be in the market for a backup goaltender as reports indicate Scott Wedgewood wants more than they are willing to give him.
Spoke to pending UFA goalie Scott Wedgewood. Says he absolutely wants to stay in Dallas. Believes he earned a bit of a raise after betting on himself with a discounted 2-yr, $2M deal in 2022.
Currently, the number Dallas is offering is lower than he’s looking for #Texashockey
— Sam Nestler (@samnestler) June 26, 2024
Main photo by: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
