The Dallas Stars salary cap space has begun to challenge their offseason activity as they consider their future as perennial Stanley Cup contenders. The team had $19.1 million available when the offseason began. Still, General Manager Jim Nill had to get creative and maneuver strategically to keep the team competitive. He signed some veterans and key contributors, but many were on short-term contracts. Thus far, the approach worked out in terms of getting players in the fold for this season. But how long will it be before the cap becomes a true crutch?
Dallas Stars Salary Cap Space Strategic Maneuvers
The Stars’ most notable move ahead of free agency was trading defenceman Chris Tanev’s rights to Toronto. Dallas valued Tanev’s impact on its team but could not meet his contract demands with other holes to fill.
“People forget Chris Tanev was on our cap for $1.1 million,” Nill explained. “All of a sudden, [it was] ‘How do you add 4 or 5 million.’ … You have to make those numbers add up, and we’re getting tight against it.”
Tanev was far from the only cap casualty. Seven Stars players signed elsewhere in free agency with some receiving contracts Dallas could not match.
“We’re getting to the point now, with our organization as a team, where the cap is going to start to come into play with some expiring contracts coming up,” Nill admitted.
The departing group included backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood, a leader in the locker room and a valuable teammate.
“Scott was great for us. A great fit for us,” Nill added. “We went to him and offered a contract that we hoped we could make work. He was hoping for a little more and was able to find it. That’s when we had to make a decision moving forward with the next goalie. That’s a cap casualty. That’s the business.”
Wedgewood got $3 million over two years from the Nashville Predators. Dallas turned to Casey DeSmith on a three-year, $3 million contract. The signing saves Dallas $500,000 annually while adding a goalie of similar calibre for an extra season.
Dallas also added more salary cap space by buying out defenceman Ryan Suter and trading forward Radek Faksa. The Suter buyout also adds additional salary cap space for next offseason.
Free Agent Signings
The Dallas Stars signed ten free agents, headlined by veteran defenceman Matt Dumba and the return of forward Matt Duchene. Dumba likely fills the Tanev role as a hard-working defender with an offensive upside. Duchene helps maintain some continuity with the veteran group that had been instrumental in developing the team’s young core. It also keeps one of the squad’s best performers for another season.
Other singings, such as Brendan Smith and Ilya Lyubushkin, provide depth on defence and buy some time for prospects to develop along the blue line. Sam Steel also returns on the bottom six, which will now involve crucial decisions involving young, emerging players and expiring veteran contracts.
Overall, the Dallas Stars spent around $12.9 this offseason and have about $6.2 remaining, should they choose to continue tinkering with their current group, according to Puckpedia. Some fans have complained about the Stars’ moves, but they were able to work diligently despite other teams throwing out huge contracts across the league.
Upcoming Dallas Stars Salary Cap Space Challenges
The upcoming challenges the Stars face regarding salary cap space in the coming years are not a surprise to Nill. His team has drafted and developed well, and that can come with a price.
“That’s going to happen in our sport in the cap world,” he explained. “There’s going to be changes. I know the core’s really strong, and we’ve got a good dressing room. It’s been that way since I’ve been here for the last eight or nine years, so I’m not too worried about that. The guys we’re bringing in are all high character guys. They fit in, but it’s part of the sport’s business these days.”
The primary challenge will be keeping as much of the young core as he can together to sustain a long run as a contender and keep the championship window open. However, doing so will require difficult decisions, particularly with contract extensions.
Keeping the Young Core Together
The Stars have 15 players who will be younger than 30 when the 2024-25 season commences. Eleven will be 25 or younger. That can make for a promising future under the right circumstances and guidance, and Dallas is already one of the league’s best teams. Yet, much of that young core is approaching the need for long-term contracts to remain in Dallas.
Perhaps the most crucial is starting goalie Jake Oettinger. Oettinger had a down year by his standards last season but has been a principal reason for Dallas’ emergence, coming up huge when the stakes are high. The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his contract and is slated to be a restricted free agent (with arbitration rights) next offseason.
Jake Oettinger made one of the greatest saves you may ever see look casual 😳
🎥 @BR_OpenIcepic.twitter.com/2BPINFakc8
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 18, 2024
If no long-term deal is struck, he would play the next season on a deal decided by a third-party arbitrator and become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Forwards Wyatt Johnston and Mavrik Bourque will also be restricted free agents after the upcoming season but do not have arbitration rights since they are on entry-level contracts. That should make them easier to retain. Still, Dallas would be smart to lock up Johnston with a long-term contract as soon as possible.
The team will face a similar conundrum with Jason Robertson and Logan Stankoven set to become restricted free agents in 2026. Forward Mason Marchment will be unrestricted that offseason. Plus, the club will have to decide on defenceman Nils Lundkvist’s fate next year after giving him a one-year “prove it” deal.
Roster Balance
The Stars have created a solid mix of veterans and young players, but that may be challenged next offseason. The Stars’ current roster includes ten expiring contracts, and they’ll have to decide if some players are living up to their contracts. Some would also be “cap casualties” made to maximize the team’s performance. The main contract to keep an eye on is forward Tyler Seguin. The Stars cannot move Seguin without his blessing, but restructuring his current deal may be beneficial.
There will be others in consideration, too, but whatever happens will require some shrewd maneuvering from the Dallas front office. There could also possibly be some changes fans will not like. Some beloved players may be on the outs, but that’s just the way the business works.
Main photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
