NHL Expansion Draft: Dallas Stars Protection Strategy

Part of a running Puck Prose series. The Dallas Stars have to prepare for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft. Here’s how they do that.

The Dallas Stars have numerous good forwards, many worth the protection spots the Stars have available. I don’t know if the same can be said about either their defense or their pre-Ben Bishop goaltending. With that in mind, here’s how the Dallas Stars should utilize their protection spots in the NHL Expansion Draft.

Forwards

NMC: Jason Spezza, Jamie Benn

Neither will waive. Even if they were willing, they wouldn’t be asked.

Guaranteed: Tyler Seguin, Cody Eakin

Tyler Seguin should be given a no-move clause on his next contract. That’s due in two years and will be from the Dallas Stars. Cody Eakin is just 25. He’s been a perennial top 3 center for the Stars, though he was hurt this season. And relatively unproductive, posting just 12 points and 3 goals. Still, Eakin is cheap and will be around for a while.

Mostly Safe: Radek Faksa, Brett Ritchie

Both are 23. Both are restricted free agents. Faksa was key to the Dallas Stars playoff run last season, posting 3 goals in 13 games, including 2 game-winning. Faksa also posted a fifth-best 33 points. Ritchie scored 16 goals in 78 games. They’re both young forwards who will be good for the future of the Stars.

Somewhat Safe: Antoine Roussel

Out of all the remaining members of the Dallas Stars forward list, Roussel might be the most useful. Especially in terms of protection from the NHL Expansion Draft, Roussel still has value to the Stars. He scored 27 points the last season, posting 12 goals. Roussel also had the most penalty minutes, with 115.

Roussel plays a dual role: he can provide skill in certain circumstances, including as a net front presence. But he can also scrap with the best of ’em and takes penalties so other guys don’t have to.

Dallas Defensemen

Guaranteed: John Klingberg, Esa Lindell

Klingberg is 24. Klingberg’s already been Dallas’s number one defenseman for a few years, and this last season he posted his career record for goals with 13. He was fourth on the team with 49 points. He’s going to be around Dallas for a long time. Therefore, Klingberg is going to be protected from the NHL Expansion Draft.

Lindell is two years younger, played fewer games, and still posted 18 points. Lindell is a restricted free agent this summer, but that doesn’t mean Vegas isn’t interested. Esa could be a top pairing defenseman soon, or he could be a good offensive defenseman. Either way, he’s an appealing mark for both teams. Which is why Dallas doesn’t let him go for free.

Mostly Safe: Stephen Johns

Johns is older than Klingberg but will be a restricted free agent in 2018. That means that Dallas has him for another year and then most likely for another season. It’s just that Johns has been a developmental project, and played just 61 games this season. He only posted 10 points. Johns likely has a bright future, and he’s one of the youngest Dallas defensemen and one of the better prospects. But is he worth keeping over four other restricted free agents?

Goaltender & Exempt List

NMC: Ben Bishop

Bishop was traded for and then given a proper contract. 4.9 million for a goaltender who’s taken a team to the Stanley Cup Final before and one who may be able to do it again. The Stars are willing to bet on Bishop behind their defense. So much so that they’ve parted with a fourth round pick and 5 million for the next 6 years. And now a protection spot.

Exempt Forwards: Devin Shore, Remi Elie, Mattias Janmark

In his first full season with the Dallas Stars, Shore posted 33 points. He played a full 82 game season, and he quite frankly killed the game as a rookie. He looks really good for a Dallas team that runs off offense.

Remi Elie posted 7 points in 18 games with the Stars this season. The French-Canadian continues to look like a good prospect for the Stars, two years removed from the Erie Otters. He’s just 22, and while he’s gotta start playing soon for the Stars, there’ll be room.

Last season, in 73 games with the Dallas Stars, Janmark posted 29 points. He was hurt all of this season, but he still looked really good in his one season.

Exempt Defensemen: Julius Honka

Honka is the best defensive prospect in the Dallas pipeline and has been for some time. In 16 games with the Stars this season, he posted 5 points. The Dallas Stars are going to need young defensemen quickly, and they have Honka. It’s a good thing.

Vegas’s Choice

The Vegas Golden Knights will have a fun choice to make with Dallas in the NHL Expansion Draft. Do they take an older defenseman in Dan Hamhuis? What about a goaltender? Do they want a young defenseman who’s a restricted free agent?

Available players: Curtis McKenzie, Adam Cracknell, Mark McNeill, Gemel Smith, Dan Hamhuis, Jamie Oleksiak, Patrik Nemeth, Greg Pateryn, Kari Lehtonen, Antti Niemi.

Vegas has a lot to look at, especially if they want to take a defenseman from Dallas. That includes Oleksiak and Nemeth especially. In 119 career games with the Stars, Oleksiak has 19 points. He both played the most games and averaged the most minutes this season. He was still at just half the games and under 20 minutes a night, though. He’d be a good young seventh.

Nemeth has 108 games and 14 points, all assists. Nemeth played one less game this season and averaged a minute less. The obvious choice if taking a defenseman is Oleksiak.

I don’t think any of the forwards are worth a second glance. The Stars make sure to protect all the good ones, and the others are exempt. Maybe Curtis McKenzie, who at 26 scored 16 points in 53 games this season. But there will be plenty of those types of players and not a lot of young-Oleksiak types.

Next: Ben Bishop is the Newest Dallas Star

Unless Dallas really pays up and gets Vegas to accept a bribe into Antti Niemi, Vegas will be taking Jamie Oleksiak in the NHL Expansion Draft. Again, sometimes it’s too good to pass up a young defenseman with potential. Nobody would blame Vegas for going after Oleksiak.