The Dallas Stars are one of the top-tier teams in the Western Conference. Playoff appearances are nothing new, and neither is their competitive spirit.
This season, general manager Jim Nill pulled the trigger and acquired forward MIkko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes. This offseason, he may have to work that same magic to get certain players in the fold for next season. However, their projected cap space may limit him from doing that.
Can Nill get creative?
On June 19, the Stars and NIll got the wheels turning on the next season's roster by re-signing forward Matt Duchene to a new four-year, $18 million deal. The 34-year-old posted 30 goals and 52 assists for 82 points in 82 games this season. He is going to be an important piece of the Stars' roster going forward, as there will undoubtedly be changes to the lineup.
On the same day, the Stars shipped forward Mason Marchment to the Seattle Kraken for a third-round pick in 2026 and a fourth-round pick in 2025. This move not only frees up some cap space, but also allows for a young forward to get into the lineup.
However, Nill and the Stars still have work to do. They have to re-sign unrestricted free agents Jamie Benn, Evgenii Dadonov, Mikael Granlund, Colin Blackwell, Brendan Smith, and Cody Ceci. The issue at hand is that the Stars only have $5 million in projected cap space for next season.
The larger issues could present themselves later as defenseman Matt Dumba has one year left on his deal or he becomes a UFA next July 1. Defenseman Thomas Harley also has one year before he becomes a restricted free agent, and the talk fo the town is that Jason Robertson could be a trade target as he enters the final year on his current deal before he becomes a UFA.
While Nill did free up some cap space with the Marchment trade, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Does he let some free agents walk this offseason to free up more? Does he make trades to acquire draft picks and prospects? Does he deal or re-sign Robertson?
This could be an issue going forward for the Stars, who could see a completely different roster on opening night in the 2025-26 season in hopes of remaining competitive. The Stars are in a transition phase where they are trying to remain in the hunt for a Stanley Cup while retooling on the fly.