We're coming up on some big dates with the NHL Expansion Draft (July 21), NHL Draft (July 23-24) and the first day of free agency (July 28), so that creates a lot of hockey talk.
We asked for some fan questions and received some great ones here in another edition of Hey Heika. Hopefully, the answers live up to the questions:
Hey Heika: Cap space, crucial contract extensions and so much more
The Stars could have some cap space to work with this offseason, but they still need to sign defenseman Miro Heiskanen to a new contract
Are there any updates on the contracts of Klinger and Miro? -- @BlakeMills0990
Mike Heika:Arranging the Stars' defense is going to be tricky because there are so many variables.
The biggest question is whether or not Miro Heiskanen wants a bridge deal or a long-term deal. If he wants a bridge deal, I think the Stars could get something done pretty quickly -- maybe two or three years at $5-6 million or so. That would put him ahead of all the similar bridge contracts for young defensemen that have come before him and would allow him the ability to negotiate a longer deal when the NHL is hopefully recovered from the current economic strains caused by the pandemic.
If he chooses the longer deal, it seems all sides will have to wait for Colorado defenseman Cale Makar to sign his deal. Makar is coming off a great season and is expected to set the market. He tallied 44 points (eight goals, 36 assists) in 44 games and was arguably the most effective offensive defenseman in the NHL this year. Heiskanen led the playoffs last season with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 27 games, but dropped down to 0.49 points per game this season with 27 points in 55 games. Because of that, he can't set the market on a long-term deal.
CBJ@DAL: Heiskanen wires wrister to extend Stars lead
If Heiskanen and his agent want to sign a team-friendly deal, they can do it quickly. If they want to wait on Makar, then this could take some time. This is important because the Stars are in a tight spot in regard to salary cap space for 2021-22.
They have almost $1 million in bonuses that carry over from last season and they want to sign Jamie Oleksiak to a contract extension that'll probably be four or five years. If they're giving Heiskanen everything next season, there's a good chance they can't re-sign Oleksiak. In fact, if they're giving Heiskanen everything next season, there's a chance they'll be pushed on even having enough room for a free agent (which might need to be a cheaper defenseman to take Oleksiak's place). So, the Heiskanen deal is hugely important to next season.
John Klingberg can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season, so there's some wiggle room. My guess is his contract talks likely don't get serious until they know what the cost of the defense is for next season. On the good side, both Joe Pavelski ($7 million) and Alexander Radulov ($6.25 million) will come off the books and create space for a potential Klingberg extension.
Do you see the Stars making a big move this offseason (trading a first rounder or signing a big free agent like Blake Coleman or Taylor Hall) or playing like last year and hoping to have a healty squad? -- @hockey_inside99
Heika: Once again, the salary cap will be crucial. Blake Coleman seems like the perfect target as he grew up in Plano and his family still lives here, but his price seems to be going up every day with his performance in the playoffs. There could be a real bidding war for his services, and I don't think the Stars are in a position to win a bidding war. Still, signing Coleman would be a huge splash.
The only reason I think the draft pick could be in play is if the Stars are a team that wants to trade for Seth Jones. The Columbus defenseman, who was born in Arlington, is on the trade block. He has one year left on his contract at $5.4 million, so he could work into this year's cap if the Stars trade another contract to make room.
Those would be newsworthy deals, and my guess is fans would love either or both. The interesting thing about this season is the reason the Stars are tight against the cap is because they've already made big deals. Pavelski has a cap hit of $7 million, but he was the team's leading scorer last season. Radulov has a cap hit of $6.25 million, but since joining the Stars in 2017 he's second on the team in points per game at 0.85. Ben Bishop has a cap hit of $4.9 million, but since joining the Stars in 2017, he leads all eligible goalies in save percentage at .923 and ranks second in goals-against average at 2.33.
Stars teammates on what makes Ben Bishop elite
All three are older and there are injury concerns, but the Stars made their splashes earlier and now they have to ride it out. It's a risk to rely on older players staying healthy, but Dallas has put itself in a position where players such as Jason Robertson, Denis Gurianov, Roope Hintz and Jake Oettinger can take bigger roles, and where players like Ty Dellandrea, Riley Damiani and Adam Mascherin might be able to step up. If the plan is to rely on health and/or depth, it's a plan that can work.
Do you have a feel for who the Stars will pick in the first round of the draft? -- @starsfan_14
Heika:They've tended to go high skill in recent drafts, and if I'm guessing, that's probably going to be a big part of the discussion. Yes, the team has had good luck with defensive-minded first-round picks in Dellandrea, Dickinson, Oleksiak and Radek Faksa, but those players each have plenty of skill and good junior numbers too.
It just seems like they want to lean toward offense with their first-round picks right now. In a normal draft, picking 14th means you have to wait to see what happens in front of you. But with the limited scouting opportunities this past season, it'll be even more of a guess this year.
A lot of what happens ahead of the Stars could be crazy, so they just have to stick with their board and see what happens. If you want players who might be available at that spot, the three that stick out are Corson Ceulemans, Fabian Lysell and Carson Lambos.
[2021 NHL DRAFT PROSPECT FINAL RANKINGS]
I'll leave you with this -- the draft philosophy of the Stars is to try to find players who have skill, are smart and possess character. That's hard to define sometimes, but that's what they're looking for.
With the ongoing #MentalMiles, what is your favorite Stephen Johns memory? -- @tynanedwards
Heika:The easy one is the goal at Madison Square Garden when he was coming back from his 22-month absence and scored a huge goal in front of his parents. That was incredible. I also think that might've been the only two-point game of his career.
DAL@NYR: Johns hammers puck home from blue line
Just as memorable was his first NHL goal. He was called up midseason and scored on Bishop on March 17, 2016. The Stars were trailing Tampa Bay and Johns tied the game in the third period. A couple of minutes later, Jamie Benn scored the go-ahead goal in a 4-3 win. I remember Lindy Ruff made a big deal about how much Johns' goal fired up the bench because he was a rookie. That was a great memory.
On Thursday, July 1, the
Stars Foundation partnered with Johns and Mental Health America of Greater Dallas
to raise money through #MentalMiles t-shirts and donations, with the foundation matching the first $15,000 raised.
You've stated a few times that you "like where we're at" with the kids, vets and the team we have moving forward. Post-draft, what's something you WOULD change about this team if the power was in your hands? -- @ObiJuan67844419
Heika: When you look at where they are with contracts for Pavelski, Radulov and Klingberg, and also with Rick Bowness and the coaching staff, I believe they're following the proper strategy for this season.
One, they were hurt last year and still had strong possession analytics. That indicates that if they're healthy, they can create scoring chances and do a better job capitalizing on those scoring chances.
Two, this coaching staff has not had a normal offseason yet. They came in during the middle of the season, re-racked before the bubble and then dealt with an odd offseason and a bunch of injuries. When you look at what they did before the bubble and into the Stanley Cup Final, you have to give them a lot of credit for those coaching changes.
Three, this year's playoffs prove there is a different brand of hockey in the postseason, and I believe the Stars can play that brand of hockey. So, yes, I would like to see this group stay together and get at least one season with an aging core and a group of young players that might be entering their prime. I think that makes sense.
Now, what would I do if I could? I would at least have a discussion on acquiring a player like Jones from Columbus. It would cost assets and you'd have to make sure you sign him to an extension, but I think he might be a good long-term partner for Heiskanen. He could play the right side and he's big at 6-4, 220. This trade would mean you would likely not re-sign Oleksiak and would have to consider trading Klingberg, who'd be a valuable trade piece and would help get back whatever you gave up for Jones. Klingberg is going to need a contract that's close to what Jones will sign for, so the question then is whether or not you think Jones is a better fit in Dallas. Lots of moving pieces there, but it's certainly worth a real discussion.
Will we see Riley Damiani in Dallas next year? -- @MichaelTannery
Heika:I definitely think so. I'm not sure if he starts the season in the NHL, but I believe he'll get a chance to play with the Stars, and he could take advantage of that and open some eyes the way Robertson did. Damiani had a tremendous debut season with the Texas Stars,
winning the AHL Rookie of the Year Award
after leading Texas and all rookies in the AHL with 36 points and 25 assists in 36 games.
Do you think the Stars could tempt Seattle to draft Anton Khudobin with offering a draft pick as compensation? Didn't Pittsburgh do that with Marc-Andre Fleury? -- @danman9
Heika: I don't think they want to do that. I believe they're happy with all three goalies. Bishop is a top-10 goalie (maybe top-five), statistically speaking, so if he's healthy, they need to give him a chance to reach the numbers he's posted since he came here. Khudobin, when healthy, might be the best backup goalie in the NHL.
DAL@CHI: Khudobin extends, robs DeBrincat in close
If you have a chance to get that combination rolling, then you take it. Oettinger doesn't require waivers, so he can go freely between the NHL and AHL. Having him playing the majority of Texas Stars games with the chance to be called up in case of injury also seems like a pretty good alternative. I think the Stars are hoping Seattle doesn't take Khudobin because they'd like to see what that trio could do next season.
What are the chances that Coleman, Zach Hyman or another similar player joins the team this summer? And do you think they can do without and look for one perhaps at deadline? Also, how's summer treating you? -- @samnestler
Heika:Hey Sam, the summer has been nice. Thanks for asking. I think the Stars will be pushed hard on the cap if they re-sign Oleksiak and if Heiskanen gets a bigger deal. However, I do feel they can be in the market if the price is right. Coleman might be too much, but we'll see what happens with the other deals.
Are the Stars even considering protecting a top prospect (Adam Mascherin)? It seems that Dickie and Foxy fill very similar roles. Why not let Seattle pick? -- @jtraviss09
Heika:I understand the thought that Mascherin might become a Robertson in two seasons, so the thought is he has more future value than Dickinson or Faksa. My belief is the organization sees more immediate value in Dickinson and Faksa, and so they'll choose to protect one of those. My guess is Faksa is protected, and Dickinson will be chosen by Seattle. If they take Mascherin, we'll just have to wait and see what happens. It might lead to Faksa or Dickinson being traded because they're similar and the Stars might have to juggle a few things to make the money for everyone work. The expansion draft forces tough decisions.
I loved the asteroid day video with Miro and Kivi. What are the chances we get fun new get-to-know-the-players media content next season? -- @hockeytime42
Heika: I liked the asteroid day content, as well. If we can get back to more normal contact with the players, I think we need to pursue more content like that. We were moving in that direction before the pandemic.
Heiskanen, Kiviranta put space knowledge to the test
Some submissions have been edited for brevity and clarity. Have a question for a future Hey Heika mailbag? Tweet it to **@MikeHeika** and use #HeyHeika.
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This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.
