Hey Heika: Goalie logjam, Cup window, line combos and much more

The Stars had a pretty eventful off-season, signing Miro Heiskanen to an eight-year contract extension that averages $8.45 million and adding free agents Ryan Suter, Braden Holtby, Luke Glendening, Michael Raffl, Jani Hakanpää, Alexander Petrovic and Andreas Borgman. That creates all sorts of questions, so we'll try to answer them here.
In another summer edition of Hey Heika, let's talk Stars.

What's your opinion on the 30:1 Stars odds for the 2021-22 Stanley Cup? Too high, low or just about right? -- @Paulbradb
Mike Heika:That puts them middle of the pack. I think they're better than that, but it's kind of tough to sort out the NHL coming out of the pandemic. One, there is a lot of balance in the league. Two, an injury or two can change a lot. Three, the playoff format creates the opportunity for upsets. Going back to the old format, you could get five teams out of the Central Division and three out of the Pacific. If you're the fifth team out of the Central, there's a good chance you have to play Vegas in the first round. That could put you out quickly. But if you beat Vegas, then do you have an easier path to get to the Western Conference Final? There's just a lot going on there.
We've seen in the past that a team like Montreal or Dallas can get to the Stanley Cup Final, but then it's really tough to take it over the top and win the whole thing. I'm not much of a gambler, but I just think picking the team to win it all is a difficult task no matter what. But, sure, 30 to 1 seems about right.
With most of free agency done, what is your assessment on the Stars? Are they legit contenders? -- @hockey_inside99
Heika:I actually think they're in a good position for where they are. Because of the age of some key players and the contracts for older players and coaches, I think the smart move is to do everything they can to try to win it all this season.
They tried to reduce risk by plugging some holes with their free-agent signings, and I think they got some bargains in there.
The two keys are staying relatively healthy, meaning a return to impact for players like Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov, and sorting out the goaltending, meaning finding a solution in net that can win in the playoffs. On the first question, it seems they have some pretty good options in Joe Pavelski, Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov already in place, so getting Seguin and Radulov back could really be a big boost to the offense. On the second question, they have all sorts of options, so it's about finding the right one. Could Ben Bishop be healthy by the end of the season? Can the Stars find a way to navigate the contracts for the three veteran goalies so that they don't go over the cap? It appears goaltending is a big question mark for a lot of Western Conference teams, so finding the right solution could be huge in the playoffs.
Any update on a John Klingberg extension? Do you think he'll be re-signed before the season starts? Would love for the Stars to get him locked up before then! -- @BlakeMills0990
Heika:They're talking, but the current level of contracts for NHL defensemen could make this tricky. It could happen any day now or they could ride it out for the entire season. The Stars would love to get this done, obviously, but trying to make everything fit with Heiskanen's new deal is, like I said, tricky.

With Pavelski, Radulov and Klingberg all approaching UFA status after this season, what direction do you see the Stars going in? Who might they target to fill/improve those roles should they choose to not re-sign some of them? -- @nialleamonn
Heika:The front office wants to contend every year, so I think they're in a place where they can read off of this year and then react going forward. If this team does well, they can look to possibly get Pavelski or Radulov on shorter-term contracts and keep riding the wave. If they don't, they can go in a younger direction. I can't really answer who or how until we see how they perform. If they lose in the first round of the playoffs, that's different than if they miss the playoffs entirely. If they really struggle, it makes sense to allow several veterans to leave and lean heavily on younger players. If they look good, then maybe they can return in 2022-23 with a hybrid lineup that transitions to the younger players but still has space for some veterans.
There's a lot riding on this season, but I think the Stars are in a place where they can make decisions based on who is here and what the contract obligations are. The contract for Klingberg is a tough one. Current NHL prices for defensemen are sky high, and you already have a commitment to Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Suter plus a talented youngster in Thomas Harley. That'll be a tricky negotiation.
How tough will it be for Jake Oettinger to crack the lineup with two veterans ahead of him? Seems the Stars will utilize his no-waiver contract, but do you believe he plays a lot this season? -- @samnestler
Heika: I think it'll be pretty tough. They're saying the right things, and if Oettinger really does wow them, they can't just ignore that. However, they have three goalies on one-way contracts and Oettinger is on a two-way contract that doesn't require waivers. It just makes sense to allow him to play in the AHL as much as possible and then be ready if the NHL goalies have injury or performance issues. They must sort out the three veteran goalies first. If they place Bishop on LTIR and can't really take him off, then Oettinger becomes an option if either Anton Khudobin or Holtby are hurt or struggling. If Bishop can play, then one of Khudobin or Holtby has to be traded, and then Oettinger becomes a pretty important life preserver with Bishop's health always in question. They must sort this out, and my guess is they will. The great thing for Oettinger is he's 22 and he's the goalie of the future. If he plays a ton in the AHL this year, he still has plenty of NHL games ahead of him.
Hakanpää is obviously a great addition for the sake of the "Finnish Mafia," but I don't know much else about him. Hurricanes fans seemed really bummed to lose him. Where do you think he slots in on D? A straight up Big Rig [Jamie Oleksiak] replacement or will there be a mix up on defense? -- @justjacobmartin
Heika:The Stars have set themselves up pretty well on defense, so then it's just a matter of letting everyone play and finding the right combinations. The buzz on Hakanpää is that several teams wanted him and like what he brings. The fact he is big and right-handed makes him an interesting partner for several players. Many fans would love for Heiskanen to move back to the left side and allow Hakanpää to be his partner, and that might work. The problem is with the potential minutes for Heiskanen, Lindell, Klingberg and Suter. Those seem to be the top four and with three of them lefties, someone in theory would have to play the offside. The Stars feel that Heiskanen can play the right side and that seems to be the path they will follow no matter how much it bothers fans. That said, if there's any chance for Heiskanen to play the left side, it seems like it would be with Hakanpää.
So, we'll see what happens. If you're guessing, it seems like they will try Suter with Klingberg or Heiskanen to start and likely play Hakanpää with Andrej Sekera or Joel Hanley on the third pair.

Does Harley have a real good shot at making the team this year? -- @MaxyJprime
Heika: Like Oettinger, I think Harley is in a place where he would have to be spectacular to make the NHL roster to start this season. In addition to the seven defensemen they have under one-way contracts, the Stars added two solid AHL blueliners in Petrovic and Borgman. The good thing is Harley will only be 20 when the season starts, so he has plenty of time to develop and should get big minutes in the minors with the Texas Stars. Like Oettinger, he has a great future ahead with the big club.
Is it Stanley Cup or bust for the Stars this season? Looking at contracts, it pretty much needs to be this season. -- @tnowers94
Heika:I think the fact the team has a pretty good group of 20-somethings allows it to dream that the future is going to be good. In addition to the Oettinger and Harley, who seem to be knocking on the door, you have Robertson, 22, Heiskanen, 22, Hintz, 24, Gurianov, 24, Joel Kiviranta, 25, and Lindell, 27. Seguin is just 29 too, so you have to think he has some pretty good years left. So, while I do think the Stars need to look at this season as a really good shot to go for it, I do believe they have the option to adjust going forward. In fact, they could turn into a younger team that some fans like even better.
Will the Stars play in another Winter Classic game home or away? -- @im\that\dude20
Heika: They should be in the mix to be a road opponent at some point. As good as the last one went, I think it'll be a while before they're considered for another outdoor game in Dallas. That said, I know team president Brad Alberts wants this organization to be in the mix for every big NHL event, so he'll keep pushing for that.
What's the reason we keep signing bottom-six shutdown players? Seems like we get 2-3 a year and never look for a top-six forward. It's usually, 'Oh the younger guys will fill in, but then we block them with these signings.' You'd think we'd have a new approach by now? -- @CountChopulla
Heika: Clearly, the front office values veteran leadership and believes it's necessary to win in the playoffs. I understand the frustration in blocking the younger players, especially when players like Riley Damiani or Ty Dellandrea seem ready to take the next step, but the front office believes you need to have a certain chemistry to win in the postseason, and they're going to stick to that philosophy.
If it doesn't work this year, then next year's team could look a lot younger. As far as never getting top-six forwards, they've added Radulov and Pavelski in recent years and made a trade for Mats Zuccarello, so I think they understand the importance of scoring. This is a team built on strong defense and goaltending, and that's not always exciting, but there's a history of those things helping teams win in the playoffs. They need to be better offensively, and they're trying to do that, but the focus will likely be on defense first under the current administration.
Care to take a gander at lines? -- @RobertMerrillIV
Heika:Because the team is versatile and possibly injury-prone, there are so many iterations. Right off the bat, they have to determine if Benn or Seguin will play center or wing. Then, you've got to ponder how healthy and effective players like Radulov and Hintz will be. Then, mix in the fact that both Pavelski and Radek Faksa can play center or wing, and you have a lot of options. If I'm drawing it up to start the season, I would guess:
Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
Kiviranta-Seguin-Radulov
Faksa-Benn-Gurianov
Raffl-Glendening-Comeau
How do the Stars plan to give Damiani a fair opportunity to make the team out of camp with the current logjam at center? -- @robert_wollman
Heika: Like Oettinger and Harley, the contracts seem to indicate that Damiani will start in the minors. That's part of the problem with adding veteran players on one-way contracts. That said, there will be injuries and there will be chances for the rookies to step up and prove themselves in the NHL. There should be a really good lineup for the AHL squad. In that regard, the Stars have the potential to develop their players and have great depth this year in case of injuries.

Do you think Stars will go after UFAs like James Neal, Kyle Palmieri or Bobby Ryan? They could boost the bottom-six very well. -- @PeterMakai
Heika:I don't think they will. They're already over the cap. Even if they put Bishop on LTIR for the whole season, the cap is pretty tight. I would guess they believe any answers they need are in-house.
Do you think Heiskanen will finally get a shot at running the top power-play unit? -- @jacobsmike
Heika:I'm thinking it's unlikely. We'll see, but they really liked the setup last season when Klingberg quarterbacked a unit with Benn, Radulov and Pavelski, and will likely add Seguin to that. The second unit would then be Heiskanen running the show with Hintz, Robertson, Gurianov and then maybe Faksa, Lindell or Suter. They like the strategy of having two units battling to see who gets the most ice time or who gets the key assignments when the game is on the line. I think that's what we'll see.
If the NHL adapts ads on jerseys, do you see the flat cap making a significant jump or will it be years before the NHL recovers from money lost in the pandemic? -- @LacesOutFinkle
Heika:The ads should help, but they need to get people back in the buildings and then see how the bottom line looks. On the good side, both the players and teams seem to be on the same page, so if they can work together to build revenues, everyone will benefit. The losses have been real, so there's a hole to dig out of.
How do the Stars fix their low scoring numbers this year? -- @SgtMac_USMC
Heika:I think health is key. The Stars have actually been a good team analytically speaking, so they should create plenty of scoring chances. They were 11th in expected goals for last season, ninth in scoring chances for, and seventh in high danger scoring chances for. However, they were 26th in shooting percentage. So, is this a question of the players simply having to finish better? Getting the puck to better offensive players at key moments? Putting players in better position to score? It's probably all the above. The hope is the team will be better because both Seguin and Radulov will be in the lineup on a regular basis and because Hintz should be fully healthy. That should help at even strength and help make the power play one of the best in the NHL. But all of that said, the coaching staff understands this is a huge issue and they'll try to find a way to make sure the team increases scoring numbers at even strength.

Would another playoff miss/early exit put GM Jim Nill on the hotseat? What is the likelihood of Bones head coach Rick Bowness] returning beyond this year? -- @Jakkp0t**
**Heika:**All of this depends on the season. If they're good, my guess is everyone will get a chance to return. If they miss the playoffs, everything will be questioned. Bowness is in the final year of his contract, so that'll be a subject of debate no matter what happens. Nill's deal goes through the 2022-23 season, so that opens the door for discussion on an extension or the possibility of going in a different direction. I believe ownership is confident in the front office and the coaching staff, but this is a results-based business, so they need to win, or else changes will be discussed.
**What have you heard about Khudobin and the possibility of him being traded? Anything about a price, landing spot or other? And if Bishop can't play again this season, what's the possibility of him retiring? -- @CarterStephen18**
**Heika:**I don't think they have any intention of trading a goalie before the season starts. If Bishop is healthy, then they'll be forced into a move. But the reason they signed Holtby is because they're still not sure about Bishop. They want to be sure they are okay in net, so they'll juggle the three goalies until it's no longer financially possible or they have a clearer picture of the future.
**Are there plans to ever wear the Winter Classic jerseys again? Would it possible to move to the green helmets with the home Victory Green uniforms? Will the Reverse Retros ever return? -- @JamesV\_Jr**
**Heika:** Because the usage of those uniforms is mandated by the league, there's no plan to use them again. They also will not be changing their helmets and will not wear the Reverse Retros this year. They have normal home and away, and the Blackouts will become their alternate sweater.
*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*.