Expansion Draft Preview: Dallas Stars

After reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, the Dallas Stars fell down to earth this season.

Tyler Seguin missed virtually all of the season due to injury and Anton Khudobin wasn’t able to replicate the magic he had during last summer’s playoffs. As a result, Dallas finished the season 23-19-14 and on the outside of the playoffs looking in.

Next up, the Stars will go into the Expansion Draft with an ageing core that features multiple no-m0vement clauses.

Eligible Forwards

@Tyler Seguin (NMC), @Jamie Benn (NMC), Joe Pavelski, @Alexander Radulov (NMC), @Andrew Cogliano, @Radek Faksa, @Roope Hintz, @Denis Gurianov, @Blake Comeau, @Jason Dickinson, @Adam Mascherin, @Tenner Kero, @Justin Dowling

Eligible Defencemen

@Esa Lindell, @John Klingberg, @Stephen Johns, @Jamie Oleksiak, @Sami Vatanen, @Andrej Sekera, @Miro Heiskanen, @Mark Pysyk, @Joel Hanley, @Julius Honka

Eligible Goaltenders

@Ben Bishop (NMC), @Anton Khudobin, @Landon Bow

Exempt Players

Jake Oettinger, Jason Robertson, Riley Tufte, Ty Dellandrea, Riley Damiani, Yevgeni Oksentyuk, Oskar Back, Maverik Bourque, Jacob Peterson, Thomas Harley, Dawson Barteaux, Adam Scheel

What should they do?

Despite their no-movement clauses, Dallas doesn’t really have too many difficult decisions to make this year.

Their three forwards who are automatically protected, Benn, Seguin, and Radulov, are three who would have been protected regardless. With their four remaining spots at forward, Dallas can protect three quality mid-20s forwards in Faksa, Hintz, and Gurianov.

The only difficult-ish decision is choosing between veteran Joe Pavelski and a younger option in Jason Dickinson. Pavelski was Dallas’ leading scorer last season but he’s 36 years old with one year left on his contract. Dickinson is a fine middle-six forward, but losing him wouldn’t be the end of the world.

On the blueline, all three of Lindell, Heiskanen, and Klingberg are no-brainers. In net, Bishop carries a no-movement clause and the team hasn’t yet asked him to waive it. Even if Khudobin is exposed, odds are, given his age and mediocre showing in 2021, Seattle will pick somebody else.