It could be a quiet summer for the Stars

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Free agent season is a couple days away and things were already hopping a bit Sunday night. It's an indication that things should be busy on Tuesday, when free agent season officially opens. But it may be a relatively quiet free agent season for the Dallas Stars.

Sunday's NHL Dealings
*Tampa Bay signed forward Ryan Malone, whose rights they acquired from Pittsburgh last week, to a seven-year, $31.5 million deal on Sunday.

*Tampa Bay acquired the rights to unrestricted free agent  Brian Rolston from Minnesota in hopes of signing the forward to a contract before Tuesday.

*Edmonton acquired defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for forward Jarret Stoll and defenseman Matt Greene.

*TSN reported that Colorado re-signed defenseman John-Michael Liles and Adam Foote on Sunday.

The Stars only have an opening or two that may be filled by a free agent and they don't have a lot of money to throw around due to a self imposed budget and the fact that they've already spent money on players. It's proof that free agent season doesn't necessarily begin on July 1.

The Stars invested heavily in their 2008-09 payroll when they signed Mike Ribeiro to a five-year, $25 million extension in January. The February trade for Brad Richards added $7.8 million to the mix. They also signed highly touted Swedish prospect Fabian Brunnstrom, a free agent, to a contract in May that could pay him more than $2 million per season. They also put down $5.35 million almost one year ago to keep defenseman Sergei Zubov in the mix for at least one more season.

With those big investments, along with raises to restricted free agents Trevor Daley, Steve Ott and Loui Eriksson and an internal budget the team has set, the Stars have put a lot of money already into the 2008-09 payroll.

But there are still some holes to fill and they are expected to look for solutions in the free agent market, along with some internal solutions.

What do they need? A forward who can play the right side and provide some scoring punch. The Stars are letting forwards Niklas Hagman, Antti Miettinen and Stu Barnes, who could end up retiring, test the free agent market. Those three players accounted for more than 54 goals and Hagman provided half that total.

The Stars can probably hope to cover some of that through internal growth with players like Loui Eriksson and Joel Lundqvist producing some more offensively. The Stars believe Brunnstrom might be able to help as well. Possibly another contender for a roster spot, say a James Neal, can chip in as well. Having Richards a full season will obviously help as well.

Still, the Stars could use some help from the free agent market. They could go for a goal scorer who would fit into the top six like a Michael Ryder, who has a couple of 30-goal seasons under his belt, or they could for a depth player who has shown a knack for putting the puck in the net.

How much do they have to spend? Although the upper limit of the salary cap has risen to $56.7 million for 2008-09, the Stars aren't expected to spend to that number to start. They never have since the cap was implemented after the lockout. They've always left some room to cover acquisitions and handle the cost of dealing with injuries during the season. Last season the Stars were about $3 million under the cap based on their roster heading into training camp. This season that number could be a little more with indications that they could be looking to open the season in the $52 million or $53 million range.

The Stars are already at about $49.7 million in cap costs for 19 likely roster players not including Brunnstrom and his $2.225 million cap hit, which is heavy on performance bonuses. That may leave the Stars with possibly a couple million, perhaps a little more, to spend on a free agent if they stick hard and fast to the target.

Here's a look at some of the more notable names that have been linked to the Stars in various reports, although some may be out of the team's price range.

Names in the Speculation and Rumor Mill
Player 2007-08 Team DOB Position Shoots 2007-08 Salary
Michael Ryder Montreal 3/31/80 RW Right $2,950,000
He scored 30 goals in each of the first two seasons after the lockout, but dropped to 14 goals last season after ending up in Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau's doghouse at times. He's good at finding the scoring areas and has played with Stars center Mike Ribeiro in Montreal. A lot of teams could be after him in hopes that he can return to that 30-goal form.
Niklas Hagman Dallas 12/5/79 LW Left $675,000
The Stars are letting Hagman test free agency but that doesn't mean he's totally out of the picture. Hagman shows up on a list of top ten free agents lists because of the fact that he's scored 44 goals over the past two seasons, including 27 in 2007-08. There are rumors he wants $4 million, but he could end up getting closer to $3 million.
Cory Stillman Ottawa 12/20/73 LW/RW Left $1,750,000
He's always good for about 20+ goals a season and he's won two Stanley Cups (Tampa Bay 2004 and Carolina 2006). He's a smart player who can make plays.
Andrew Brunette Colorado 8/23/74 LW/RW Left $1,600,000
Forward who can play either left wing or right wing. He can make plays and is usually around the 20-goal mark. He's put up good numbers in the playoffs too, registering 34 points in  43 games. Minnesota is believe to interested in Brunette, who says he is interested in the Wild.
Pavol Demitra Minnesota 11/29/74 C/W Left $4,500,000
Demitra's numbers dropped last season (15 goals, 39 assists) as he struggled with a groin injury. His market value could drop to about $3 million.
Sean Avery NY Rangers 4/10/80 LW Left $1,900,000
Unless he's playing for your team, chances you are going to hate him. But the fact is he can play. There's been some speculation the Stars could be in the market for Avery because of his friendship with Brett Hull. But Avery could be out of the Stars' price range. He's thought to be looking at a deal in the neighborhood of four years and $16 million.
Brian Rolston Minnesota 2/21/73 LW Left $2,432,000
Rolston's got four 30-goal seasons to his credit, including three straight. He can play in all situations including both the power play and penalty kill. He'll get a lot of attention and that may push his salary into the $4 million range. His rights were traded to Tampa Bay Sunday night, but he could still hit the market if the Lightning can't sign him.

Stars' restricted free agents

Here are the Stars players who are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents on Tuesday. The NHL will release the official list of free agents on when free agency opens.

Stars' Unrestricted Free Agents
Player Pos 2007-08 Salary Free Agent Status Notes
Mattias Norstrom D $4,250,000 UFA Group III (Retired)
Stu Barnes RW $900,000 UFA Group III
Johan Holmqvist G $1,000,000 UFA Group III
Antti Miettinen RW $885,000 UFA Group III
Niklas Hagman LW $675,000 UFA Group III
Brad Winchester LW $475,000 UFA Group III
Nolan Baumgartner D $1,200,000 UFA Group III
Trevor Byrne D $475,000 UFA Group III
Bryce Lampman D $556,380 UFA Group VI
Jussi Timonen D $525,000 UFA Not Given Qualifying Offer
Marius Holtet RW $475,000 UFA Not Given Qualifying Offer
Janos Vas LW $530,000 UFA Not Given Qualifying Offer

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