Part 1: The Dangers of Playing the Game of Trades

When we started to plan out the coverage of the upcoming NHL Draft, an interesting question came up regarding the overall success of the Dallas Stars drafts the past decade or so -- especially comparing Joe Nieuwendyk's drafts with Doug Armstrong's. The general feeling has been that Armstrong failed to draft successfully, with the Dallas Stars currently paying the price for years of draft day failures.

Huw came to the conclusion that overall, the Stars' drafts under Armstrong should not be considering "failures," because the Stars were able to find some gems that are very important to the current team. It was a very interesting exercise and while I thought that Huw presented a very good argument, I still maintain that the drafting while Armstrong was GM was decidedly poor.

This opinion is based upon the overall draft history of the Stars since 2002, not just regarding the players that were actually drafted. Huw was focused solely on the players that were actually drafted and after the conversation that stemmed from that post, I thought it would be prudent to take a look not just at the players drafted but the overall approach by the Stars during the draft over that time.

I believe that it's important to look at history to help make decisions about the future. While I don't think that history shows us exactly what is going to happen with any amount of certainty, it allows us to at least address the mistakes and successes that led the present we are currently enjoying. I think this is important in all areas of life and it's especially important in sports.

In Part 1, we're going to kick off this historical breakdown to look at the strategy of the Dallas Stars regarding draft picks as assets in trades and how this has negatively affected the franchise since 2002...

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There are a few names at the top of every fan's wishlist this summer as the NHL heads to free agency, with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter leading the way. For the Dallas Stars, who are now apparently willing and able to once again be not only active but proactive in spending during free agency to improve the team, the tendency of the team might be to want to sign the biggest "splash" available. This would be in order to not only raise the level of talent on the roster but to also bring more attention to the Stars from around the Dallas market.

There are multiple issues with going after the biggest names available, the least of which is going to be the asking price involved. Some of the top players hitting the market have red flags that will make any team think twice about making a significant investment and when it comes to free agents with a laundry list of issues heading into the summer, Alexander Semin tops the list.

Semin has been the focus of intense ire by Captials fans and media over the past few years, as his considerable talent level and production early in his career began to be overshadowed by accusations of lazy play and a lack of heart. Three years ago these issues weren't considered a major problem as Semin put up 40 goals and 84 points; the past two seasons, however, Semin's productivity has dropped off considerably despite making a considerable amount of money.

What sort of option does Semin present to the Dallas Stars and would he be worth the investment? There's also the fact that it's not entirely clear whether Semin even wants to test NHL free agency this summer. Let's take a closer look after the jump.

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If you've been holding your breath since Kari Lehtonen down with some sort of right leg injury last weekend, you can let it out now.

While the Dallas Stars goalie isn't expected to return for Finland in the World Championships, the Stars don't seem to be that concerned about the severity of the injury he suffered late in the game against the United States.

As Mike Heika reports, they haven't necessarily determined what the injury is, with some questions about whether it's a groin or a knee (or, gulp, both). But with four months to recover and Lehtonen struggling in the games immediately before being injured against Canada and the US, maybe it's for the best.

``They're still looking at everything, and there has been a lot of communication between doctors there and our trainer,'' (Stars goalie coach Mike) Valley said. ``They're not 100 percent sure what the injury is, but I've been told it is not a serious injury.''

Team Finland will continue on to the quarterfinals for a rematch with the United States without Lehtonen. They will also be missing Anssi Salmela, who was suspended three games for his hit on Alex Goligoski.

After the jump, more World Championships updates, a look back at the odd FWST column from last week and Tomas Vincour had what now?

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For the first time in years the Stars appear ready to throw some money around in early July, and not just on complementary parts. The days of throwing money at the back half of the roster and selling it as a success are (seemingly) over with stable ownership in place. There can be no doubt that having money is preferable to not having money, but the new circumstances bring new problems. Mo' money mo' problems, as they say.

The biggest potential new problem facing the Stars is a desperation signing made after the big target(s) is gone. The free agent minefield traps some unfortunate (unprepared?) team every season, and oftentimes the team that steps on the mine is one looking to make a splash to change the image of the franchise under new ownership. Sound familiar?

Leading up to the opening of free agency I'm going to examine some of these traps potentially awaiting the Stars on July 1st by following a strict set of criteria aimed at finding long term fits to help push the Stars to the next level of the win curve. The remainder of this post will focus on the scoring options up front. Brace yourself, Zach Parise.

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The story of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft has been one of ups and downs. At the beginning of the season this was considered one of the most exciting and deepest draft classes since 2003. However, this draft class has been plagued by the injury bug and the draft rankings has shifted dramatically, more so than most drafts in recent history.

How has this affected the draft? With players being injured and unable to play they won't have had the exposure that they would require to become a first round pick. Teams tend to be cautious before drafting someone that has been injured for a lot of the season. Because of this players who might have originally been drafted within the first round are dropping to the second rounds or beyond because scouts haven't seen them playing enough and the teams are generally careful over whether to draft a player who has been injured and missed a significant part of the season.

For example there are a couple of players that spring to mind from this draft class who have dropped significantly from their preseason positions mostly due to injury. Players such as Jarrod Maidens and Martin Frk have both suffered concussion issues this year and have gone from potential first round picks to likely second round picks.

There is a possibility that some very good players could drop because of injury concerns and be a steal in the second or maybe third. However someone like Alex Galchenyuk, who spent most of this season out with injury, is unlikely to fall. Despite missing a lot of the season he is still clearly an incredibly talented player and a proven player. Then again he went from potentially challenged for first overall to probably being picked by the 5th pick.

After the jump, the strengths and the weaknesses of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft...

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We're wrapping up our 2011-2012 Dallas Stars season analysis this month here at Defending Big D. As part of our wrap-up, we're trying something a little unique and different to end the season. Over the next week or two, each of the DBD staff members will be writing a personal perspective on the season that was. It's going to be cathartic, sometimes witty, sometimes funny, and hopefully won't include anymore almost-arrests like Taylor had this season.

I probably shouldn’t be surprised by this, but the experience of a season is entirely different as a blogger.

Because when I look back on the 2011-12 Dallas Stars season, much of it is colored by my first year being LinksGirl for the site. The interaction I had with the other bloggers and our readers, the constant quest for finding the story or trend within the game and having to take a couple steps back from the raw emotion of any one individual win or loss all made this a very different season than any I’ve experienced since I started following the team as a homesick Dallas native living in Boston in 1998.

Ever since I discovered sports, they’ve always been an extreme emotional outlet for me. They’re a place where you, at least through the vehicle of your emotional attachment to a team, can feel the highest highs and lowest lows along with a whole set of other people along for the ride. They’re the appropriate place to express a competitive side most of us try to keep hidden, or at least reined in, in our working and family lives.

That’s what the Stars have been for me, which has made the last four seasons such kicks in the gut, as I’m sure they’ve been for most of you. But because of my new role on the site, this was the first year I really forced myself to step back and be a little more analytical and a little less emotional about being a fan.

And you know what? I think I actually enjoyed this year much more because of it. It’s obviously not an approach for every fan, but when I look back at the season now, I’m much more apt to remember the high points - Mike Ribeiro and his freaking wizardry with the puck, Jamie Benn winning against the entire Columbus Blue Jackets lineup, Kari Lehtonen stretching beyond every anatomy textbook’s recommended limits. I think taking half-a-step back made me realize how much fun a full season of hockey is regardless of the results.

Even so, what stands out the most now are those times when it was impossible to hold back the emotion.

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The Dallas Stars, in partnership with the Pro Players Foundation, helped build a playground at Dallas LIFE shelter this Saturday. The foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to help build the new space for kids, and several foundation staff members and Dallas Stars players were there to lend a helping hand in putting the playground together.

The looks on the children's faces when they saw their new playground was priceless. There is a swing set, a basketball court with an adjustable basketball rim, astroturf to play on, and a big multi-purpose play set (including tunnels, slides, and all sorts of fun things for the kids) with soft mulch to reduce the number of skinned knees!

More on the new playground and much more about Dallas LIFE after the jump!!

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According to Dallas Stars Ice Girl Kaime, the Stars are out shooting a free agency video today.

Kaime O'Teter ‏ @Kaime_Stars
Out shooting our @DallasStars Free Agency video as your host! We'll convince these guys Dallas is the place to be!! #2012season#peskystars

This got me wondering - what exactly are some of the things you use to sell someone on your franchise? If I were going to make a video to convince free agents to sign with the Dallas Stars, I'd break it into several categories: city features, team features, and financial benefits.

First, Dallas has great schools (for all you with children, this would be a big deal.) It also has a lot of culture - plenty of museums, sports, and arts events every night of the week. There's always something to see and somewhere to go. There are plenty of opportunities for charity work and community involvement if that's your cup of tea. The traffic isn't so bad, and you really can't beat these mild winters Dallas tends to have! Golf in January, anyone?

The team also has plenty of things that make it attractive. A new owner willing to put in the work and money to bring this franchise back to excellence. A general manager that has a clearly defined vision of what the Stars should be, and the commitment to execute it. A management team that does what is best for the team, even when those decisions aren't the popular ones. A new young "players" coach, that has seen much playoff success at every level he's coached at, that is here to grow with the franchise. Young talent in the system that should make the team competitive consistently in the future. Fans that are just as rabid as any others, and plenty of fans just waiting to be converted.

Have I mentioned the tax breaks yet? Texas doesn't have a state income tax. Our property taxes might be higher than some states, but our housing costs are also much lower as well. You can live comfortably in Texas at a fraction of the cost, leaving more money in your checkbook.

So tell us - what would you include as benefits to playing for the Dallas Stars?