Is Dallas Stars' right wing Jamie Langebrunner already out the door in Frisco?
New Jersey Devils beat reporter Tom Gulliti tweeted the following this morning:
Agent Steve Bartlett said Jamie Langenbrunner likely will explore UFA market on July 1, but said returning to Dallas is still an option. [Twitter]
You can speculate on the meaning of that all day long. Did the Stars tell Langenbrunner he will probably not be asked back, or does he not want to re-sign? And on and on...
His time here was fairly productive and his role as a third line player and veteran presence was a good one. Had the Stars not suffered some pretty horrific injuries in February and made the playoffs the move would have been heralded as one that helped get them there, but as it is now it's just a loss of a draft pick.
The guess at the time of the trade was that Langenbrunner was being brought back to bridge a gap in the development of right wings in the system who are not yet ready, and that they would re-sign him. If indeed they do not, then this year's third round pick will be all that is forfeited for his services last season.
The Stars still need right shots. Should they pursue Jamie or look for a younger, cheaper replacement?
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