Dallas Stars Daily Links: The Klingberg Gamble

A little more than three years ago, John Klingberg was an impending restricted free agent when he signed a seven-year contract extension with the Dallas Stars worth $29.75 million. It was a pretty substantial deal for someone who had only 65 NHL games under his belt, but needless to say it’s worked out fantastically for the Stars:

Heading into the fourth season of the contract, it’s easy to say the decision has turned out rather well for Dallas. Klingberg has 214 points in 303 games during that span, good for fifth among all defensemen, and his 0.71 points per game during the life of the contract only trail Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Victor Hedman, and Kris Letang.

Of course one of the most important numbers to keep in mind when discussing John Klingberg is his cap hit, which is only $4.25 million. Out of all 18 players to receive a Norris Trophy vote last season, only two — Roman Josi (seventh) and Josh Manson (17th) — have a lower cap hit than Klingberg, and both are under contract for fewer years — Josi’s deal is up in 2020 and Manson’s expires in 2021, while Klingberg has until 2022.

In a revisionist history, one where Klingberg signs a bridge deal, he’d likely be up for a new contract this summer. Based on the current market for defensemen, a fair projection for Klingberg’s next deal would be in the neighborhood of the eight-year, $64 million deal John Carlson signed with Washington this summer.

If we assume the $8 million annual salary would be Klingberg’s reward, the $3.75 million in ‘free’ value the Stars receive is the difference between keeping or losing a player like Radek Faksa after the 2020 season. It’s the type of difference that allowed the Stars to dream big and go after John Tavares while maintaining cap space for Tyler Seguin’s looming extension.

You can read more in Sean Shapiro’s piece here.

Stars Stories

Term was important when Blake Comeau decided to sign with Dallas, but he also believes the team can make a push for they Stanley Cup:

Josh Lile takes a look at the Stars’ sixth through 10th best prospects, including one name who’s probably lower than you expect. [SportsDay DFW]

Around the League

We have a trade to announce! The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Jeff Skinner to the Buffalo Sabres.

On that note, as the NBA deals with the aftermath of a “star player is unwillingly traded” storyline, Down Goes Brown takes a look at eight comparable situations in NHL history. [Sportsnet]

It’s always interesting to see how fans’ perceptions of their teams stack up with public opinion:

If you’d like to know where the Stars ended up, here’s a sneak preview:

Good news for an ex-Star: Patrik Nemeth has signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche. [Mile High Hockey]

The deal will likely be a “prove it” year for the defenseman, whether he’s proving it to Colorado or some other team:

Speaking of players and arbitration, should the Vegas Golden Knights aim for a long-term deal with William Karlsson or play it safe with a short term? [NBC Sports]

And in case you need an example of what happens when a pricey, long term deal goes wrong:

Ryan Kennedy writes why Troy Bouwer’s buyout should serve as a warning for other teams overpaying veterans for past success. [The Hockey News]

Finally...

Shane Doan is getting his number retired by the Arizona Coyotes, fittingly on a day when the Winnipeg Jets are in town: