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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Why Miro Heiskanen Is Off The Table

Posted on by Tyler Mair

Recent trade talks between the Ottawa Senators and the Dallas Stars involving Erik Karlsson seem to have gone cold, and it’s obvious why — the Senators want top prospect Miro Heiskanen, and the Stars are unwilling to move him.

It might seem silly to many why the Stars would let someone who hasn’t played an NHL game get in the way of acquiring a two-time Norris Trophy winner, but a big reason has to do not with the players, but the salary cap:

No franchise can risk moving someone who looks so ready to step right into the NHL on an entry-level deal playing top-four minutes for a guy who is about to make $11 million annually. The Stars are in position to add a big salary because of good contracts like those of Heiskanen and John Klingberg. Moving Heiskanen takes away a big part of that advantage.

There’s also the fact that while Karlsson would no doubt improve the team, it doesn’t fix their top-six forward issues. And that’s something the Stars could look into improving without trading Heiskanen:

They don’t have to trade for Karlsson. They could just as easily turn their attention to Artemi Panarin or Max Pacioretty… If Dorion holds out for Heiskanen, chances are good that the Stars will turn elsewhere because they can upgrade the roster further without moving him.

You can read more in Josh Lile’s piece here.

More Karlsson Talk

Reports broke last night that an Erik Karlsson trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning was a done deal, but have since been denied. But just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it won’t:

In the name of fairness, here’s a piece that argues against Lile’s point and instead makes the claim that Karlsson is worth any team’s top prospect. [NBC Sports]

Finally, with Karlsson all but gone from Ottawa, here’s a look back at other stars traded by the franchise:

Stars Stories

Okay, I lied, there’s still a little more Karlsson discussion left, in the form of some questions in Sean Shapiro’s mailbag:

In case you missed it, 44 players filed for arbitration yesterday, including Stars forwards Gemel Smith, Devin Shore, and Mattias Janmark. [NHLPA]

It’s official. Texas Stars captain Curtis McKenzie is saying goodbye to the Stars organization:

Around the League

In case you thought things couldn’t get worse for the Montreal Canadiens, it looks like they’ll be without Shea Weber until December at the earliest:

If one of their best players is out for so long, it might be in the Canadiens’ best interest to forget about the playoffs and already start dreaming about Jack Hughes. [The Hockey News]

Perhaps you’re getting tired of seeing articles like these, but at the same time it’s sad that people have to keep writing them:

Miro Heiskanen is just one of several rookies this upcoming season who could end up taking home the Calder Trophy. [Sportsnet]

Finally, the Stars may not have “won the offseason” (yet), but things could be much worse:

Talking Points