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Dallas Stars Daily Links: On to the Offseason

Posted on by Tyler Mair

After spending all year playing in a condensed schedule, the Dallas Stars are now one of the first teams to finish their 2020-21 regular season. The Stars have missed the playoffs, so they’ll have a head start on the offseason.

Perhaps the biggest item on the agenda is an extension for Miro Heiskanen. As a restricted free agent, the question for Heiskanen won’t be if he gets one, but rather for how long;

For Heiskanen, a bridge deal would make sense given the current financial situation of the NHL and where things are headed post-COVID-19. By the lofty standards that have been set for him, Heiskanen is coming off of a relatively down year but is young and is going to get even better. Cashing out in 2024 as a 24-year-old could be the more lucrative option.

Another big question is what to do with the goalie logjam on the roster. Jake Oettinger has proved himself an NHL-caliber goaltender, and might even be the No. 1 netminder next season. With Ben Bishop returning from injury, that puts Anton Khudobin in a tight spot:

If Khudobin doesn’t get selected [in the expansion draft], the Stars need to figure out how much confidence they have in Ben Bishop’s knee. If they’re confident he’ll be back, at least in a capacity to play a backup role, the Stars need to find a trade partner for Khudobin. If there isn’t as much confidence in Bishop’s health, then Khudobin is an option to return.

You can read more from Saad Yousuf here.

Stars Stories

ICYMI, Jason Robertson helped the Stars finish the season on a high note with an overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks:

Speaking of Robertson…

Around the League

The seeding is still up in the air outside of the Central Division, but the 16 playoff teams are set:

Might this postseason be the final rodeo for some of the NHL’s most beloved veterans?

Jack Eichel made headlines yesterday in his exit interview:

The Vegas Golden Knights lost to the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 last night, which is kind of impressive all things considered:

Also from last night, ex-Stars Gemel Smith helped form the NHL’s first all-black starting forward line:

John Tortorella is out, but the Columbus Blue Jackets need a lot more change than that if they want to get competitive:

Finally, who are the rising stars of the coaching and front office world? Emily Kaplan asked around:

Talking Points