The Dallas Stars have come out of the rebuild in impressive fashion; they missed the playoffs eight times in 10 seasons between 2009 and 2018, and followed it up with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 and a Western Conference Final berth last season. The Stars are knocking on the door, led by a few fantastic young talents in Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Miro Heiskanen. The squad also boasts a great mix of effective veterans led by Joe Pavelski, Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and now Matt Duchene after he signed in Texas in free agency.
With a stud between the pipes in Jake Oettinger, the Stars are firmly in win-now mode and have the team to make another deep postseason run in 2024. They proved it by taking the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights to six games in the Western Conference's final 2023 playoff series. Although they fell short last May, the addition of Duchene and breakout of Wyatt Johnston should ensure this team stays ultra-competitive next year.
But with a superstar roster comes salary cap concerns, and Cap Friendly currently projects the team $300,000 over approaching 2023-24 training camp. For that reason, there are a few fringe veterans that could be shipped out to open up cap space and make room for the youngsters to make more of an impact. Here are three longtime NHLers who could be on the move.
Radek Faksa, C/LW
Radek Faksa has been part of the Dallas Stars organization for his entire career, being drafted with the team's No. 13 selection in the 2012 NHL Draft. A career bottom-six player, Faksa is now approaching 30-years-old, and his name has been in the rumor mill since the 2022-23 season. With the Stars looking to free up some cap space before the start of the season, they are reportedly open to moving on from the longtime forward.
Faksa's $3.25 million cap hit is not cheap for what he has provided over the last few seasons; he only scored 20 points in 81 games last year, and three points in 19 contests during the playoff run. He's fallen down the depth chart over the last few years, and he's one of the top trade chips the team has. He has two years left on his contract with a modified no-trade clause, so it won't be easy for Stars general manager Jim Nill to move him, but it is certainly possible.
A rebuilding team with a plethora of cap space would probably consider taking on the contract, especially if Nill sweetens the pot with a prospect or draft pick. With the youth set to take over — that includes Johnston, Ty Dellandrea and Sam Steel all looking for significant roles next season — it looks like Radek Faksa could be the odd man out come training camp.
Ryan Suter, D
Article Continues BelowRyan Suter continues to cost the Minnesota Wild a fortune after they bought him and Zach Parise out a few years ago, but he's not cheap in Texas, either. The 38-year-old is making $3.65 million for the next two seasons, and anyone who watches Dallas games knows that the veteran blueliner isn't the player he once was.
Suter has had an excellent career, scoring 664 points in 1,362 regular-season games, but he unfortunately doesn't have a Stanley Cup to show for it. This is a player who is used to being on the ice for 30+ minutes a night, but that just isn't the case at his advanced age. If a trade doesn't materializer for Suter, he could be a potential buy out candidate. He does have a full no-movement clause and can only be dealt with his permission, but with a few young D-men on the rise in Dallas, it could be the end of Suter's tenure.
Scott Wedgewood, G
Jake Oettinger is the goalie of the future in Dallas, after an incredible season with the Stars in 2022-23. The team's current backup, Scott Wedgewood, is 31-years-old and signed for one more season on a contract that pays him $1 million. Although it's a great deal, Nill could look to ship the veteran out and let youngster Matthew Murray earn his chops in the NHL.
Murray posted an 18-10-5 record in 34 games for the Texas Stars last season, leading rookie goaltenders with a 2.37 GAA and tying for second with a .911 save-percentage. It looks like he's ready for the jump to the big leagues, and would slot in well backing up Oettinger with the big league club.
Although it's most likely that Wedgewood will play out his contract in Dallas before signing elsewhere next summer, he could be traded for cap relief next season.