The Dallas Stars are hungry for success heading into the 2024-25 season. They came within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year. And they have the talent to finally take that next step. One important piece for their success, Thomas Harley, remains unsigned heading into training camp. However, Stars general manager Jim Nill isn't worried.
Nill spoke with The Dallas Morning News on Friday regarding the status of his restricted free agent. Harley is one of the team's better young defensemen. And he stands as one of their last remaining unsigned restricted free agents. Though things are currently quiet across the league, Nill believes the two sides can agree to a deal.
“We’re having healthy communication. We’re having talks,” Nill said, via The Dallas Morning News. “We’re going to get him signed. I’m not too concerned … If I had $30 million in cap, I’d have no trouble saying, ‘Well, let’s project out eight years here and see what he is,’ but we’re a good team with a lot of young players coming up, so we’ve got to make sure we manage the dollars the correct way.”
Thomas Harley poised for major Stars role
Thomas Harley spent most of his 2022-23 campaign with the AHL's Texas Stars. However, he did show promise when he played in the NHL. Harley looked like a breakout candidate during their run to the Western Conference Finals in 2023.
Harley made the Stars out of training camp in 2023-24. It didn't take long for the young rearguard to make an impact. Harley averaged the second-highest amount of ice time per game among Stars skaters, according to Hockey Reference. Additionally, Harley blocked the second-most amount of shots in 2023-24. Only Esa Lindell blocked more shots.
Harley also contributed offensively for Dallas. He scored a career-high 15 goals and 47 points for the Stars in the regular season. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Harley added four assists in 19 games. After spending a lot of time in the AHL in 2022-23, this was a very positive season for the 22-year-old Syracuse native.
“He’s a great story of sometimes the patience you have to have,” Jim Nill said, via The Dallas Morning News. “He went down and did what we asked him to do, and now he’s getting rewarded because of that. He’s a big part of our future — a big part of our team now and a big part of our future moving forward.”
Harley has all the tools to succeed in the NHL. In 2023-24, the Stars saw the young defender start to put things together. It'll certainly be interesting to see how he builds on this success in the season ahead.
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