The Dallas Stars finished off their offseason moves by signing Thomas Harley to a two-year contract on Tuesday. They finished the day with Harley after signing fellow blue-liner Esa Lindell earlier in the day. The team announced the deal on their official social media accounts.
Harley, a 23-year-old defenseman, was a restricted free agent and did not have a contract. He would have missed training camp had the deal not been struck before September 19. Now, the Stars can start their 2024-25 campaign with all of their top defenseman.
This deal needed to be a bridge deal because of the Stars' cap situation. They had only $6.24 million in cap space before the deal, making a long-term extension impossible. Dallas undoubtedly wants to keep the young star, as they have turned a first-round pick into a top-four defenseman. With Jamie Benn coming off the books in 2025, an extension could be coming soon.
Stars need Harley to get over the hump, win Stanley Cup
The Stars are looking to rebound from a brutal defeat in the Western Conference Final last year. They fell in six games to the Edmonton Oilers, ending a spectacular season prematurely. Dallas must get great seasons from Harley, Lindell, and the entire defensive core to get to the Cup. With superstar forwards all over the Western Conference, it will not be easy to get back to the Cup Final.
The Stars have only won one Stanley Cup in their history but made the Cup Final as recently as 2020. While the veteran guard of Benn and Tyler Seguin are making their way out the door, the youth movement is real in Dallas. Jason Robertson is one of the brightest stars in the league and Roope Hintz is a phenomenal center.
Joe Pavelski hung up the skates after the 2024 playoffs. The future Hall of Famer had a great last few seasons with Dallas but could not hang on long enough to grab a ring. Expect the Stars to replace his output with prospect Mavrik Bourque.
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