NHL Rumors: Dallas Stars and Washington Capitals

Dallas Stars Continue to Look To Create Cap Space

Saad Yousuf of The Athletic: The Stard will look to upgrade their roster this off-season. However, they have limited cap space and even more so with the signing of Evgenii Dadonov. So the Stars will be looking to create cap space this summer.

NHL Rumors: Dallas Stars, and Pierre-Luc Dubois

  1. Buy Out Ryan Suter – As Yousuf writes and documented on NHL Rumors.com, the Stars could buy out Ryan Suter. This will save the Stars cap space this summer and next followed by a cap hold for the following two summers when the cap will hopefully go up. Time is ticking with the buyout window closing.
  2. Trade Colin Miller – Stars general manager Jim Nill could trade Colin Miller. He has a reasonable cap hit of $1.85 million AAV. He is a right-shot defenseman and teams always could use them.
  3. Trade Jani Hakanpaa – Another option is trading Hakanpaa. He is good on the penalty kill and is big. It could come down to him and Miller. If Hakanpaa were to go it would clear $1.5 million in salary cap space.
  4. Trade Radek Faksa – Another trade chip is Faksa who makes $3.25 million a season. He is a good bottom-six forward that can rotate from the third and fourth lines. He has a five-team no-trade list, so it is not impossible.
  5. Trade Mason Marchment – This is not likely to happen as the Stars like this player. Marchment has a 10-team no-trade list and his $4.5 million will not be appealing to teams. Plus he fits the Stars system so well.

Capitals May Hold On To Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha After All

Sammi Silber of the Hockey News: Silber writes the Washington Capitals are contemplating changes this offseason. Two names that have come up are Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha.

NHL Rumors: Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Vancouver Canucks

However, the interest in Mantha is not there and it is becoming more of a long shot that Kuznetsov gets traded as well.

Mantha has a year left at $5.7 million and will be a UFA next season. He really has not shown much in Washington and his confidence is not where it once was. Hopefully, a new coach changes that and his performance goes up to ignite trade talks again.

As for Kuznetsov, his play has been inconsistent lately for the Capitals. Not to mention his off-ice issues. Though he requested a trade, it might be best to hold on to him and Mantha and see what it looks like next season.