The Dallas Stars Are a Legit Goalie Away from Contending: What Are the Options?

The 2016-17 Dallas Stars, on paper, don’t look much different than the team that came within a game of going to the Western Conference Finals in last spring’s NHL playoffs.

That's good, because last year's Stars were an exceptional hockey club. It's also bad, because the fatal weakness of that team—goaltending—remains unaddressed. 

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That problem area could be an even greater challenge this year than it was last season. Veterans Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers are gone, and while Dan Hamhuis was brought in via free agency, the Stars’ defensive corps is going to be younger than it was in 2015-16. In all likelihood, it will also be more in need of a strong safety net.

The Stars still have a few choices, both in terms of who they might acquire and when they might do it.

Free agency isn’t really one of those options. Karri Ramo is the only goalie of any particular note still looking for a contract, and he isn’t noticeably better than Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen. He falls into much the same 1A/1B goaltender category as the two incumbents.

If Dallas is to make a move in net, it will thus have to be via trade, and it has some help from the NHL on that front. The official rules for the 2017 Expansion Draft dictate that teams may only protect a single goaltender with more than two years of professional experience, which leaves a lot of teams in a difficult position.  

There are several strong candidates who may be available as a result.

Ben Bishop, Tampa Bay Lightning

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Bishop is just a year away from unrestricted free agency, and it’s clear that the Lightning are willing to discuss the player. Earlier this month, Bishop told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times that trade talks with the Calgary Flames got far enough that he was discussing a contract extension with the Albertan team. He’d obviously be a capable starter for Dallas.

Making a trade work could be tricky, though. The Bolts are squeezed tight to the salary cap, and while there would be some value in bringing in a Niemi or Lehtonen to play veteran backstop to Andrei Vasilevskiy, there just may not be enough salary room to do so. Additionally, with Tampa Bay a legitimate contender, the Lightning could plausibly just hang on to both Bishop and Vasilevskiy to ensure a run at the Cup.

Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus Blue Jackets

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Bobrovsky is coming off a tough season, one in which he was limited to just 37 games and a 0.908 save percentage. That’s a 10-point drop in save percentage from a year earlier, and yet it’s still a better number than that posted by either Niemi or Lehtonen.

He’s only 27 years old, with a massive $7.43 million cap hit over each of the next three seasons. With the emergence of Joonas Korpisalo last year, the Jackets might plausibly be interested in freeing up some money in net.

Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins

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Fleury is an obvious fit. The longtime Pens starter was supplanted by Matt Murray in net last season, with the rookie backstopping Pittsburgh to a championship. Even so, Fleury posted an excellent 0.921 save percentage and is a proven commodity in a No. 1 role.

His contract is a fit, too. Fleury has three years left on a deal with a $5.75 million cap hit, so Pittsburgh could afford to take back one of the Stars’ pricey stoppers. The Pens might even see some value in having a veteran like Niemi on board for two years to play the 1B role to the inexperienced Murray.

Jaroslav Halak, New York Islanders

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Injury has been an issue throughout Jaroslav Halak’s career, and last year it opened the door for backup Thomas Greiss to seize the Isles’ starting job. With Greiss, Halak and Jean-Francois Berube all fighting for playing time, something will need to give in New York.

Halak managed a 0.919 save percentage last season and would certainly be an upgrade in net for the Stars. The trouble is that the Isles aren’t going to want a goaltender to come back the other way, and while Halak is a pending free agent, both Lehtonen and Niemi have two seasons left on their respective contracts.

Ryan Miller, Vancouver Canucks

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Miller is another player entering the final year of his deal, and it appears that he will be replaced at starter by Jacob Markstrom by next summer at the latest. He’s still a capable goalie, as last season’s 0.916 save percentage attests, but he is 36 and won’t be around when the Canucks eventually turn the corner.

The Stars could certainly make a deal involving one of their goaltenders work, but Vancouver would need to be interested in accepting a multi-year contract back.

The number of decent goaltenders still plausibly available may explain why Dallas general manager Jim Nill has yet to make a move. The Stars were good enough to get by with a Lehtonen/Niemi duo during the regular season last year. They could just opt to keep the tandem intact, see how it performs over the season’s opening months and then make a deal prior to the trade deadline if necessary.

There’s danger in doing that—namely that Dallas falls in the standings—but there could be benefits to go along with that risk. As the clock ticks down and those teams risk losing a quality goaltender for nothing to either free agency or the expansion draft, there will be incredible pressure to make a deal.

As long as the Stars stay in the thick of the playoff race, Nill has until the trade deadline to weigh his options and watch the price on potential targets come down.

Salary information via General Fanager. 

Jonathan Willis covers the NHL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for more of his work.