Dallas Stars Ownership Woes: The Ball Is Finally Rolling

According to a report from the Canada-based Globe and Mail, Kamloops Blazers owner Tom Gaglardi has agreed to a price, as well as many of the terms as part of his bid to purchase the Tom Hicks-owned Dallas Stars.

Per the report, Gaglardi, a Canadian businessman, will soon enter a 30-day period to finalize the deal, which will also give him a 50 percent share of the American Airlines Center, the team's home arena.

But there is a great chance that the organization will enter a bankruptcy phase due to the team's excessive amount of creditors, a similar situation faced last year by Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers, also formally owned by Hicks.

But what exactly does this mean for the Stars?

For starters, if Gaglardi can finalize the purchase before the free-agency period begins, Dallas has a greater opportunity to retain the services of the team's best player, Brad Richards.

Richards has said that the ownership issues currently facing the team would all but prevent him from re-signing with the team.

Another potential benefit would be that the team could stop operating on its internal $45 million salary cap.

The NHL salary cap is currently at $59.4 million, so the Stars could spend an extra $8-10 million if you presume Richards stays with the team and that locks up budding superstar Jamie Benn for the long-term.

But what if Richards leaves? That's another $7 million to spend on high-profile free agents.

Dallas desperately needs a No. 1 defenseman, and it looks like this summer will feature some serious back-end talent with Tomas Kaberle, Christian Ehrhoff and potentially Drew Doughty and Shea Weber (both RFAs), although they will most likely resign with their respected teams.

With the extra cash to spend, the Stars could bring in that defenseman they need so badly, along with two or three quality players to fill out the roster.

And finally, the Stars organization would be getting a hockey guy for an owner.

Gaglardi is the owner of the Kamloops Blazers, a premier Western Hockey League team, whereas Hicks was a businessman who only wanted profit from his "toys."

Hopefully, Gaglardi will be able to get the deal done before the free-agency period begins, but more importantly, the Stars can finally put this behind them and look toward the future.