Texas Stars Current 2014-15 Contract Status

Scott White will be busy over the next few weeks.
(Credit: Michael Connell/Texas Stars)
The next five days will start to tell us more about who will make up the 2014-15 Texas Stars. Here is a first look at contract status for the players who ended the year with the squad in 2013-14 and a few extras.

After this weekend's draft, the first date to watch will be June 30th at 5 PM EDT. That is the deadline for teams to extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents. As you can see below, Dallas has seven players in that category and perhaps some hard choices to make there.

Under NHL contract
  • Kevin Henderson*
  • Justin Dowling
  • Curtis McKenzie
  • Brett Ritchie
  • Travis Morin
  • Taylor Peters
  • Matej Stransky
  • Radek Faksa
  • Branden Troock
  • Alex Guptill
  • Jyrki Jokipakka
  • John Klingberg
  • Jamie Oleksiak
  • Patrik Nemeth
  • Ludwig Byström
  • Jack Campbell
  • Philippe Desrosiers**
Under AHL contract
  • Brendan Ranford
  • Maxime Fortunus^
NHL Unrestricted Free Agents
  • Chris Mueller
  • Francis Wathier
NHL Restricted Free Agents
  • Dustin Jeffrey
  • Scott Glennie
  • Hubert Labrie
  • Cameron Gaunce
  • Ryan Button
  • Austin Smith
  • Tristan King
AHL Unrestricted Free Agents
  • Taylor Vause
  • Derek Hulak
  • William Wrenn
  • Derek Meech
  • Josh Robinson
  • Brock Montgomery
  • Russ Sinkewich
  • Pat Nagle
Signed elsewhere
  • Mike Hedden (KHL)
  • Cristopher Nilstorp (SHL)
Retired
  • Toby Petersen

* - Henderson is under contract to Nashville, not Dallas.
** - Desrosiers is under contract to Dallas but will likely return to the QMJHL.
^ - Fortunus is coming off an NHL contract and is rolling back to his AHL deal.

Comments

  1. Change is certainly in the air. Let's have a roster guessing contest. I'll go with

    Defense
    Gaunce Jokie Klinberg Meech Big Rig Button Bystrom Labrie
    Goalies
    Jack and Robin
    Forward Lines
    1) Ran ford McKenzie Dowling

    2) Glennie Ritchie Faska
    3) Peters Stransky Jeffries

    4) Guptill Vause ???

    Subs..??? ???? ???

    Morin and Mueller in NHL somewhere hopefully Dallas. Nemeth in Dallas.
    Max retires as Champ.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm imagining that some of these will be traded by Dallas, like Fraser last year, and some brand new names will come on board who we've only heard of in prospect reports.

    Of the Dallas contracts, my guess is that Justin Dowling, Curtis McKenzie, Brett Ritchie, Travis Morin, Jyrki Jokipakka, and Jamie Oleksiak will end up full time in the NHL somewhere, either in Dallas or traded by Dallas in some big block-buster deal. The rest of the Dallas contracts will probably stay where they are and be on a yo-yo next year. Some might get picked up on waivers, like Gazdic last year. (Wonder where he'll end up this year???)

    Mueller will be snapped up by an NHL team, probably not Dallas. Wathier will stay at the AHL level or retire, as he's not a strong scoring player and there's not much need for fighters anymore. Of the Dallas RFA's, I expect that they'll try to keep Scott Glennie and Cameron Gaunce and let the others walk if an offer is made. Of the Texas UFAs, I'd like to see them keep Wrenn, Meech, and Robinson, but no guarantees if Texas sees something else they like better or Dallas signs some 2-ways that they send down to us. I kind of expect that's how we'll get our back up goalie.

    It's going to be an interesting summer!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree Morin will be in Dallas or traded. He will never be more valuable than he is now, and he will only make 550k this year in the NHL. There are teams (like Nashville & Chicago) looking hard for a #2 center and willing to trade.
      - PBG

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  3. With the current goalie depth lacking in Dallas I could see Dallas signing Josh to back up Jack here in the AHL next season.

    ReplyDelete
  4. According to CapGeek, Dallas also has the following under contract and due to report to Texas:
    F Gemel Smith
    G Henri Kiviaho
    G Maxime Legace

    I expect Dallas to sign a veteran NHL back-up (i.e. Vokoun) and allow Jack Cambell to spend a year as the #1 at Texas, and to sign Josh Robinson as well.
    - PBG

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's a tendency to assume Dallas will be (A) Call up a bunch of guys from our talented Championship team and (B) Think Dallas will use it's "Valuable" trade chips in Cedar Park to better Dallas. However Dallas is pretty full with guys whose contracts last another 2-3 years and are younger players. Being they made the playoffs last year I'm not sure "Major" changes are in store. We might just see the standard 2-3 guys go to Dallas, most likely from the defense end, and see a few guys travel back and forth a few times. The wise think to do might be to let what is in Cedar Park continue to develop for when those guys in Dallas have expiring contracts.

    I'm pretty sure Nemeth and Oleksiak get a solid shot to make it. McKenzie will get a long look. Not so sure about Morin, we assume being his off the chain AHL year makes it a no brianer but history shows veteran AHL players that are scoring machines don't get a whole lot of love from the NHL, add to that Morin really hasn't been given a lot of time in Dallas over his career, same goes for Mueller (who I expect to see in Europe). Glennie has had a spotty three years in the Dallas organization and given given the Dallas system is full of talented forwards I don't expect to see him in Cedar Park unless he is on an AHL contract, but I'd figure him for Europe as well. I think you try to get Meech and Gaunce back, if they get them on AHL contracts that's a bonus. Robinson and Campbell are a good tandem to go into the season with if they can figure out a way to get Robinson back. Labrie hasn't been able to lock down a full time (on ice) gig in Cedar Park so I'd expect they let him go. The rest of the free agents I don't think they chase down.

    Wathier has been a good foot-soldier for the organization, bringing in Wathier under an AHL contract would be a better move than the year two and three move of bringing in Lukowich. But I think him being moved last year reflects he isn't a good scheme fit on this roster, then again we have no Head Coach so I guess currently we have no scheme.

    Speaking of which I expect Lidster to be named Head Coach, I just cant see him passing up the chance to Coach this roster, in the short five year history of Texas it has proven to be a good place to get looks from the NHL for coaches.

    I'm pretty sure Texas will reload sufficiently enough to go into next season as odds on favorite to repeat as the Champ.

    ReplyDelete

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