So what are we doing this offseason?

Benn is gone?
Keep or trade Robo?
Do something to help optimize Rantanen?

I'm not entirely sure what's missing. Need to somehow get better at even strength hockey.

Potentially dumb question, but what does the Robo trade market look like as an RFA? He's obviously going to get paid big bucks, but does he bring back a Miko type haul of a good young nhl player plus a couple of firsts or something more like a good prospect and a first with maybe some depth?

I do wonder if Benn wants one more year to get to 1,000 career points or if he or the Stars just acknowledge it's been a good run but time to end it.

Said it a few times but we've gotta get heavier in front of our own net and in front of the other net. Outside of Lindell and Bichsel we really do not have defensemen that can hold their ground or move others from our own net. On offense I think we are far too small and light in the pants as well. Blackwell, Bourque Hryckowian, Wyatt and Steel are all well below 200 lbs, and most of them I would also bet are under 6', and Bunting and Duchene aren't far behind. They've gotta get bigger and heavier with the right attitude. Non-negotiable #1 issue imo.

Now how do you do that? Idk. Here's the roster breakdown coming into the summer:

RFAs: Robertson (26), Bourque (24) and Hyry (25)

UFAs: Bunting (30), Benn (36), Erne (31), Bastian (28), Petrovic (34) and Capobianco (28)

$49.850 M locked up in forwards, $31.705 M in defensemen and $9.250 M in G.

We don't have a 1st, 3rd or 4th in the 2026 draft; a 2nd or 3rd in 2027 and likely a 1st or 2nd in 2028,

I agree with FWAppraiser about Robos value. Minimum is a top 6 forward or top 4 d man with significant upside, and likely a pick or even two. Again, perennial 80-100 P, 40G guys do not grow on trees. I dont't see any way in hell a team is offer sheeting Robo. No chance a team is giving up four future first round picks except for maybe McJesus, MacKinnon or Makar.

Seeing how absolutely bare bones our draft pick stock is makes me pretty nervous and questioning a lot of things. I wouldn't care if it was only two lean years, but we are staring at three years in a row of basically no top end picks. I still think trading Robo would take a set of brass balls the size of Jupiter, so idk what happens, but if we sign Robo to a $12-14M deal without trading anyone else, it would hamstring us for next year like crazy. After listening to DLLS I think they'll seriously consider trading/buying some guys out like Lybu/Myers, and perhaps a guy like Steel.

I think you sign Robo and everyone else is on the block except for Mikko.

You pretty much said what I was thinking in 500 less words lol. I think people have a somewhat sour taste in their mouth regarding Mikko because of what went on post Olympics, but he's still objectively the best player on this team imo, especially when he's completely healthy.

Yeah, can't let recency bias due to the injury impact the assessment of Mikko. He's the type of guy you need- skilled and big.

As is Robo. Big skilled guys aren't readily available.

And I think Robo would have looked a ton better if they had someone else creating a little chaos in front of the crease

From yahoo. Sounds about right to me.

Not sure what options we would have to keep Robo and kinda optimize the second line for Rantanen.

Quote:

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The trade for Mikko Rantanen made all the sense in the world last year, with the high-scoring Finn appearing to be the superstar forward they needed. Adding Rantanen to one of the highest-scoring teams in hockey should have been a boon but the deal hasn't really worked out.

The problem hasn't been Rantanen (though he's understandably the scapegoat), and more how Rantanen is playing inside the Stars system. The issue is that he's no longer the elite goal scorer he was in Colorado without Nathan McKinnon's puck distribution in the middle, which has forced him into being a passer from the wing. Rantanen doesn't have a place on the top line with Wyatt Johnson being a puck-dominant center, and Jason Robertson being the go-to finisher. Throwing him on the second line hasn't worked either, with Matt Duchene being hurt, and regressing in significant ways this past season.

This is even more problematic in looking at what the Stars gave up in the Rantanen deal. Logan Stankoven was more or less the throw in prospect to get the deal done, and he's emerged as the Carolina Hurricanes' key second-line center exactly what the Stars need now.

We have a team that is dangerously top-line heavy. All the success Dallas had in the regular season was due to that front pairing of Johnson and Robertson to do the heavy lifting, with Miro Heiskanen quarterbacking things from the blue line, but the Wild were able to drag the lines deep and beat the Stars with depth.

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I'll disagree that Stankoven is exactly what we need. He's actually the opposite imo. He's a very small forward that has a great shot and energy. We have plenty of that. Again this team needs to get bigger and stronger around the net. Stankoven is in a team that almost completely maximizes him.

I do, however, agree that Mikko has become a pass first forward because of who's he's playing with, and that is an issue. He, Wyatt and Robo do not fit together at all. I do think he and Roope are a good fit but Roope misses more and more games, and idk how you optimize a line for him with this current group and give Robo 12+.

Agree. I still think this team looks pretty good on paper with a healthy Seguin and Hintz if you sign Robo

Robo Wyatt Bourque

Ritzy Hintz Rantanen

Steel Seguin Duchene

Back Faksa Hyry


Would be nice to have one more top 6 option that's an established player and 2 defenders to fire Benn and Myers into the sun. I'm also not sold on Otter. Curious if they give Poirier run with the Stars next year, but not sure if there's any other options

Think a lot of our future and hopefully future playoff success hinges on Wyatt becoming a true 1C. His output is 1C caliber for the most part, but I still don't think he fully plays the game of a Stanley Cup caliber 1C. Do the dirty stuff.

Danny Vermin said:

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The majority of our team has played a ton Hockey for the last three years. Along with a few key injuries, they were simply out of gas. A long offseason, relatively, should help this team be ready for next season along with a few tweaks as usual. Teams that play well into the playoffs for a few years in a row tend to have an ending like we had. I'm extremely disappointed but not really surprised how it ended.

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All of this.

This is not what my bracket says, but what if it ends up being Hurricanes and Avs? I am really impressed by the 'Canes so far this playoff. I think they are playing fast, tying up the opponent in the D zone. I wish they had more diversity in their goal scoring. Thrilled for Stankoven of course but he's like the only one scoring.

Could they beat the Avs?? Take advantage of their power play?

My consolation prize has always been Brent Burns winning a cup so I am rooting for Avs but now I am kind of rooting for the hurricanes.

Hopefully we can all look at Carolina for some inspiration/consolation. Several years of being close with great regular seasons and frustrating early exits recently, now they seem to be on a mission.

The more I think about this playoff performance, the more I agree that the cumulative effect of several years of deep runs plus the Olympic year schedule was just too much. None of the surging teams in this year's playoffs are dealing with that level of fatigue. The ones that had it are all gone (namely us and Edmonton, Florida didn't even make it).

This MTL/TBL game 7 is crazy… MTL only has 9 SOG for the game but leads 2-1.

Canadiens just won a game 7 with 9 total shots on goal for the whole game

Down goes Tampa.

Cooper's gotta go. He's wasting a ton of talent with first round exits for 4 years straight now. At least this year wasn't an a**kicking like the previous years were.

Cover your eyes I'm afraid for the Wild.

Not a good start for Minnesota. Colorado hasn't even had Makar out there.

lol Hughes got rocked.

I think this is going to be a decently high scoring series.

Yeah this is going to be crazy.

Jack Ruby said:

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It just needs to be pointed out. The Montreal Canadiens are the sole surviving Canadian team to make it to the 2nd round.

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Tell that to the people of Quebec who still root for the Nordiques.

So no one knows what defense is now

All Star game incoming

What is this shooting gallery!!! 5-5 end of 2nd period!