The Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers are facing tough decisions this offseason as they navigate salary cap constraints that could force them to part ways with key players. According to The Athletic’s Harman Dayal, both teams are in danger of losing quality talent due to limited cap space.
The Stars, in particular, are in a tight spot with just $5 million in projected cap space after signing Mikko Rantanen to a hefty $12 million contract. They need to re-sign top center Matt Duchene, who is coming off a stellar 82-point season and is expected to command around $7 million annually on his next deal. With other notable UFAs like Jamie Benn, Mikael Granlund, and Evgenii Dadonov also needing new contracts, Dallas may have to make some tough decisions to stay under the cap.
Dayal highlighted the Stars’ salary cap crunch as one of the toughest in the NHL this offseason, with the team needing to cut significant salary elsewhere to accommodate their key players.
On the other hand, the Oilers have slightly more breathing room with $11.9 million in projected cap space. However, most of that is likely to go towards re-signing emerging defenseman Evan Bouchard, who had a breakout season with 59 points. With Bouchard potentially commanding around $10.5 million per year on his next contract, Edmonton could struggle to retain or add other players, risking the loss of impactful depth players like Connor Brown, Kasperi Kapanen, Jeff Skinner, and Corey Perry.
Dayal believes the Oilers’ cap situation is not as dire as the Stars’, but still expects them to lose one or two solid depth players this summer unless major trades are made to free up cap space.
In a separate analysis, Dayal praised the Stars’ trade deadline acquisition of Mikko Rantanen, calling it a “slam dunk” move by GM Jim Nill. Rantanen played a crucial role in helping the Stars advance past the first round of the playoffs, showcasing his talent and impact on the team.
Overall, both the Stars and Oilers face challenging offseasons as they navigate salary cap constraints and try to retain key players while staying under the cap. It will be interesting to see how both teams manage their rosters in the coming months to remain competitive in the Western Conference.
