The Dallas Stars were a mid-level team for most of the salary cap era, until emerging as a Cup contender with the Robertson-Hintz-Heiskanen-Oettinger core (more on them below). Joe Nieuwendyk’s autograph appears here remarkably often considering the team missed the playoffs all four years of his administration, hence why he lost his job. Being able to convince players to accept less than market value is great and all, but you need to translate that into playoffs to maintain employment. As you can see on the rankings report card below, this list is light on playoff games, awards, and Stanley Cups; but the team is poised to climb the list in the near-term.
Brett Hull might have only been the GM for 1.5 years, but he still managed to sign a few bargains. It was the Sean Avery fiasco that ruined Brett’s GM career. Les Jackson was Brett’s co-GM, because let’s face it, there are many duties that come with the job that Hull was woefully unqualified to perform. His job was more talent evaluation and being a salesman to lure free agents. While his administration was short-lived, he happened to be at the steering wheel when the Stars made it to the conference final in 2008. Jim Nill hitting multiple big home runs at the 2017 draft then signing them to awesome contracts puts his signature on most of this team’s best deals.
This was originally published in my 2020 book Hunting Bargains in a Salary Cap World, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other (with a few exceptions). The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here. One thing you won't find here are entry level contracts because they all come from the same cookie cutter and require less skill at the negotiating table.
1. Miro Heiskanen
Adjusted Cap Hit: $67.9M, $8.5M (avg)
Value Returned: $76.8M, $9.6M (avg)
% Earned: 113%
"As an organization, we truly feel that Miro has just scratched the surface of his ability and will be in the Norris Trophy discussion for years to come."
When Heiskanen signed this contract at the end of his ELC, Jim Nill triumphantly declared that they had just locked down a perennial Norris Trophy candidate, and I tend to agree with that assessment. The young Fin scored at a 38-point pace over his rookie deal, which is a less exciting number than some of his contemporaries. However, it should also be noted that he was competing for power play time with John Klingberg during that span, limiting his scoring opportunities (an obstacle that was removed at the end of year one).
If the stats don’t immediately jump out at you, just watch a Dallas game for confirmation that this kid is one of the best players on the ice shift after shift. Frankly, Cale Makar (and/or Quinn Hughes) may need to suffer an injury for anyone else to have a shot at the Norris in the next decade, but Miro is high on the list of contenders.
2. Jason Robertson
Adjusted Cap Hit: $31.1M, $7.8M (avg)
Value Returned: $42.1M, $10.5M (avg)
% Earned: 135%
Jason Robertson was near a point-per-game player from the moment he arrived in the NHL. He slipped in the draft over concerns about his skating, but we eventually discovered that was no hinderance whatsoever to his burgeoning NHL career. He signed this particular contract after a 79-point season, then jumped up to 109 PTS in year one. He’s now in that ultra-elite tier worth in the neighborhood of $12M per season. I’d be very curious to know whether it was Dallas management or Roberston himself that insisted on the 4-year term. Because if Nill could have locked him in for 8 years at a 79-point pay grade, that would have been much more beneficial than bridging. 8-year contracts for 23-year-olds have a substantially better success rate than those awarded at age 27.
From the player’s perspective, the 4-year term should help him maximize career earnings, which isn’t necessarily what’s best for Dallas. It took all the way to October for them to reach an agreement and it’s unclear whether the impasse was the player wanting more or less term. Maybe Jim Nill was the one who wanted 4 years, maybe it was Robertson. He’ll be one year away from unrestricted free agency when this expires, so at that point you pretty much need to give him whatever he wants or lose him forever. That’s not a strong bargaining position.
3. Jake Oettinger
Adjusted Cap Hit: $12.1M, $4.0M (avg)
Value Returned: $22.4M, $7.5M (avg)
% Earned: 185%
Jake Oettinger was an above average goalie as a 21-year-old rookie with a stat line that ranks top 5 for a goalie that age in the entire salary cap era. He only got better in year two, and should have been able to procure a better price than $4M based on his performance. Granted, the team was under enormous cap pressure with Robertson-Heiskanen-Hintz ascending and Seguin-Benn already eating an enormous amount of their cap allotment. There may have been some behind the scenes promises to make it up to him on the next contract. By year one of this deal, he was among the best goalies in the league with a .919 SV% and a stat line worth $7M. Jamie Benn’s contract will expire the same summer that this ends, so that will help them honor whatever promises they needed to make in order to secure his signature at this remarkable bargain price.
4. John Klingberg
Adjusted Cap Hit: $32.1M, $4.6M (avg)
Value Returned: $53.8M, $7.7M (avg)
% Earned: 166%
"John is a very special player, possessing a creativity and skill level that few in this League can match. He fits in perfectly with where our core is at age-wise and his impact on our team was felt immediately. We expect him to build off of his rookie season and continue his development towards becoming an elite all-around defenseman."
– Jim Nill
When John Klingberg came over from Sweden, the defenseman played 13 games in the AHL, scoring 13 PTS, before earning himself a permanent promotion to prime time. He had a tremendous rookie season, scoring 40 PTS in 65 GP (50-point pace). That type of scoring from the blueline generally deserves a pay grade in the $6M range.
When someone offers you $29.8M after less than a full year’s work, it’s hard not to jump at the opportunity to bank all that guaranteed income, even if you’re actually leaving money on the table. Peak Klingberg was about to climb much higher and Jim Nill looked like a genius in retrospect. He averaged 56 PTS per 82 GP on this deal.
5. Jamie Benn
Adjusted Cap Hit: $32.1M, $6.4M (avg)
Value Returned: $48.4M, $9.7M (avg)
% Earned: 149%
"Jamie Benn has proven in his short, but very productive NHL career, that he is not only this franchise’s cornerstone player, but also an emerging superstar in the league"
It was clear from the day that Jamie Benn arrived in the NHL that he was a special player. The young winger was a full-time 20 goal scorer as a rookie. By the last year of his ELC, he scored 26 goals and 63 PTS and it took some time to get his autograph on a new treaty, as Jamie missed the start of the lockout shortened 2013 campaign holding out for a better offer.
Benn settled at a price that was very fair for the stat line, but would soon take his game to an even greater plateau that included an Art Ross trophy in 2015 as NHL leading scorer. He finished this contract with 357 PTS in 363 GP. Any money that Jamie left on the table was thrown on top of his next jackpot, which you can read about on the Dallas Stars worst contracts list.
6. Roope Hintz
Adjusted Cap Hit: $9.6M, $3.2M (avg)
Value Returned: $22.8M, $7.6M (avg)
% Earned: 235%
“His representative has been very fair. I just hope we can get something in the next week or two, but we’ll see where it goes.”
Roope Hintz scored at a 45-point pace in 2019/20 and was due a new contract, earning himself a deal that was slightly above what his stat line was worth. At least, his 2020 stat line. In the first two seasons, he was close to a point per game pace and produced at an $8M level. Jim Nill would have been smart to offer him 7 years $5M and it still would have been a bargain. Though the Stars had some expensive contracts on their books and Miro Heiskanen still to sign next summer.
The Stars gave Hintz a $67M extension before this contract expired, so he'll be okay after playing 3 years at a big discount. Though realistically, he probably owes some of that money to linemate Jason Robertson for driving the bus on their dominant line.
7. Sergei Zubov
Adjusted Cap Hit: $22.8M, $7.6M (avg)
Value Returned: $28.0M, $9.3M (avg)
% Earned: 124%
"The new rules of the league make skilled defensemen all the more valuable for your team and he's consistently been one of the best in the NHL."
Sergei Zubov had been among the NHL’s best offensive defensemen for over a decade since breaking out with 89 PTS in 1994 in his second season. He had recently celebrated his 35th birthday following the 2005 lockout when the Stars retained him on a 3-year ticket (Adrian Aucoin and Brian Leetch signed with other teams for the same salary later that month).
The Russian would flourish under the new rules cracking down on obstruction, taking advantage of all those power plays to score 71 PTS, his 2nd highest career point total. An injury cost him a boatload of games in year three, but he still managed to average 65 PTS per 82 GP and 26 minutes of ice per night over the full span. Zubov also added 16 PTS in 22 playoff games.
8. Loui Eriksson
Adjusted Cap Hit: $4.7M, $2.4M (avg)
Value Returned: $16.6M, $8.3M (avg)
% Earned: 345%
"Loui really started to show some flashes of his potential last season and he seems to be growing into the player we think he can be. We expect Loui’s development and production to continue next season and beyond"
Loui Eriksson was not in a position to demand too much money when his entry level contract expired, but having scored 31 PTS in 69 GP at age 22, there were reasons to be optimistic about his future. He was compensated equitably for the stat line, a line that was about to explode in a positive direction.
In year one Loui blasted 36 tucks and 63 PTS, playing nearly 20 minutes per night. The winger played primarily with Brad Richards, who was very productive during his time in Dallas, scoring 91 PTS in 2010. But Brad’s rate stats took a serious plunge when Loui wasn’t on the ice, suggesting Eriksson was actually driving that bus. When Richards banked $60M from the New York Rangers in July 2011, I hope he bought Loui something nice…
9. Mike Ribeiro
Adjusted Cap Hit: $34.7M, $6.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $43.4M, $8.7M (avg)
% Earned: 124%
"I believe he's made great strides from last year until now. He's just scratching the surface. It's not a one-hit wonder type of season."
Mike Ribeiro signed for only 1 year on his previous deal to give himself the opportunity to test unrestricted free agency, having led the team in scoring during his first season in Dallas. As fate would have it, betting on himself was a smart wager, as the slick center really started to flourish, reaching a career apex of 83 PTS in 2008. Brett Hull would not allow Mike to make it July 1st, locking him into a 5-year extension in February.
While he never did breach the 80-point threshold again, he proved to be an incredibly productive player over his years in Dallas, scoring 314 PTS in 352 GP (73-point pace). Before the final season, Mike was traded to Washington for Cody Eakin and a 2nd round draft pick.
10. Stephane Robidas
Adjusted Cap Hit: $6.9M, $2.3M (avg)
Value Returned: $17.9M, $6.0M (avg)
% Earned: 256%
"Stephane brings a relentless work ethic to the rink each day and has earned his three-year extension"
Stephane Robidas had never scored more than 20 PTS in a season before the Dallas Stars gave him this 3-year extension at age 30. This was originally a generous sum for the numbers he had produced at that stage in his career, but lucky for Doug Armstrong, Stephane took a bath in the fountain of youth.
The veteran defenseman set a new career high 41 PTS at the age of 32, in a very improbable offensive renaissance. Getting moved to the power play with Sergei Zubov can have that effect on a player. Any Leaf fans reading this are cringing right now. Stephane procured another 4-year deal with the Stars before the legend of “Robidas Island” was born in Toronto.
11. Alex Goligoski
Adjusted Cap Hit: $22.9M, $5.7M (avg)
Value Returned: $29.1M, $7.3M (avg)
% Earned: 125%
“Alex Goligoski is one of our core players and we are very pleased to get him under contract during the prime of his career. Alex is a character person and one of the anchors of our blue-line. He's a big part of our hockey club."
Alex Goligoski had performed well in Dallas after being traded there for James Neal and Matt Niskanen a year earlier, finishing that season with a career best 46 PTS. The defenseman was logging top paring minutes when he signed this 4-year extension. A few months earlier Brent Burns had been extended for substantially more money despite a nearly identical stat line and career arch.
Not only did Alex sell himself short on the salary, he curiously accepted it on a 4-year term when he could have been an unrestricted free agent in 16 months. He would go on to score 142 PTS in 291 GP (40-point pace), averaging 23.7 minutes per game. Fortunately, there was another big pay day waiting for him at age 30, as he proved to be both durable and consistent. Still, he took a bit of a gamble on term for a low price.
12. Loui Eriksson
Adjusted Cap Hit: $32.6M, $5.4M (avg)
Value Returned: $42.1M, $7.0M (avg)
% Earned: 127%
"The thing about that type of player is the maintenance is low. They come in every day, do their jobs, make smart decision and never complain."
Loui Eriksson locked into an early 6-year extension in October 2009 after scoring 36 goals and 63 PTS at age 23, doubling his point total from the previous season. The production level should have been worth a higher salary, but since he’d never previously approached that degree of output, it was justifiable that he potentially sold himself short. It’s hard to tell a guy that he’s leaving money on the table when somebody drops a bag with $25M on his lap after one good season.
Loui managed to push his apex even higher, sustaining 3 consecutive seasons over 70 PTS. When the scoring dipped in year three, Eriksson found himself traded to Boston as the key chip in the Tyler Seguin trade. His first 2 years in Boston were disappointing (certainly more so in contrast with Seguin), then he had one more strong performance before this treaty expired and he finally hit the UFA market at age 30.
Whatever money Loui had left on the table in his previous negotiation was reimbursed by Jim Benning (who was the assistant GM in Boston when the Seguin trade was made). You can read about Loui’s next deal on the Canucks worst contracts list.
13. Anton Khudobin
Adjusted Cap Hit: $5.3M, $2.7M (avg)
Value Returned: $6.8M, $3.4M (avg)
% Earned: 129%
"Anton is a proven NHL netminder that gives his team a chance to win every time he's on the ice"
– Jim Nill
Anton Khudobin had a long road to the NHL, and spent most of his career as a journeyman back-up goalie who put up his biggest numbers in frequent flyer miles moving from city to city. He had been with the Boston Bruins before they decided to replace him with a more experienced (and slightly more expensive) Jaroslav Halak. Anton did not go unemployed for long, signing this deal with the Stars that same day.
The Kazakhstani backstopper found a home in Dallas, where he became a very effective 1B. Ben Bishop was among the league’s best goaltenders, but Anton was so good behind him that he continued earning starts. Limiting the load on Bishop helped both evolve into one of the league’s best tandems in net. Khudobin’ legacy will be a sensational 2020 playoff run that knocked on the door of a championship, but were ultimately denied by a superior team. He did manage to parlay that performance into a pay raise and a 3-year term at age 34 (that you certainly won't find here).
14. James Neal
Adjusted Cap Hit: $7.8M, $3.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $14.7M, $7.4M (avg)
% Earned: 186%
"We're only touching the surface of where his abilities can go. He has tremendous hands, a great shot, and he's powerful. What we need to have from him is that drive to the net and that power forward mentality."
From the moment he arrived in the NHL, James Neal proved he could score goals. The winger ripped 27 tucks in the final year of his ELC, but since he was still inexperienced and lacked arbitration rights, so there were limits on the compensation he could realistically demand. By accepting a 2-year term, he made a bet on himself that ultimately paid off.
Neal would only play 59 more games for the Stars, getting moved to the Penguins with Matt Niskanen (who also signed a 2-year bridge deal the same day as Neal). The first year in Pittsburgh was stunning success, as he scored 40 goals and 81 PTS. Granted, some of the credit for that success rests on the shoulders of Evgeni Malkin.
15. Esa Lindell
Adjusted Cap Hit: $4.8M, $2.4M (avg)
Value Returned: $11.4M, $5.7M (avg)
% Earned: 234%
"Esa displayed great composure during his first season in the NHL and we look forward to his continued development as a top player on our defense"
– Jim Nill
Esa Lindell had only played 77 games in the NHL when his ELC expired, and unlike with John Klingberg, Jim Nill was not yet prepared to make a similar long-term commitment. He needed to see a little bit more, inking the young defenseman to a cheaper version of the Matt Dumba bridge deal from a few months earlier.
Lindell would perform admirably in both zones, logging over 24 minutes per game in year two, playing all situations. The Finnish defenseman also scored 59 PTS in 162 GP (30-point pace), taking 269 shots and throwing 235 hits. That was all Jim needed to see before offering Esa $34.8M.
16. Kari Lehtonen
Adjusted Cap Hit: $14.6M, $4.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $16.3M, $5.4M (avg)
% Earned: 112%
"His play during the last month of the season reaffirmed our belief that he can be our starter for next year and seasons to come. We're very happy to agree to terms with Kari on this contract extension."
Kari Lehtonen was an above average starting goaltender for the Atlanta Thrashers Winnipeg Jets (.911 SV% and 33 goals saved above average over 204 games), coming to the NHL at a young age (relative to other goalies) as a 2nd overall draft pick. He was traded to the Dallas Stars for a 4th round pick and Ivan Vishnevskiy (who soon went back to Russia) in February 2010. Great trade for Dallas that actually worked out pretty good for the Thrashers Jets too, who flipped their Russian prospect to add Andrew Ladd.
Lehtonen had missed that entire season due to a back injury, returning to play 12 games for the Stars before signing a new 3-year contract. He could have been an unrestricted free agent in one year, but lingering concerns about his health had to affect negotiations on both sides. This would become a very cost-effective investment, producing 81 Wins, 60 Loses, with a 2.49 GAA and .917 SV%. The money he left on the table was added to his next ticket, which you can read about on the Stars worst contracts list.
17. Mike Ribeiro
Adjusted Cap Hit: $4.6M, $4.6M (avg)
Value Returned: $10.1M, $10.1M (avg)
% Earned: 218%
“To get a longer term deal right now, we would have had to pay a premium to do that, and I think we’d rather just talk to Mike about his unrestricted years in January or when we’re allowed to, and we’ll address it at that time.”
Mike Ribeiro had already started to scratch the surface of his offensive talent in his early days with the Montreal Canadiens, where he peaked at 65 PTS in 2004. In 2006 Bob Gainey made an absolutely terrible trade, moving Ribeiro to the Dallas Stars for Janne Niinimaa (who scored 3 PTS for the Habs and was out of the league a year later). The Dallas Stars received a new leading scorer.
Ribeiro was 27-years-old when July 1st rolled around, but there were some bizarre RFA conditions in the 2005 CBA that exempt certain players from the “27 or 7” rule (for more info talk to Chris Pronger). Mike accepted a 1-year term to fast track himself to the open market, but never got there, as outlined previously. It may be worth pointing out, it was hard to find comparable centers who had that many PTS in that little ice time (hence why the ATOI of his basket of comparables is 1.5 minutes higher). The Stars captured “peak Ribeiro” at a great price.
18. Steve Ott
Adjusted Cap Hit: $4.2M, $2.1M (avg)
Value Returned: $8.8M, $4.4M (avg)
% Earned: 206%
"Steve Ott has done a great job of earning this contract and we are very pleased to have him secure in Dallas for the next two years. He has developed into a valuable piece in our team chemistry and he brings a solid work ethic to our hockey club day in and day out."
Steve Ott was a physical agitator from the day he arrived in the NHL, He had played 273 regular season games by April 2008, having never scored more than 22 PTS in a season. The center didn’t have much choice but to bet on himself, signing a new deal on a 2-year team that would walk him directly to unrestricted free agency.
Ott would crush his previous career high year one with 46 PTS in 64 GP. If you forgot what “Peak Ott” looked like, this was it, and at a very fair price tag (the Stars paid 42 cents on the Dollar for that output). Steve substantially outperformed his pay grade and would sign an extension before this officially expired, banking $11.8M.
19. Roope Hintz
Adjusted Cap Hit: $67.6M, $8.5M (avg)
Value Returned: $57.1M, $7.1M (avg)
% Earned: 84%
The Roope Hintz 8-year extension made its debut at #19 before a single game was played, and it might belong higher on the list. If his dominant play in recent years continues, this will almost surely move up the rankings in future updates. My only pause for concern were the hip issues he had 2 years ago, which seemed to be a distant memory one year later. He was better than a point per game for 2 of the 3 seasons preceding this deal, but he’ll celebrate his 30th birthday near the halfway mark of the contract, which does raise a red flag. The best of Roope Hintz may already be behind him, but I’m optimistic enough to include him here (some of you may have expected this to be ranked higher).
20. Joe Pavelski
Adjusted Cap Hit: $21.5M, $7.2M (avg)
Value Returned: $20.8M, $6.9M (avg)
% Earned: 96%
Once upon a time this Joe Pavelski deal was featured on my Dallas Stars worst contract list, after a disastrous inaugural season in which he scored 31 PTS in 67 GP, easily the worst performance of his pro career. Then when hockey returned after Covid shutdown for the 2020 bubble playoffs, Pavelski was sensational. His scoring rate doubled in 2021, reaching 81 PTS in year three, the highest mark he’s reached in the NHL. Joe bounced back thanks to the emergence of the Dallas young guns, proving my initial assessment wrong and earning redemption.