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STARS MAILBAG: Would Duclair fit in Dallas? Other trade talk and defensive value

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Reports surfaced this week that Arizona Coyotes left winger Anthony Duclair wants out.

The winger has requested a trade and he could be the ideal reclamation project for a number of NHL general managers. Not only is Duclair young, he’s also a restricted free after this season, so trading for him would put the team in the ideal position to lock up him up for a longer-term deal in the summer.

So what about the Stars? Would Duclair fit in Dallas?

Even with a goal from Brett Ritchie last night, the Stars have a need for a top-six winger that can put the puck in the net. Duclair also comes relatively cheap this season, his cap hit is $1.2 million, and he has a style that I could see meshing well with Valeri Nichushkin on the opposite wing next season.

I decided to ask a couple scouts about Duclair last night, here were there responses:

“He doesn’t lose a race to the puck, if I throw a puck onto the ice at center ice he will beat you there, what I don’t like is when the game gets tough — in the corners, late in games — he gets small. Maybe a different coach can fix that, maybe that’s just who he is. To see a guy traded twice before he turns 23 is never really a good sign.”

“I’ve seen him six or seven times, oddly he’s been much better on the road for me. He seems like he just doesn’t get going at home, but in the two or three road games he seems like he’s ready to go. Either way he’s tough to judge, because he should play more, but also hasn’t earned more playing time.”

After hearing this statement I looked up Duclair’s home and road splits, and it lines up with what the scout said. In 16 home games Duclair has just three points and is minus-7, in 16 road games he has 11 points and is plus-two.

So would he fit in Dallas?

“He could, but I don’t know how it would work with Hitch. It could be really good, he could buy in and it would work well. But I also see it going very badly, something about it just doesn’t sit right with me to start.”

Coyotes general manager John Chakya is reportedly looking for a like player in a trade for Duclair — a younger player that might need a fresh start. The Stars have a player that could fit that mold in Ritchie, while they also have a handful of forward prospects they could part with in a potential deal.

Just food for thought.

Let’s get started with the mailbag…

Depends on how deep the Stars go in the playoffs.

Martin Hanzal, like it or not, is a 60-game per year player. That’s been the case throughout his career, so the Stars had to expect some sort of injury or ailment would impact him in each year of the three-year contract.

Hanzal was brought in to help the Stars play close 2-1 playoff games — Hitch hockey at it’s finest — and if he can help the Stars do that in April, May, even June, the Stars will potentially be getting their money’s worth, maybe.

Mike Hoffman would bring in a top-six scorer the Stars need, he’s still in the prime of his career. So, yes, he would be an ideal fit as a player.

The question is the cost and what it would take to brig him in (as you eluded to in your question). Hoffman is signed through 2020 and has a cap hit of $5,187,500, that would fit next season and the following season, but the Stars would have to find a way to make it work this season.

I could see a package of Antoine Roussel, a good forward prospect (Jason Dickinson or Roope Hintz, perhaps) and a draft pick in exchange for Hoffman.

I could also see a similar deal made for Montreal Canadiens winger Max Pacioretty.

(Please note this is just speculation on my point, not a deal I’m reporting or anything on that front).

Since awards are so heavily point-based, I would imagine that John Klingberg has already worked his way into the top-five for many Norris Trophy voters.

(For the record, I do not have a vote.)

Klingberg has gotten better defensively this season and is doing much better in his own zone, and I think that’s being noticed across the NHL by coaches and management.

Media wise, I think there is still a feeling that Klingberg doesn’t play defense. That’s a reputation he’ll have to shake to win a Norris Trophy.

Not yet, but I think eventually you’ll see Marc Methot playing with John Klingberg and Esa Lindell playing with Stephen Johns. I don’t know if Johns can play the same amount of minutes that Ken Hitchcock wants to ramp Methot up to.

It depends on how deep the Stars go in the playoffs and how well he plays.

Tyler Seguin is going to get close to $9 million as a free agent, and the Stars have to decide if they want to make that type of investment in Seguin in a league where you can find players with similar offensive production making closer to $6 million.

If Seguin has a strong playoff showing, the Stars will be ready to pull the trigger on an extension. But if the Stars are out early or Seguin falters, you have to start wondering if he’s part of the long-term plan after the 2018-19 season.

Stars still need a scoring winger for this season, I think if you are waiting until next season it’s a disservice to the team.

Valeri Nichushkin will provide a nice boost, but the Stars need to add another top-six scorer before the 2018 offseason

I believe he is, so do the Stars.

From what I’ve been told, Nichushkin has matured as a human being and has become more confident with the puck as the season progressed. I’ve watched video from a couple of his KHL games, and he seems to get better with each viewing — which you want to see.

Should be interesting to watch him in the Olympics with Team Russia — or the team formally known as Russia — next month.

It depends on what they are bringing back, however Miro Heiskanen is probably the only untouchable prospect in the Stars system.

In all likelihood I could see another team pushing for Jason Dickinson or Roope Hintz to be involved in a trade for a top-six NHL player.

I believe that Curtis McKenzie is coming into his own and could be an NHL player next season, but I don’t think it’s with the Dallas Stars.

If McKenzie were on the NHL roster now and waived, I’d bet good money that he would be claimed. Unfortunately for him he cleared before the season started and barring a lengthy call-up, he can keep being returned to the AHL without waivers.

Right now you just want to worry about making the playoffs, but looking at matchups, I would rather play the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round than the St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, or Nashville Predators.

Yes, Vegas has been good, but the Stars have yet to prove they can do much on the road against their Central Division rivals.

No need to make a trade.

Dan Hamhuis and Greg Pateryn will be unrestricted free agents, if you wanted to open up space you simply wouldn’t re-sign them. It’s a gut feeling, but I think at this moment Pateryn will be back next season and Hamhuis will sign elsewhere as one of the top defensive free agents available.

I also think they will make Miro Heiskanen win the NHL job. While I think he’ll be ready, they want to have a back-up plan in place in case the Finn needs to spend a season in the AHL.

There is time, but it’s running short. Next year will be the true “make or break” year for Desrosiers since it could be the final season of college hockey for Colton Point and Jake Oettinger (both could turn pro after their junior seasons).

I didn’t ask about any particular bets this season, but one of my favorite quotes about World Juniors comes from Jason Spezza who told me, “It’s a great time to win easy lunch bets from the all the Euros on the team.”

As far as I know it’s working, and I don’t see any reason to change it.

I think who wears a letter gets a bit overblown. There is a leadership group that goes beyond a letter on jersey, for example Marc Methot is one of the better leaders in the locker room and isn’t officially part of the captaincy group.

Good question, something I was planning on asking players at practice on Friday. And yes, the team does have a dietician and meals are often provided for the players at the practice facility in Frisco.

The team isn’t concerned, neither is Ben Bishop, but I think Kari Lehtonen should help relieve a bit of his workload.

It’s been a frustrating season for Denis Gurianov, who has just 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 33 AHL games. Gurianov is still young, so I wouldn’t over react, but I had been optimistic that he would be poised for a breakout season.

Essentially this has moved the projected timeline for Gurianov. The Stars had hoped he’d be ready for the NHL at some point this season, now he might be a more realistic call-up option in the second half of next season.

Tyler Seguin.

First of all, enjoy the game. Should be two good ones with Minnesota and New York in town.

We don’t have the practice schedule that far out, but could be a fun activity to take your son to watch practice in Frisco the day between games, they are open and free to the public.

On the other part of your questions, I’m not the best person to answer those questions.

Typically, but it’s not universally judged that way. Some buildings judge it differently, that’s why it’s a hard stat to get a read on.

I don’t know what the Stars social schedule is on game days. I know I’m typically still working at the arena until at least 90 minutes after the game, so I don’t have much of a social schedule other than a beer or two in the press box.

DirecTV in a rain storm. Brett Ritchie scored a goal last night.

If I were you I would write Santa and Hitch a strongly-worded letter, might work on both fronts.

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