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STARS MAILBAG: NHL draft thoughts and trading for a top-line defender

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It’s been a busy couple days for the Dallas Stars and the NHL in general.

Cody Eakin was left exposed and claimed in the expansion draft, the Stars hired three assistant coaches, the NHL schedule came out, and tonight is the NHL Entry Draft.

With all that in mind let’s get started with the mailbag…

If the Stars get Marc Methot you are likely looking at some form of the following pairings:

Methot-Klingberg
Lindell-Johns
Hamhuis-Honka

That means Jamie Oleksiak and Patrik Nemeth as movable pieces, while Greg Pateryn is the ideal No. 7 defender in my mind.

Include Oleksiak in the trade for another defender, and see if anyone will bite on Nemeth. If no one will bite on Nemeth put him through waivers, it’s better than a toxic situation with eight defenders.

I go back to the Minnesota Wild and look to see if they’ll part with Jonas Brodin.

The Wild protected him in expansion, but still need to make a move to clear cap space with Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund set to get big raises as restricted free agents.

There are lots of players, too many to list in fact. But the type of players the Stars are hoping for likely isn’t available, meaning Dallas will likely hold onto the No. 3 pick.

It’s highly possible, because we are talking about one team’s preference and not an actual draft ranking.

The New Jersey Devils have the No. 1 pick and they are very high on Makar, so if he goes No. 1 it shouldn’t be a shock.

I don’t see it happening because of the other forward depth in Dallas.

Both could play in the NHL next season for New Jersey if they go No. 1, but if the Stars are actually a playoff contender they’ll have better options in players already groomed through their system.

Age isn’t a concern for me (all these players are close to 18, and those who are 20 are still available as overagers for a reason), but level of competition is something I would heavily consider.

Cale Makar could be the best player in this draft, but he could also be a bust. It’s hard to tell after he played against lesser competition in the AJHL, and he’s going to be tested next season when playing for UMass-Amherst.

Personally that’s why I like Miro Heiskanen as the top defender. He performed well in the top Finnish league as a 17-year-old, and there is a track record of success against players more comparable to NHL competition.

Evander Kane could be an option, so could Alex Galchenyuk.

T.J. Oshie could be a good fit in theory, but from my understanding and talking to those who covered the St. Louis Blues he and Hitchcock would have to rebuild some bridges for that to happen.

An established top-pairing defender that’s under the age of 26, at least that would be my assigned value.

It hasn’t been officially confirmed, but I would imagine Curt Fraser will run the power play and Rick Wilson will focus on the penalty kill/defense.

That leaves Stu Barnes (who I plan to track down at some point this weekend) as more of a mediator between Ken Hitchcock and the players, let’s call it an unofficial quality control position. He can work one-on-one with individual players, and has an understanding of what it’s like to play for Hitch — which I believe is a key asset.

It’s also another voice that can challenge the status quo. Hitchcock is at his best when he’s challenged and gets feedback from his assistants, and Barnes isn’t afraid to fill that role.

Let me play devil’s advocate for you:

There will be more voices involved and Fraser will be answering to Hitchcock, who won’t allow consistent failure like Lindy Ruff allowed without making a change.

It’s a fit that can work, especially if the coaching staff as a whole commits to adding more variety to the overall game and doesn’t get stuck in ruts.

If the Stars keep all three of their picks in the top-40 it’s a good bet they’ll take a goalie at No. 29 or No. 39 depending on how the draft plays out.

I thought Vegas would invest in more goalies, but I don’t mind the tandem of Calvin Pickard and Marc-Andre Fleury.

It does tell me that Vegas will be looking for it’s goalie of the future in the draft, and could use one of it’s first-round picks Friday on a goalie.

1. I’d put the odds at 90 percent that Dallas holds onto the pick.
2. Ten percent, it’s not likely.
3. Casey Mittestadt can be a very good player in the NHL. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went No. 4 to the Canucks.

I just don’t see it happening at any price that would be reasonable for Dallas.

Depends on how much you value the $85. The draft is a made for TV event, and it’s cool to see, but from a fan perspective you’re not getting much added value compared to those watching at home on television.

If I were fan I would do the following: attend the fan fest in that afternoon, check out some of the sights and sounds. Then head home and enjoy the draft on an HD television with a six-pack and a pizza in a more comfortable seat.

Been to Wrigley a couple times before, but this was the first time I’ve been there after they installed the giant video boards. That felt a bit weird.

I don’t see much value in the UFAs the Stars have via trade. The likes of Ales Hemsky and Patrick Sharp are past the stages of their careers where teams clamor to get an early opportunity to sign them.

1. A real New York Bagel place, one that actually boils the bagels in water.
2. A waffle bar.
3. Specialty milkshake station.

(If any of these are already in the AAC let me know, I just eat the chicken fingers provided in the press box).

This isn’t my ultimate lineup, but this is the group of players I would have loved to see play in their prime.

Bobby Hull — Jean Béliveau — Gordie Howe

Larry Robinson — Bobby Orr

Vladislav Tretiak

Jere Lehtinen’s No. 26 will be retired on Nov. 24 against the Calgary Flames.

Set your calendar now, the jersey retirement ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m, while the game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

I don’t have full details on that night yet, but when I do have them I will make sure to share them.

That’s what Twitter is for.

I’m a fan of rib-eye. Medium rare.

https://twitter.com/MaxGlick/status/878060461429846017

A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

It’s a pipe dream, but who am I to stop you from dreaming?

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