Hey Heika: Which prospects could make Stars' roster next season?

Howdy folks, it's been a long time away from "Hey Heika" while we sit at home and wait, but I figured there were a few topics we could broach during our hiatus.

So you asked, I answered, and let's hope we can learn a few things before we get back to games.

Which prospects do you think we'll see on the roster next season? Will the Stars have more than one rookie next year? -- @hockeytime42

Mike Heika:So much of this is tough to predict without the playoff performance to help understand where they are. If this team wins a few series in the playoffs and looks good, there is a chance it tries to bring back some of the veterans to give it another run. If interim coach Rick Bowness returns, the desire to stay with a veteran team becomes even more strong. However, if the team doesn't play well in the playoffs, then a lot could change.

Who is the head coach going forward? What is his philosophy? What are the salary cap ramifications? Does a team with youth and speed win it all? Do other teams want to copy that?

If they want to, I think the Stars can move toward youth next year. While Thomas Harley will just turn 19 in August, I think you have to be prepared to give him a shot to make the roster. That would mean you don't re-sign Polak or Sekera and trust that Taylor Fedun and the strong group of defensemen in the AHL will be enough depth. If Harley makes it, you work with him and get him up and running. If after the nine games to start the season, he has to go back to juniors, so be it.

Then, up front you can definitely look to give Jason Robertson and Ty Dellandrea a chance. That would mean letting Mattias Janmark and Corey Perry walk as free agents or trading another forward, but it seems it would be worth it. I'm a huge fan of having your depth come in 20-somethings on two-way contracts to keep your options open and keep the motivation high, so I'm fine with leaning on the AHL group. Players sense when they have a chance to take a big step and I think that motivates them.

The other big question is whether Jake Oettinger is ready to be the backup goalie as he hits age 22 in December, but that decision will be based more on Anton Khudobin than what Oettinger can do.

Out of the AHL call-ups we saw this year, who do you think has the best shot to be a lineup regular next year? -- @benpatterson33

Heika:This is sort of piggy-backing on the previous question, but I really like what Jason Robertson showed in his 60 AHL games (25 goals, 22 assists, 47 points). He seems like the kind of player who could learn fast in the NHL. I also believe players like Joel Kiviranta, Joel L'Esperance and Nick Caamano could be in the mix and could outplay Robertson if they get a chance.

The Stars have some solid prospects, but they need to give them some ice time and a chance to prove themselves in the NHL.

In all your years covering the Stars, what is the one trade, pick, or free-agent signing that didn't happen that you would have loved to see? -- @rewdy214

Heika:The rumor is that Calgary really wanted Todd Harvey instead of Jarome Iginla in the Joe Nieuwendyk trade. That would have been a nicer swap. Could you imagine Iginla, Lehtinen, Langenbrunner (had he not been traded) and Morrow all growing up together in the same forward group.

Jeremy Roenick seemed a better fit than Pierre Turgeon back when both were free agents in 2001, so that would have been a good change in retrospect. Roenick's energy could have really helped a team that was sort of hanging on at that time.

And while it's easy to criticize every draft in retrospect, passing on Cam Fowler for Jack Campbell back in 2010 was a humongous mistake, especially when you consider the needs of the organization at the time.

How much does the postponed season affect the Stars' plans, as we were clearly all in this year and next year (Pavs and Perry), and do you think Dobby could go for money in free agency or get a hometown discount in Big D? -- @hockey_inside99

Heika: Again, the playoffs will have a lot to do with these decisions. Yes, the team is in a "win now" window with the contracts and the respective ages of players like Benn, Bishop, Radulov and even Seguin. Because the Stars are committed to players like Pavelski, they need to try to get the most out of those contracts over the next two seasons. That said, players like Heiskanen, Hintz and Gurianov are among the team's best right now, so you can still try to win now while you're bringing in more youth.

I don't think Anton Khudobin is going to be interested in a hometown discount. I think he wants to get a significant contract at a time when he has impressive leverage around the league. We'll see what the Stars want to do and if they believe it is worth it to overpay to keep him here.

What are your thoughts Video: Harley's first hours after being picked by Stars back in '99? -- @nmoroch

Heika:You're a natural.

What's a story from the 1999 run that people might not know? -- @RobertTiffin

Heika:A couple came to mind, Robert. There will be much talk about Brian Skrudland running Dominik Hasek in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, and Kevin Fox ("Expo") and I have a nice behind-the-scenes story. We're at the morning skate in the dressing room just chatting with Skrudland and he starts talking about Hasek and how he goes out of the crease and protects the puck along the boards. Skrudland gets up and faces the lockers and demonstrates Hasek's technique of facing the boards and then getting his skates wide. Skrudland said words to the effect: He sticks his (rear) out and won't let anyone get in there, and nobody does a thing about it…I think somebody needs to run him.

Skrudland, of course, did just that 12 minutes into Game 2 and it really helped change the series. It brought emotion into a game the Stars needed to win, and I really think it brought out the personality of the team again.

In the conference finals against Colorado, Avalanche GM Pierre Lacroix was upset with a call on the ice and aggressively approached the official's room in the press box. He was yelling loudly when Stars GM Bob Gainey put his hand across the doorway and told him he was not allowed to be in this room. Lacroix kept yelling when Gainey sternly repeated: "Pierre, you're not allowed to be in here." Lacroix stepped away, and it was a great example of how Gainey was able to maintain his calm throughout the playoffs. I thought his team followed that lead.

There were no GM rooms in the Reunion Arena press box. The big shots sat right next to the media, so that made for some interesting displays of emotion back in the day.

Jim Nill has built a team he believes can win now. It seems like that prime window is 2-3 years. Would you agree? Also, are the Stars built for long-term success or is a rebuild looming? -- @VictoryAveStars

Heika: Jim Nill likes to think he can do both. He has often said he's building for next year, for three years from now and for five years from now. His work with the salary cap indicates he can juggle things pretty well. So then, as we discussed earlier, can he win now and still be building for the future?

I think so.

When you look at the group of defensemen led by Klingberg, Lindell, Heiskanen, Oleksiak and Johns - and possibly Thomas Harley next season - that group can be god for some time. When you look at forwards like Dickinson, Hintz, Gurianov and some of the potential newcomers, that group also can take a bigger share of the minutes moving forward. That said, the team has to be smarter with its long-term deals. When you look at the declining value in contracts for players like Benn, Pavelski, Radulov and Seguin, you do worry about the mix of money and performance. The good thing is the Stars have a couple of years to make their runs before they need big money for the younger players.

All of that said, I don't think a rebuild will be necessary. But they have to be able to work these younger players up to a high-performance level as quickly as possible.

I miss you -- @SeanShapiro

Heika: Me too, bud. This current situation definitely drives home what great jobs we have, and I believe it will increase our patience and joy as we go forward.

Some submissions have been edited for brevity and clarity. Have a question for a future Hey Heika mailbag? Tweet it to @MikeHeika and use #HeyHeika.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.