Hey Heika: Taking a gander at the Olympics, trade deadline, playoff runs and more

Howdy folks.

It’s been a while, but we are going to try a Hey Heika today. The longest running in-depth look into the Dallas Stars has been woefully absent, so we’ll try to get back to this on a regular basis going forward.

I wanted to start with Olympic talk. Under the new rules of pool play, there really wasn’t a ton of risk for anybody, as all teams advance. Yes, Sweden and Czechia don’t get a bye and have to play an extra game, but that can actually be an advantage in some regards, because they get an extra game to sort out any issues and stay in game shape.

Basically, the three pool games helped Stars players, as there was some rust (or just unfamiliarity) with their new teammates and the international game. Thomas Harley stepped in and looked great with Team Canada. It seems his familiarity with Pete DeBoer (the former Stars coach who is running the defense for Team Canada) has been a big help, and Harley clearly likes being on this stage with this group. It really is a dream come true. Radek Faksa has been a big part of Team Czechia, although he is battling an unspecified injury and his status is up in the air right now. And Jake Oettinger has yet to play – and might not play – for Team USA, but the experience looks like it has been really good for him.

That leaves the four Finns, and they have all been great. Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen are kind of the engine for Suomi, as they play the most minutes and dictate the best pace. The experience has been great for both, because they seem to each want to do more in this role, and that could help them when they get back to the NHL.

That has been the same case for Roope Hintz, who has a little more edge to his game in Italy, and that also could be something he revisits when he’s back in Texas. Mikko Rantanen is getting a lesson in what it’s like to be the target of the opposition’s game plan, and he might see that in the playoffs back here. At the very least, he will learn to handle that attention and adjust as needed.

I go back to my past experiences at different times, and that probably keeps me a bit too calm at times. I was at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City and would have sworn that Team USA was going to win gold, as Mike Modano and Brett Hull dominated early games and Team Canada looked like it was struggling.

But then the red Maple Leaf took the gold medal game 5-2, and there was a lesson there on how adversity can build strength. I look at the Stars in Game 7 against Colorado last year in the playoffs, and see just how one performance by one player can change all of these things, and it really does allow a certain calm that you just have to wait and see what happens.

It’s kind of fun when you get to that place.

Anyway, I like this tournament and I like what it could do for the players who are playing. I like how in a few months, this week could play a huge role, and I like the fact we have no idea what that role might be.

So have fun and watch the story unfold. Think of it like a good television show that will have you on the edge of your seat over the next week.

Now, onto your questions:

@StephGATC: do you think Jim can pull off another trade line masterclass without handcuffing the team’s ability to sign Robo for a price that suits everyone?

@MikeHeika: It’s a balancing act, and it will be a lot harder than it was last year. One, the NHL rules have changed. If they could simply take all of Tyler Seguin’s cap hit and use it for a trade, that would open the door to a lot of options, knowing that Seguin could possibly return for the playoffs. However, the new rules make it so if you want to give Seguin a chance, you’ll get a portion of his salary cap to use for trades. If you want a bigger chunk, you have to commit to Seguin not playing until next season. That’s tough, but I think Nill will be able to navigate.

Just as important now is 1: What do the Stars have to give up? and 2:What kind of cap hit would an acquired player bring beyond this season? If Dallas really does want to go after a big fish, they might have to trade a younger player like Mavrik Bourque or Lian Bichsel. That’s tough, but it’s what they did with Logan Stankoven last season. Could they give up their first-round pick in 2027 or package some second round picks? Sure. But they don’t want to do that.

So the question then becomes: How close are they? The thought process is that they are very close and have been for years now, but they also still need to make sure the team can continue to grow under Glen Gulutzan and the new coaching staff. The core of the team is in its prime, and the older players also are in a place where they are still contributing, so this might be a really important window.

I think Jim Nill will listen to everyone and do something. What that something is, I don’t think even Jim knows. The great thing about his style is he is informed and prepared to move in an instant. So if history is an indicator, the Stars will be ready when a deal presents itself.

The whole Rantanen saga had huge ups and downs before it got done, and we could see the same thing this year. I know that’s not predicting the future before it happens – as all of you would like – but I just think the Stars have to trust that Jim Nill will do everything he can to help this team win this year. That’s a pretty good feeling, in my opinion.

@Skinna66: With Bischel coming back to the team, does that change the Stars mindset on what pieces they might try to acquire before the trade deadline?

@MikeHeika: I think so. What would be great is if Bichsel had more playing time this year and the team had a better idea of if his presence was going to make a huge impact in the playoffs. As it is right now, he still is a question mark.

Bichsel played 18 playoff games last season but was protected at just under 12 minutes per game. The trio of Heiskanen, Lindell and Harley will carry the blue line, and the fact that Nils Lundkvist is healthy and playing almost 17 minutes per game gives the Stars some real options on what they want to do with Bichsel.

As I said earlier, if Dallas does want to swing for the fences and bring in a high-end trade piece, it might have to give up Bichsel – especially if that player is a defenseman. That is the hard part as we approach the trade deadline, because so many situations are so liquid. It puts your entire organization under duress, and that can actually help show you what you are made of.

@BrendanBauer1: Which Olympic sport are you most likely to medal in?

@MikeHeika: I have watched a lot of curling in my life, so I think I understand the sport pretty well and I think I still have the physical ability to compete there. I also have been good with precision activities in my life – putting or billiards – and that could lend itself well to curling.

When I was young, I was a good team handball (summer Olympic sport) player in gym class, and I always wondered if I could have focused on that and found a way to get really good at it. But those days are long gone now.

@TemLassila: Reason for which the Stars resigned some players such as Sam\] [Steel and didn’t buyout Ilya\] [Lyubushkin in order to re-sign players like Evgenii\ if not 250-500k more

@MikeHeika: Every team has tough decisions to make. The Stars really wanted Granlund to return, but when the price went to $7 million (which is what he signed for in Anaheim), they just couldn’t do it. I actually think Steel is a bargain at $2.1 million. He’s 28, he is a lineup regular who can play up or down the lineup. He has 23 points (7 goals, 16 assists) in 57 games, so I don’t know how much more he can do.

My guess is if Dadonov was playing those minutes, he wouldn’t be doing what Steel does. He got hurt early in New Jersey, but at age 36, I just don’t think he has the value that Steel does.

The Lyubushkin buyout would have been pretty expensive with two years left, and I think management figured that by the trade deadline it would still have the room it needed. Like I said, the Granlund contract going to $7 million (especially with two more years to go after this one and Jason Robertson still needing a new deal) just didn’t seem possible.

@dtxhockeydude: Is there any kind of concern with rebuilding the prospect pool and draft pick cupboard? I know we’re probably a win now team for the next 5-10 years but at what point does reloading become a concern for the organization?

@MikeHeika: It’s definitely a concern, and it tears at the conscience of an old scout like Jim Nill. But it is where they are right now. They want to win a Stanley Cup, and that takes quite a commitment.

The easy thing is to reference LA or Chicago and say they went for it, won, and then had to rebuild afterward. But the reality is that San Jose went for it, didn’t win, and still had to rebuild. That’s just the reality of the business.

Nill is very aware of the future, and the hope is that the likes of Heiskanen, Oettinger, Wyatt Johnston, Harley, Robertson, Rantanen and Hintz can keep this door open for a while. But pretty much every team that pursues a Cup hits a wall afterward, so you just have to hold on and hope for the best.

@Josh_Clark02: This one has a simple answer, but I just want to make sure you have it right: Van Halen or Van Hagar?

@MikeHeika: There is some irony in this question, because as I've said, I’m open to a lot of different music. But just as it is with Van Halen, it is also the same with AC/DC. I just think David Lee Roth and Bon Scott each had a smarmy charm that helped define the early group. I have no quarrel with Sammy Hagar or Brian Johnson, but I just think the early songs were the best.

@MegaMomMachine: Do the guys feel like this is their year? Or have the injuries taken their toll?

@MikeHeika: I reflect back on the NFL season, and believe that anything could happen any year. I’ve said this on many occasions: If Dallas had advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in either of the previous two years, my guess is they would have lost to Florida. It’s just one of those matchups that doesn’t seem to favor the Stars. So, it’s hard to say that they could win it all right now. But, you have to go through the steps and see what happens. If the Stars were to advance to the Final, my guess is they would be a different team once they got there – and that is kind of the fun of all of this.

As I stay tuned to social media during the Olympics and as we head up to the trade deadline, I am intrigued by the buzz around teams who are “going for it.” That makes things fun. I think the Stars are in a great place even if they don’t make big changes. You have several players in the prime of their respective careers and you have a few veterans who are extremely hungry to win a Cup for the first time. I think that’s a good mix. Could they get even better? Definitely. They did it last year at the trade deadline.

@LacesOutFinkle: If you could use one song from the 80’s to describe what Jim Nill will likely do by the deadline what would it be and why?

@MikeHeika: Hungry Like the Wolf? Eye of the Tiger? Call Me? Everybody Wants to Rule the World? That’s four. I know, it’s cheating, but the point is Jim Nill is in a spot that can change a lot and yet he also has to understand what the price is to play in these games. He wants to win, everyone else wants to win, and yet only one can win. It’s a great opportunity, but it’s also a dangerous game. Hopefully he can get some old cassettes and let that vintage wisdom guide his heart.

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

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.