Hey Heika: What's next for Khudobin, Stars goaltending this offseason?

Howdy folks, it's been a heck of a ride.
I know it was weird, and I know we didn't get to be there in person, but watching the Stars get to the Stanley Cup Final for just the fifth time in franchise history was very entertaining.
But now that it's over and the draft (Oct. 6) and free agency (Oct. 9 ) are looming, we all have to move forward.
You have a lot of questions out there and we'll take our best guesses at answering them here in another edition of Hey Heika.

First off, have a great offseason #HeyHeika. See you in #Club6015 hopefully sooner, rather then later. Secondly, this goaltending FA period is going to be insane. Lots of movement. Is there a chance the Stars netminders could be completely different next season? -- @FJGreene
Mike Heika:Hey Jim, thanks for the good thoughts. I just don't see them moving away from both goalies. My guess is they stick with Ben Bishop and try to sign Anton Khudobin to a contract extension, allowing Jake Oettinger to marinate for another year or so.
The guess is Khudobin wants three years, and the Stars could do that by giving him a guaranteed contract, but not a no-movement clause. Bishop has a no-movement clause, meaning he has to be protected in the Seattle expansion draft. Because you are allowed to only protect one goalie, that means you can't give Khudobin an NMC unless you plan on moving Bishop.
That's a long-winded way of saying that if you can convince Khudobin to take a nice guaranteed contract for say three years, you get him next year and then possibly lose him in the expansion draft. That wouldn't be the worst thing, because it would give Oettinger another year and could protect you if Bishop has nagging concerns from the injury that kept him out of the playoffs.
If Khudobin tests free agency and goes elsewhere, I think the Stars would definitely try to sign a one- or two-year deal with one of the many veteran goalies who could be available.

With the RFAs that need to be signed, what would the Stars have left over for a backup goalie, and who do you think they could afford at a discount price? -- @Keegan1011
Heika: Yeah, I think Radek Faksa, Denis Gurianov and Roope Hintz come in for around $10 million total. The Stars have about $3 million in carryover bonuses, and then I think they have to make some hard decisions with UFAs Corey Perry, Anton Khudobin, Mattias Janmark and Andrej Sekera.
Because Dallas has seen such progress in younger players like Joel Kiviranta and Nick Caamano, and because they have faith in players like Jason Robertson, Ty Dellandrea and Thomas Harley, they should be able to fill any holes that develop. Because of Bishop's health history, they have to have a veteran backup goalie. If it's not Khudobin, then that position will be their main UFA target.
I will say this -- as I do every year -- it's not the worst idea to leave some cap space for a potential in-season acquisition. Bottom line, good teams bust and good players become available. I just think that's something every team should consider before locking up too much salary. (Also, it helps prevent all of that daily cap watching for teams that are too close).

Are the Stars at any disadvantages for having played in the Stanley Cup Final while other teams were starting their offseason moves? (Don't get me wrong, I'll take playing in the Final over offseason moves every time). -- @Pez1865
Heika:It's interesting to see how different teams have reacted to playing so long. Both Boston and St. Louis looked tired in the playoffs this year (although both played well in the regular season). I believe players like Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Denis Gurianov, Joel Kiviranta, Jamie Oleksiak, Jason Dickinson and Nick Caamano will be helped by the playoff experience. I also think the "black aces" should be ready to take the next step.
The question will be whether it helps players like Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Joe Pavelski and John Klingberg. Will they be revved up when the regular season starts or will they be in a wait-until-the-playoffs mode? It's an interesting dilemma.
I'm a fan of playoff experience, especially for a group that needed some. I think this team should be able to build on their momentum.
How will the Seattle expansion draft next summer impact the Stars off-season thinking for this off-season? -- @fletcherharvey
Heika:The Stars are pretty well positioned. They have three very good defensemen that need to be protected, and their other two (Jamie Oleksiak and Stephen Johns) are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents. The team will likely wait to sign either, and Seattle likely would be too scared to take a potential UFA. That means Dallas can lose a lesser player and then sign their own player when the expansion draft is over.
Now, that said, they could also lose either to free agency, so that is a risk. Up front, they currently have to protect three players (Benn, Seguin and Radulov) because of no-movement clauses, meaning they would have four spots for Denis Gurianov, Roope Hintz, Radek Faksa and Jason Dickinson. All of this is difficult to predict, because the Stars could make trades that would change their list of protected players.
To your point, that would make any kind of UFA acquisition a little more tricky, but I think the Stars are pretty smart about this stuff.
The Stars were a Jamie Benn wraparound away from beating the 2019 champs. They lose in the Final this year. Do you view this run as a fluke or can this team win the Stanley Cup in the next year or two? -- @tnowers94
Heika:I believe they are moving in the right direction. A lot of what they can do will be tied to the goaltending, so Ben Bishop needs to get healthy and they need to be sure to have a good backup goalie ready to go if he gets hurt again. But for the next two years, Dallas should have young players getting better along with players like Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin in (or near) their prime. Mix that with two years left for Joe Pavelski and Alexander Radulov, and you have what we like to call a window to win.
If they stay healthy, I think they can be in the mix.
How and where will players develop if there is no AHL next year? -- @KralikJuraj
Heika:It's a great question. Everyone I talk to says they have no idea when the NHL season is going to start and if the AHL is going to play. My guess is if the AHL doesn't play, the NHL will allow expanded rosters and have players working out in their team cities, but that's just a huge guess.
If there is no AHL season, the Stars got a huge boost by having their "black aces" in Edmonton for two months.
What are the chances the Stars trade Bishop for picks or a player? And do you think the Stars should try to sign Miro long term and see if they can create more cap space by doing so? -- @texxasjone
Heika:I don't think Ben Bishop wants to be traded, and all sides need to see what his injury is and what his time for return might be before they could even talk about it. Bishop has a modified no-trade clause, so there are things that could be talked out. While he has a cap hit of $4.9 million for the next three seasons, he has an actual salary of $3.5 million, so that makes him more attractive. We'll see. I think they want to keep him and adjust their backup if needed.
As for Miro, the NHL's cap is cut and dried, so you can't create space. He is in at somewhere between $832,000 and $3 million depending on performance bonuses for the 2020-21 season. He is an RFA after this season, and predictions on his next contract have been as high as $10 million a season.
The big question is what number the Stars can get on a long-term deal going forward.

If you were commissioner of the NHL, what would you change about the league, if anything? -- @JakeRD\\
Heika:I've always liked Ralph Strangis' idea of playing two games against the same team in the same city over a weekend. It creates a playoff feel and also creates the ability to bet on games, which could attract some NFL-type interest.
What the league could do is set two games against Colorado in Dallas and put them on Friday and Sunday. Then, it could put two games between Chicago and St. Louis in Chicago and put them on Thursday and Saturday. It would push the division rivalries, and you could either do it by division and spread it throughout the season or you could do it like MLB does interleague play and have the entire league jump on board for a weekend here and there.
I just like how a small scheduling tweak (which would actually save teams money) could create something special for the NHL. Imagine how much buzz there would be on the second game if the first game had a lot of intensity?
What you think the contracts of Denis, Roope and Radek will look like? Do you think Perry, Janmark, Sekera and Dobby will be back? -- hockeyinside99
Heika:I think Radek Faksa is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $3.5 million (up from $2.4 million this year). Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov each have interesting strong points. Gurianov had 20 goals in the regular season and nine in the playoffs, which should give him a boost. However, Hintz has done it for two seasons, so that helps his case.
The guess is they each are around $2.5 to $3 million for two years on bridge deals. Neither has arbitration rights, so the best leverage is to sit out, and players rarely seem to want to do that.
I'm not sure if the Stars are ready to jump onto longer term deals for either, but they did that with John Klingberg and it worked out great, so that's also something to watch.

Which realistic free agent would you like the Stars to go after? -- @CondorCamp
Heika:I think Henrik Lundqvist would be fun. I also think it would be neat if Brenden Dillon came back home. As I'm going through all of these questions and pondering both the thought they need to keep their powder dry and they can't really commit to too much beyond this season because of the expansion draft, I'm starting to think they might only be signing one-year deals with UFAs.
Do you think that the Stars look to kind of crown an "heir aperant" for the next head coach if Bones decides he wants another go or two? Like maybe do a slow transition to Todd Nelson or John Stevens to make it feel less jarring? -- @L2Vanquish
Heika:A lot depends on how long Bowness takes and what coaches are available (and if they need four- or five-year deals) when the decision is made.
If Bowness wants to retire, I really think John Stevens could get a two-year deal. That would allow the Stars to take a shot with this current group for two years, and allow flex for when contracts expire for Pavelski and Radulov. But I'm just guessing here.
I know blocking shots is part of hockey culture. But you could argue it was attrition the Stars ultimately lost to. Is it time to rethink the emphasis on shot blocking (especially in a playoff series) -- @TechJunkie45
Heika:I've actually been on this soapbox for years. It just doesn't make sense to lose good players to injuries like this, so why do we romanticize blocking shots so much? Bottom line is that not blocking shots goes against the fabric of the sport, so you just have to live with it. If I was a GM (or coach), I would make sure we had the best protective equipment and that players wore it properly.
How much do you think players like Hintz, Gurianov, and Heiskanen will score next season? -- @ForkliftMP4
Heika:I think if the team continues to work on activating defensemen, all three could have huge seasons. Heiskanen could really see his numbers jump up into the 50s or 60s if he continues what he was doing in the playoffs. He really could contend for a Norris Trophy next season.

Who from the AHL might we expect to see with the Stars next year? -- @Call4Rod
Heika:I think Kiviranta and Caamano for sure, and my guess is Robertson, Dellandrea and Harley each get a shot. I think the team starts opening the door for younger players.
I am assuming the season starts Klingberg-Lindell, Heiskanen-Oleksiak, Harley-Hanley (don't want to assume anything with Johns). Do you see the 7th man as Sekera, Fedun or a different player on a similar deal to Sekera's? -- @Covered_inTeeth
Heika:I think Sekera is definitely in the talks. The big question is whether or not Stephen Johns can play. If he can, maybe they give Harley a chance over Sekera and let players like Fedun and Hanley provide depth. If he can't play, they have to get another veteran defenseman, and Sekera will definitely be in the mix.

Did the AAC watch parties have any effect on the players in the bubble? Least that they've mentioned? -- @RinnosukeETQW
Heika:When we asked, they said they did not really notice anything from "home" games in Edmonton. I'll ask again when we get a chance to chat. I will say it certainly proved to the team that they could have "limited" fans in attendance if that is a question in starting next season.
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.