Hey Heika: Will Stars try to lock up Mats Zuccarello with long-term deal?

You guys are getting ready for the playoffs -- and the offseason -- so let's answer a few questions and ponder a few possibilities in another offering of Hey Heika:

Nill makes you the honorary GM for one move this offseason to fix this team. What do you do? -- @DanielMarolf
Mike Heika:I think they have done a great job of getting some key areas squared away. You have a nice top three on defense in Klingberg, Heiskanen and Lindell, two good goalies, and some top level forwards, so I think you just need to concentrate on getting a couple of more scorers in your forward group.
Re-signing Mats Zuccarello could go a long way in helping, and then you can clear the decks to go after a second line center in trade or free agency.
I honestly think they are pretty close to being a very good team next season.

When are you starting your playoff beard? Razor needs some competition. -- @Victoireverte
Heika:I once tried to grow a moustache in Movember, and it was an unmitigated disaster. I will stay with the clean-shaven look.
If you could revamp the playoffs, what would you change? -- @MissChrisLB
Heika: I would go back to the old top eight and re-seed. I think it worked fine. I just don't feel the divisional rivalries have taken off the way the NHL wanted.
Do you see Val staying with us next year? Or traded to free up cap space to sign someone else? -- @rouardo
Heika:It's a great debate.
Valeri Nichushkin has another season left on his contract at $2.95 million and is just 24, so the question becomes whether it is time to move on or not. He has been a very good defensive player in recent games, and that might be what he is best at. You can also ponder that he will improve his scoring skills.
My problem is you have players like L'Esperance or Mascherin or Gurianov or Robertson or Dellandrea who might have more offensive upside and might need the chance to play in the NHL, should you clear space for them. I'm a huge fan of the player who doesn't require waivers that you can send up of down depending on how they are playing. If you have three or four of those guys, could that create a rotation that allows for better development (two in the NHL, two in the AHL at any given moment)?
When you are already committed to Cogliano, Comeau, Faksa and Pitlick, and will likely re-sign Dickinson and Janmark, I think you have plenty of "veteran" forward depth. I would like to see them open up slots for players who are young and battling for a place in the NHL.
Of the expiring contracts, it seems like Zucc, Lindell, Dickinson, and Janmark would return. Anyone else? -- @YNWABaker
Heika: I definitely think Taylor Fedun needs to be in that conversation, too. It depends on the assessments they make at the end of the season.

What are your top 70 star players? Ask everyone around you too and compare them. -- @Humansandonions
Heika: No. :)
I will say that the more we toss this around, the more I still think Sidney Crosby would be the first overall pick in a draft for one season. With all of the remarkable young talent, I still think he might be the biggest difference maker in the league.
How have you enjoyed being a podcaster? -- @BelleAnneM
Heika: I like the medium and I love working with Toates, Tom and Daryl (in that order). I will say that I have a brutal speaking voice, and it annoys me to listen to it. But other than that, it's been a blast.
Even though Monty has great words for Val, is it still detrimental to the offensive side of things since he has 0 goals in 47 games played, also a -6. Would like to hear your thoughts. -- @ChadPetes
Heika: It's certainly frustrating for the player, the coaches, management, and fans. Val Nichushkin has done a really good job of working hard and trying to do what the coaches want. He has been good at killing penalties, winning puck battles and possessing the puck. But you can't escape the zero goals, and you can't escape the fact he looks bad when he has scoring chances.
I'm not sure what you do with him. My guess is the stretch run and playoffs will make your decision more clear.
I'm cautiously optimistic about this last run, the team seems to be doing well and has some consistency. What are your thoughts? -- @BelleAnneM
Heika: They are better, but they are still inconsistent in starting games slowly.
They seem to frustrate themselves and the coaching staff with what appears to be a lack of intensity at times. But I do believe they are improving as a team in understanding time and score late in games, and they have two fantastic goalies when both are healthy.
Combine that with the potential return of Zuccarello and Pitlick from injury, and yes, you should be optimistic.
Lost in the Flood by Bruce Springsteen. Great War Protest song or Greatest War Protest song written by the Boss? -- @BruceLeVinePuck
Heika: I could go on for days, Mr. LeVine. I know younger people get tired of hearing about Springsteen from old sportswriters, but songs like this are what make him so great. He has not gone to war, but his friends and acquaintances have, so he writes about them returning while using terminology that mixes being in the war with being back home and shows just how much of the war they brought back with them.
From a linguistic standpoint, it's genius ("Hey, gunnerman that's quicksand," or "A real highwayman's farewell" or "His body hit the street with such a beautiful thud"). And from a point of showing you how bad it was and is, it's even more genius. It shows the real impact of war on the people who had to fight it. He doesn't preach, he just tells you a story and let's you decide.
Pretty smart.
Why have so few of apparently great minor league players made it with the NHL club? -- @RonSchulz2
Heika:It's a big step, and there definitely is a difference between scoring in the AHL and at the NHL level. I think Travis Morin and Curtis McKenzie are our best examples. They have special skills that make them great scorers at the AHL level, but they struggle to do the same things when they get to the NHL. I think you can look at opportunity (they typically don't get the power-play time or top minutes in the NHL) and confidence (they typically won't try the same things in the NHL that they try in the AHL), and all of that makes sense.
My biggest complaint is the organization has not really developed top six scorers the way it used to. Jamie Langenbrunner, Brenden Morrow, Jere Lehtinen, Loui Eriksson, James Neal, Jamie Benn -- they were drafted by the Stars and brought up through the system. They quickly earned a spot in the NHL, but they also were given the opportunity to play in the top six and on the power play quickly after showing they could do the same in the AHL.
For whatever reason, the Stars haven't done that in quite some time. The hope is they have some good young scorers on the way, but it would be nice to see someone who succeeds in the AHL bring that scoring touch to the NHL.

Why are the Stars so in love with passing the puck? Last night Janmark came into the zone on an odd man rush and immediately turned around, not even considering taking a shot and ended up ruining the opportunity. This kind of stuff is happening way too much. -- @benpatterson33
Heika:I actually think this is more situational than anything. I think when something frustrates you, it's easy to see it happening a lot. I could argue just as much that they fire too quickly and hit goalies in the chest too often. That is a pet peeve of fans, as well.
I think when the team isn't scoring a lot, it's easy to wonder why. My guess is that it's a lot of different things. The hope is the Stars get comfortable with their defensive game plan, they start to play it with confidence, and that eventually leads to counter-attack situations. To me, that is the best opportunity to improve the goal-scoring of this team. Either that, or they really have to get the power play clicking, and that will lead to two-goal leads, and two-goal leads will lead to the opposition opening things up, which will lead to more counter-attack situations.
But that's just me thinking in the car while I drive back and forth to Frisco.
Chances Honks stays up here the rest of the season or if he gets sent down? Doubtful, unless injuries happen, that he ever skates again for the Stars -- @StephenKim_XI
Heika: Julius Honka is certainly here for the remainder of this season. He won't be sent to the minors unless it's on a conditioning stint. He is a 23-year-old with 201 games of AHL experience, so he should be ready to perform at the NHL level.
We'll see what happens in the summer. With Jamie Oleksiak under contract and Stephen Johns still a possibility to recover, the Stars have some tough decisions to make. As it is with the forwards, I believe the best option for the Stars is to have depth players who do not require waivers, so the guess is Honka needs to find a spot in the top six defensemen or be moved to another team.
What's with the recent uptick in scoring? When Jamie Benn won the Art Ross in 2015, he had 87 points. The last couple winners had the usual 100 points, but Kucherov has already passed that mark with 15 games left in the season and others close behind. -- @MadiShae29
Heika: The NHL has embraced speed and skill, and it's being reflected in the scoring. The league used to prize size in drafting, but has more recently tried to build lineups on speed. Coaching throughout the league has also adjusted and is giving skilled players the chance to roll up points. It's fun.
Also, Kucherov plays for a great team that scores a lot of goals, and that means he might have one of the best seasons in years.
With Zuccarello's injury, will he be able to return in time for the playoffs (assuming we get in), and if he doesn't return prior to the playoffs beginning, is he eigible to return during the playoffs? Also do you believe DAL intends to spend big in FA with their cap space? -- @SpinnerHall
Heika:I do think Mats Zuccarello will play for the Stars in the playoffs, and I do think the Stars and Zuccarello will get a chance to study whether they can continue their relationship. Zuccarello will be 32 before the start of next season, so do you offer a four-year extension? A five-year extension? Does he prefer the East Coast? There is a lot to talk out, and a lot to be discovered in the next month or two.
As for free agent spending, the Stars have the chance to spend if they want to. Jason Spezza ($7.5 million) and Marc Methot ($4.9 million) will likely come off the books, so there will be money available. Tyler Seguin will get $4 million more, and other players need raises, but I think the Stars can play in the top six forward market if they want to.
Do you think that a healthy Zuccarello and Pitlick will be enough in the playoffs to close the gap between us and teams like Winnipeg and Nashville? -- @ctopjon
Heika:This is a strange point of view, but I do believe the West is wide open this year. I think both Nashville and Winnipeg are not near as dominant as they have been in the past, and while San Jose and Calgary have both looked great recently, you have to question their goaltending. I think the Stars could have some of the best goaltending in the NHL right now, and that is a huge factor in determining upsets.
So, yes, dream big.
All of that said, I do believe that playoff experience is huge, and that there is nothing that can duplicate the pressure of performing in the NHL post-season. In that regard, the Stars are very thin on playoff experience, so that also needs to be considered.
So, yes, dream cautiously.

Mike, are the three-point games the Central is experiencing going to bias the wild-card outcome? -- @Paulbradb
Heika:Yes, and no. On one hand, all of these three-point games down the stretch are going to definitely have a say in who gets in the playoffs and who doesn't. On the other hand, the Central is behind the normal pace for points, so maybe this will help make things look better when the final numbers come in.
Bottom line, teams that force overtime and gather extra points are doing things they are supposed to be doing at this time of year. I feel confident the teams that play the best down the stretch will make the playoffs. If the Stars want to get in, they need to be better than the other teams.
Was Mats Zuccarello suppose to be a rental for the Stars to make a good run into the playoffs? Or do you see the Stars look and try to sign him long term and make him a key factor for the future? -- @Douglasbeezy
Heika:A little of both. In a perfect world, Zuccarello would be a good fit, would help the team succeed in the playoffs this season, and then would re-sign. If the Stars saw something they didn't like, they could part ways and consider him a rental.
I think they want to re-sign him, so we'll see where all of this goes in the next couple of months. It takes two to make that deal happen.
Does Dallas have an attendance problem? Most buildings this time of the year are pretty full with teams chasing playoffs. AAC doesn't have the same intensity that it did in prior years playoff teams. Is this residual from ownership comments? No passion from fans -- @HanieBrian
Heika: I actually disagree whole-heartedly with this.
The Stars are averaging 18,166, and I think most nights the building is pretty full. I think the fans have great passion, and that's a tribute to the fact the arena has a great production team and makes every game pretty exciting. Now, you can argue that the team's lack of offense tamps things down a bit, but I honestly believe AAC is doing very well, especially when you consider this team hasn't had the success it did a decade ago.
I'm incredibly impressed by the fans right now and their support of this organization.
Will we ever see the NHL change the playoff format so that it simply takes the top eight in each conference like the NBA? Isn't the point of divisions just to limit unnecessary travel? -- @MadiShea29
Heika:They did that before, and then changed it because they wanted to emphasize divisional play to help stoke rivalries (and also, because I think they wanted to get a bracket thing going like the NCAA has with basketball). My hope is they will change this soon and go back to 1-8 with re-seeding after each round.
If everything aligns for the Stars come playoff time (injuries/health, chemistry, confidence, etc...), what is your view of this team's ceiling? -- @MillerLite_1
Heika:I keep going back to goaltending. This team is top four in goaltending, and goaltending wins in the playoffs. It allows for a lot of mistakes to get covered up. Mix the goaltending with the fact the Stars will start on the road, and all you have to do is win Game 1 and put the doubt of failure into a high seed, and I believe the potential is there for some upsets.
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 Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.