Stars Rumors: 3 Players Who Could Be Finished in Dallas

The Dallas Stars couldn't get passed the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conferences Finals and after a tough-nosed six-game series, the Stars now clean out their lockers and head home.

The Stars were right there this season and the future is bright in Dallas as they have a number of young players who are going to make up the core of the team once the likes of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin move on. 

Dallas has a projected $15.9 million in cap space heading into this offseason, however there's currently only 13 players signed for next season. Their roster is littered with pending unrestricted and restricted free agents. 

After a tough gutting elimination at that hands of the Oilers, here's three Stars who are likely finished in Dallas:

Chris Tanev

While both sides likely have some degree of mutual interest, Tanev's going to be wise to hit the open market on July 1st and cash in. He'll be one of the most sought after shut-down defenseman of any of the free-agent class. Tanev was huge for the Stars and brought his lunch-pale mentality to the rink each and every game. Don't look to the scoresheet for impact, Tanev's game is all defense, all the time. Hits, blocking shots, making life tough on opponents. The Vancouver Canucks are likely going to circle back on Tanev pretty hard this summer.

Matt Duchene

Duchene had a wonderful bounce-back season in his first year in Dallas and recorded 65 points in 80 games. Unfortunately, the same type of production didn't translate into the playoffs, and he only collected six points in 19 playoff games. Duchene accepted a one-year $3 million deal to land with the Stars last summer, this offseason GM Jim Nill won't be so lucky. Look for Duchene to hit the open market and as he's 33 years old, try to settle on a two or three-year deal to finish out the back nine of his career.

Derrick Pouliot

Certainly not a big name like the other two, Pouliot was used solely in a depth role and only managed to appear in five games with the Stars, spending most his season in the AHL. A former first-round pick, Pouliot hasn't played more than 10 NHL games in a season since 2018-19 as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. If it's a two-way deal at minimum, there could be some interest from the Stars keeping him in the organization, but at this point, it's likely they move on.

Photo credit:  Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports