2 Players Entering Final Season With Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars had another really good season, but fell short again. The team made a number of changes and got younger. By the end of next offseason, there may be a couple of changes, but the expectation is that many members of the team should remain, especially if the Stars do well. Let's examine the two players who should be playing their final season in Dallas.

Evgeni Dadonov

Evgenii Dadonov is getting up there in age and is 35 years old heading into the 2024-25 season. He was once a prolific scorer upon returning to the NHL, but was injured last season for a good chunk of the season and the young players have taken over the forward group in Dallas. Dadonov should be playing the majority of this coming season on the fourth line and it doesn't line up with his style of game. He is a UFA after the season and the Stars will likely look for someone more suited for the role, younger, and cheaper.

Nils Lundqvist

The Stars really tried giving Nils Lundqvist a good opportunity to play every night on the third pairing, but the coaching staff was just not comfortable with him. He played 59 regular season games averaging just over 14 minutes per game, but when the playoffs rolled around, the 24-year-old only played 4:28 per game through 12 games. He was dressed, but the Stars felt shorthanded on defense for most of their playoff run. That can't happen again, and defensemen were brought in. He will have to show positive strides and get the opportunity to do so or I see Dallas not qualifying Lundqvist after the season or even using what value he has left to upgrade at the trade deadline.