The cap space game can be a dangerous (but sometimes necessary) one for many NHL teams to play. And in the 2019 offseason, the Dallas Stars took their seat at the table and rolled the dice.
In many ways, it was a necessary gamble. After a rollercoaster effort through the first half of the 2018-19 season that left many still uncertain about the team’s potential, the Stars bounced back in a big way and qualified for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the first wild card seed. That turned into a six-game victory in the first round over the Nashville Predators, who had just secured their second consecutive Central division title.