5 free agents the Dallas Stars can sign to get back to the playoffs
By C.L. Kohuss
No. 4: Andreas Athanasiou/Riley Nash
We’re going to cheat and go for a twofer here. The Stars badly need a Center and they badly need depth scoring. In what may be the single biggest reason for its undoing, Dallas could not seem to find the back of the net on a nightly basis. The Stars consistently produced two or fewer goals while hoping that their defense and goaltending would come to the rescue every time.
It obviously didn’t work out. One of the largest reasons for this is the decline of Jason Spezza. Slotted into the second line role, Spezza had the worst season maybe of his career. It was untimely for the Stars, who were relying on him to propel the scoring behind their top line.
We can’t say for sure if the Detroit Red Wings will throw big money to keep Athanasiou around, but if they don’t, the Stars could be in the running for his talent. At least, they need to give it a go.
He might not project to be a stud right away, but his 16 goals on a Detroit team that found itself drowning all season would help Dallas on the back end to overcome issues they’re currently having with some draft prospects. Namely, they’re not living up to where they were drafted. Athanasiou is young and fast. The latter being a quality the Stars have been lacking the last few seasons.
The Stars could also go with Riley Nash. The Bruins center may be a cheaper option. His plus-15 is also good sign that he can not only put up points (a breakout 41 this year) but maintain responsibility while doing so. Again, if he comes at a good price, this one may be worth taking a shot at.