Why break up a good thing? The Dallas Stars and Joe Pavelski have decided to continue their relationship, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports they are closing in on an extension. Darren Dreger of TSN adds that it will be a one-year contract, though the financial details have not yet surfaced. The veteran forward was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer after his current three-year, $21M contract expired.
Pavelski, 37, hasn’t lost a step yet as he continues to be a top performer for the Stars alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. That line has been outstanding this season, dominating the opposition to the tune of 160 combined points so far. Pavelski accounts for 59 of those through 56 games, a number that leads the Stars, just as he did last season.
It’s been an incredible career for Pavelski, who will reach 1,200 games if he stays healthy next season (and has a shot at 1,000 points, depending on how the rest of this year goes). His obvious chemistry with the younger players, along with the fact that he’s still capable of playing both center and wing, make him a very valuable option for the Stars, even at his age. One of the most well-respected leaders in the league, it’s not just his locker room presence that they’re bringing back. Pavelski will likely reach the 30-goal mark for the sixth time this season and has a chance to even set a career-high in points (his previous high is 79).
Because he’s still so good, some wondered whether the Stars would make him available at this year’s trade deadline. The veteran forward would have drawn interest from basically every contender in the league, but it never did make much sense for Dallas to part ways with him. Not only does he have a trade clause that lets him list just three teams he’s willing to go to, but the Stars have done enough to remain in the Central Division playoff race. While they lost an important game to the Nashville Predators this week, they are still just four points out of a divisional spot and occupy the second wild-card spot.
Trading Pavelski would have been like throwing in the towel given his importance to the group, and a one-year deal comes with very little risk. They can revisit the team’s situation a year from now when his value will still be high unless there is a huge drop-off in performance. With John Klingberg likely headed to market (if not traded by the deadline) and Alexander Radulov on an expiring deal, the team had a little bit of salary coming off the books anyway. While Robertson will likely be looking at a huge RFA raise, there was always going to be room to bring Pavelski back on a short-term deal.
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