Dallas Stars 15 Worst Contracts (2005-2022)

This was originally published in my 2020 book The Definitive Guide to Salary Mismanagement, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other. Next summer it may even be expanded to top 20. The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here.

My latest book The Hockey Economist’s Betting Prospectus is now available. It's a comprehensive commentary on the last 3 years of hockey betting, broken down by team, by category, by strategy, by season. There is plenty of useful information for bettors of all skill levels. It covers pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic. What worked, what failed. Lessons learned, market trends, team-by-team analysis. What impact did the pandemic have on hockey betting? The market differences between these 3 seasons are discussed at length, and there's a lot to talk about. To read more, visit the Amazon store.
 
Enjoy! Please note: The formatting on the graphics got scrambled being copied from Excel into Google Blogger. It's among the reasons my blog is looking for a new home.

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The Dallas Stars came within 2 wins of capturing the 2020 Covid Cup, and had they managed to capture glory, the list as published in my book would have been different (my book was published shortly after the 2020 playoffs). My policy is that Stanley Cup champion deals are excluded from badness, and went into the 2020 playoffs with 5 active Stars on lists in my book.
 
In each round of the Covid Cup, I found myself desperately cheering for the Stars to be eliminated, so that it would not become necessary to go “back to formula” and overhaul the work already completed. Alas they fell short. It wasn’t exactly a relief, since an overhaul of the Tampa Bay Lightning became necessary instead.
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1. Tyler Seguin
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	F
Date:	2018-09-13		Age July 1st:	27
Term:	8 years		Playoff GP:	31
Total Money:	$78.8M		Playoff PTS:	17
Cap Hit:	$9.85M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	79.2	153	101	471
Per 82 GP	9.9	82	54	252	18.4

“In my time over the last five years with Tom Gaglardi and Jim Nill, it is clear how bad they want to win and have a model franchise.”

– Tyler Seguin

 
“They are f*cking horse-sh*t! I don’t know how else to put it.”

-Jim Lites

Tyler Seguin was an 80-point player when he signed this extension and got paid accordingly, though my EFA algorithm did price his stat line about $800K less than what he received. It was a little pricey even if you were getting an 80-point, 40-goal sniper. Sadly for Tom Gaglardi and Jim Nill, who want to win really really badly, they didn’t get an 80-point player. Tyler dropped to a 59-point pace in year one, then suffered a serious injury and only played 3 games in year two. 

The season after returning from injury, Tyler scored at a 50-point pace. Suddenly they had a 30-year-old 50-point player earning twice as much as he deserved and 5 years left. Tyler advanced to the championship of my 2022 worst NHL contract Twitter poll tournament.
 
 
2. Jamie Benn
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	F
Date:	2016-07-15		Age July 1st:	27
Term:	8 years		Playoff GP:	44
Total Money:	$76M		Playoff PTS:	31
Cap Hit:	$9.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	77.7	363	252	899
Per 82 GP	9.7	82	57	203	17.8

"He's one of the top players in the NHL, one of the top forwards. He's in the prime of his career, he's the leader of our team, and he's a great person on top of it, so we're very fortunate here in Dallas."

– Jim Nill

 
“They are f*cking horse-sh*t! I don’t know how else to put it.”

-Jim Lites

Jamie Benn signed this extension right after scoring 89 PTS, and a year after winning the Art Ross trophy. This deal would make Jamie the 5th highest paid player in the league, so management could be forgiven if they expected him to continue to perform like one of the best players in the league.
 
Benn hit an ominous milestone when his previous deal expired, reaching exactly 1000 regular season hits. His body endured some hard miles over the course of his journey, and wasn’t able to maintain the elite level scoring that his pay grade and ownership expected. Benn would only produce one more season as a top tier scorer, with 36 goals and 79 PTS in year one, then dropped down to 53 PTS in year two and 39 PTS in year three.
 
There is an alternate universe where the Stars won the 2020 Stanley Cup with Jamie Benn winning the Conn Smythe. There’s another version of me somewhere in the multi-verse who is deleting Benn from the worst list and adding him to the Dallas best contracts. Does that one great playoff run make this whole investment worthwhile? If there was a parade, then perhaps. Instead it’s just more miles on that body with a lot of money still owed.
 
 
3. Sean Avery
 

Signed By:	Brett Hull		Position:	F
Date:	2008-07-02		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	10
Total Money:	$15.5M		Playoff PTS:	3
Cap Hit:	$3.9M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	21.6	201	80	390
Per 82 GP	5.4	82	33	159	12.6

"It's limitless what he can bring to us. His skill level is getting better and better, year by year. That, with his grit, his toughness, his ability to win, I just thought it was a no-brainer to have him in our lineup."

– Brett Hull

 
“I honestly believe the issues that Sean had really kind of festered when he came to Dallas and things didn’t work out for him as he had planned, as we had planned. But I think a lot of those things, I think you could say were kind of brought on by himself. It’s a two-way street. Sure, you have to be accepted but you have to do everything you can to be accepted as well. It was just a bad situation.”

– Brett Hull

Sean Avery scored a career high 48 PTS in 2007, dropping down to 33 PTS before becoming an unrestricted free agent. But even at his best, Avery was never worth this much money. Brett Hull over-valued his skill level and over-priced his grit.
 
Avery only lasted 23 games in Dallas before getting suspended for saying that Dion Phaneuf was chasing his “sloppy seconds”. The Stars announced Sean would not return to the team, eventually loaning him to the New York Rangers farm team. Glen Sather would later claim Sean on re-entry waivers, saving the Stars from having to buy out the remaining term at the end of the season. Avery’s production and ice time quickly deteriorated and he was sent back to the AHL by the final year.
 
 
4. Kari Lehtonen
 

Signed By:	Joe Nieuwendyk		Position:	G
Date:	2012-09-14		Age July 1st:	29
Term:	5 years		Playoff Wins:	8
Total Money:	$29.5M		Playoff SV%:	0.893
Cap Hit:	$5.9M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	6.9	269	129	2.71	0.909

"We believe that his best days as a goaltender are ahead, and that his work ethic and leadership will help guide this team into a perennial Stanley Cup contender."

– Joe Nieuwendyk

The Stars were able to get Kari Lehtonen on a discount for his previous bridge deal because he had suffered a serious back injury prior to signing. If they were going to lure him away from becoming an unrestricted free agent at age 29, it was going to cost them. Joe Nieuwendyk made Lehtonen the 7th highest paid goalie in the league, and for the first year, they got above average goaltending for 65 games.
 
That’s where the good times came grinding to a halt. Over the next 3 years, Kari continuously posted double digit “goals allowed below average” numbers, with a below .900 SV% in the playoffs. Lehtonen’s subpar play led to the acquisition of Antti Niemi, which only made their goaltending situation worse. The Finnish gatekeeper retired at the end of this deal.
 
 
5. Jason Spezza
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	F
Date:	2014-11-21		Age July 1st:	32
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	24
Total Money:	$30M		Playoff PTS:	18
Cap Hit:	$7.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	33.2	297	166	610
Per 82 GP	8.3	82	46	168	14.7

"Jason is a world-class player and his commitment to the organization is a reflection of what we are building in Dallas"

– Jim Nill

Jim Nill traded Nick Paul, Alex Chiasson, and a 2nd round pick to acquire Jason Spezza from Ottawa with 1 year remaining on his previous deal. Spezza had been in decline since his apex in the Danny Heatley era, and the Sens had been trying to dump his contract for a few years.
 
The Stars would get one good year out of Jason, with 33 goals and 65 PTS in year one (with 13 more PTS in the playoffs), but that marked the beginning of a sharp downward trend, bottoming out at 26 PTS in 78 GP in year three. Spezza would return to his hometown Toronto on a 1-year deal for the league minimum when this was all said done.
 
 
6. Antti Niemi
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	G
Date:	2015-06-29		Age July 1st:	31
Term:	3 years		Playoff Wins:	1
Total Money:	$13.5M		Playoff SV%:	0.865
Cap Hit:	$4.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	5.1	85	37	2.92	0.900

"I think in the NHL you have a lot of games, so I think there's room for two guys playing a lot."

– Antti Niemi

Antti Niemi had mostly been good over his tenure with the San Jose Sharks, and was paid a generous sum at age 32 to stop the bleeding in the Stars net. The problem only got worse. Niemi was never a good goalie for the Dallas Stars. The Fin’s numbers significantly declined almost the moment he arrived at the airport.
 
Dallas would spend the next 2 seasons bouncing back and forth between porous goaltenders, wasting prime years of the Benn-Seguin window. After Antti posted an .892 SV% in year two, Jim Nill bought out the remainder of the contract. Niemi lasted 2 more seasons before signing to play in the KHL for Jokerit.
 
 
7. Sergei Gonchar
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	D
Date:	2013-06-08		Age July 1st:	39
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	6
Total Money:	$10M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	12.4	124	36	135
Per 82 GP	6.2	82	24	89	17.6

"Sergei has had an impressive NHL career and has been a big contributor to Ottawa's offense over the last three seasons. We are excited to see him continue his career here in Dallas the next two years."

– Jim Nill

Sergei Gonchar had enjoyed a tremendous career in the NHL, and remained exceptionally productive into his mid-30s. Unfortunately, Father Time is undefeated, and comes for everyone eventually. By the time Sergei arrived in Dallas at age 39 on a 2-year deal, he did not have much left in the tank. Jim Nill traded a 6th round pick to get exclusive bargaining rights, and inked Gonch to a new ticket before he could make it to July 1at.
 
The decline was instantaneous, as his ice time and point production plunged. The Russian defenseman scored 36 PTS in 125 GP (24-point pace) and averaged 17.6 minutes of ice time per game. The Stars traded him to Montreal early in the final season in a mutual salary dump for Travis Moen. This marked the end of Gonchar’s professional hockey career.
 
 
8. Marty Turco
 

Signed By:	Doug Armstrong		Position:	G
Date:	2006-01-05		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	4 years		Playoff Wins:	13
Total Money:	$22.8M		Playoff SV%:	0.931
Cap Hit:	$5.7M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	9.2	256	125	2.52	0.907

"We believe in Marty and his ability to lead this hockey club to the ultimate goal of competing for the Stanley Cup."

– Doug Armstrong

Marty was a below average goaltender in 2006 at age 30, but he had been among the elite prior to the lockout and even earned a roster spot on the 2006 Canadian Olympic team. Doug Armstrong locked him into a 4-year extension, the same as Nikolai Khabibulin the previous summer. Marty was not exactly terrible under this contract, the problem was, they made him the 3rd highest paid goalie in the league. If you’re going to pay your goalie like one of the best in the league, you’d probably prefer he at least be in the top 15 in goals saved above average.
 
Marty only actually had one “bad” year over this span and even turned in some admirable playoff performances, posting a .931 SV% in 25 playoff games. During the fourth and final season the Stars traded for Kari Lehtonen to become their new “franchise” goaltender, and let Turco continue his career in Chicago, where he officially became terrible.
 
 
9. Ales Hemsky
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	F
Date:	2014-07-01		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	13
Total Money:	$12M		Playoff PTS:	4
Cap Hit:	$4M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	13.9	166	78	325
Per 82 GP	4.6	82	39	161	13.5

“Dallas has a great team and a chance to battle for the Stanley Cup. That’s why I am excited about it.”

– Alex Hemsky

By the summer of 2014, Ales Hemsky’s days of high-end offensive production were a distant memory. When he became an unrestricted free agent at age 30, he wasn’t much more than a 40-point winger at best. Jim Nill locked Hemsky into a 3-year contract on the same day that he traded for Jason Spezza, with the pair having played together in Ottawa a few months earlier.
 
Hemmer played 166 games and scored 78 PTS (39-point pace), with Dallas missing the playoffs for 2 of 3 seasons (on a team expected to be a contender). After all, missing the playoffs is one of the things Ales Hemsky does best (Oilers fans are all nodding their heads in agreement).
 
 
10. Valeri Nichushkin
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	F
Date:	2018-07-01		Age July 1st:	23
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	1
Total Money:	$5.9M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$2.95M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	6.0	57	10	65
Per 82 GP	3.0	82	14	94	11.9

“Val was one of his team's most outstanding players last season. He is a fantastic addition to our depth at forward and we look forward to his return to our club."

– Jim Nill

Valeri Nichushkin was Jim Nill’s first draft pick as General Manager of the Dallas Stars, and his rookie season showed flashes of awesomeness. But afterwards his growth stalled, and when his entry level contract expired, he and the Stars were unable to reach an agreement on a new deal. Valeri returned to Russia for 2 years before finally coming to terms.
 
His reunion with the Stars did not go according to plan. While he received praise from the coaching staff for his defensive play, the offensive production had completely dried up (which was part of what Dallas was paying him to do). Valeri scored zero goals and was a healthy scratch 16 times before Nill bought out the final year. He did go on to become a very good player in Colorado (winning a Cup), so maybe we can blame Dallas for whatever went wrong here.
 
 
11. Aaron Rome
 

Signed By:	Joe Nieuwendyk		Position:	D
Date:	2012-07-01		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	1
Total Money:	$4.5M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$1.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	5.6	52	6	30
Per 82 GP	1.9	82	9	47	14.3

“Aaron is a physical defensive defenseman who adds size and grit to our blue line. He competes at a very high level and helps make our team harder to play against. We’re very pleased to add Aaron to our team for the next three years.”

– Joe Nieuwendyk

Aaron Rome was an effective depth defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks, helping them advance to the Stanley Cup final, then reversing their momentum in the final with the Horton hit. He came to Dallas on a 3-year deal to play that same role for the Stars, but it never materialized. Injury issues did contribute to the decline, so he was a candidate for an injury exemption and may very well have been if the last year was spent on LTIR.
 
Instead the Stars bought him out when he “got healthy” (you can’t buy out injured players). Rome went on to a PTO with the Red Wings but ultimately never played in the NHL again. He later filed for permanent disability, claiming his hip injury had been career ending and sued the NHL. A Texas judge later threw out the case.
 
 
12. Adam Pardy
 

Signed By:	Joe Nieuwendyk		Position:	D
Date:	2011-07-01		Age July 1st:	27
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	0
Total Money:	$4M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$2M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	5.1	53	7	35
Per 82 GP	2.6	82	11	54	16.5

“Adam has been on our radar for quite some time, as an up-and-coming player, with the arrow pointing up in his game. He’s had some injuries, but he’s feeling good and healthy.”

– Joe Nieuwendyk

Adam Pardy wasn’t much more than a 7^th defenseman for the Calgary Flames, yet somehow managed to procure a 2-year deal at a substantially higher price than you’re supposed to pay this type player. Joe Nieuwendyk admitted that Pardy had a history with their new coach, who may have encouraged the acquisition.
 
A rib injury delayed the start of his Stars career and after half a season on their bottom pair, the team dumped his contract on Buffalo as a throw in to the Steve Ott trade. He played more games for the Rochester Americans than the Buffalo Sabres. The blueliner did get another shot with the Winnipeg Jets when this expired.
 
 
13. Brett Ritchie
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	F
Date:	2017-07-06		Age July 1st:	24
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	1
Total Money:	$3.5M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$1.75M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	3.7	124	20	174
Per 82 GP	1.9	82	13	115	10.3

"We feel that he has just scratched the surface in regards to his ability and that he will continue to elevate his game."

– Jim Nill

Brett Ritchie had just completed his first full season in the NHL, finishing 4th on the team in goals with 16, adding 167 shots and 153 hits (Ryan Garbutt 2.0). It’s worth pointing out Michael Ferland signed an almost identical deal a week later in Calgary. Turns out that 16 goals was just a high shooting percentage aberration, as Ritchie came back to earth the following season, dropping outside the top ten in team goal scoring.
 
By year three he was a regular healthy scratch, including in the playoffs. You don’t pay a guy this much money to watch from the press box. Jim Nill agreed, as he declined to extend Brett his required $1.8M qualifying offer. Ritchie would sign for $1M in Boston and found himself in the AHL.
 
 
14. Ryan Garbutt
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	F
Date:	2014-01-29		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	7
Total Money:	$5.4M		Playoff PTS:	1
Cap Hit:	$1.8M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	6.3	174	42	304
Per 82 GP	2.1	82	20	143	11.6

"Ryan has shown that he is an effective, hard-hitting forward that plays the game with a great deal of speed and tenacity. Over the course of the season, he has earned the trust of his coaching staff and has played himself into a role where we ask him to play against our opponent’s top players on a nightly basis. It’s a great credit to the work he has put in and we’re excited to have him signed."

– Jim Nill

Ryan Garbutt was part way through his first full season in the NHL when Jim Nill bestowed him this 3-year extension at a “middle six winger” price. That would prove to be the best season of his career, scoring 17 goals with 165 shots and 141 hits; playing on the shut down line with Antoine Roussel and Cody Eakin.
 
Year one received a passing grade, but delivered diminishing returns over the final 2 seasons. Nill would “sell high” after year one packaging him into a trade with Trevor Daley to Chicago for Patrick Sharp and Stephen Johns. Dallas retained half of Ryan’s salary. Garbutt would last 43 games with the Blackhawks, scoring 6 PTS, before they shipped him to Anaheim for Jiri Sekac. His next contract was in the KHL.
 
 
15. Cody Eakin
 

Signed By:	Jim Nill		Position:	F
Date:	2015-08-28		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	27
Total Money:	$15.4M		Playoff PTS:	6
Cap Hit:	$3.85M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	16.5	267	95	370
Per 82 GP	4.1	82	29	114	15.3

"Cody is a well-rounded player and has the versatility to play in a number of roles. He has the ability to shut down opponent's top players, win faceoffs and kill penalties, all while producing offensively. Cody has been an important part of our team and will continue to be a part of our core for the next five seasons."

- Jim Nill

Cody Eakin was originally acquired by the Dallas Stars as a prospect in the Mike Ribeiro trade to Washington in 2012, and would become a full-time player in Dallas after the lockout. Cody scored 19 goals and 40 PTS on 2015 and would sign this 4-year extension later that summer, with a full season before his previous pact expired. The price was steep, but they bought 2 UFA years, which cost them a premium.
 
Year one saw a colossal collapse of his scoring output, down to 12 PTS in 60 GP, prompting the Stars to leave him unprotected in the expansion draft. He was claimed by Vegas, where he would have one good year, setting a career high in goals and PTS in 2019. He was traded to Winnipeg as a rental at the end, where the Jets missed the playoffs.