3 All-Stars whose teams can least afford to lose them
When the NHL All-Star Game concludes Sunday, a frantic four-week period will commence ahead of the trade deadline on Feb. 29. Although there are several star players who've been deemed completely untouchable by their organizations this season, it's certainly worth examining those big names nearing the final stages of their current contracts - untouchable or not - and the irreplaceable value each of them have to their respective franchises.
Here are three All-Stars whose teams can least afford to lose them:
1. John Tavares
The New York Islanders would be completely lost without the face of their franchise. Tavares is in the fourth season of a six-year, $33-million contract, and it's easy to imagine him becoming another Steven Stamkos when he faces unrestricted free agency after the 2017-18 season. General manager Garth Snow would be wise to ensure it never gets to that point with his captain.
Tavares is enjoying yet another All-Star campaign - he was named captain of the Metropolitan Division on Thursday - with 16 goals and 18 assists over 44 games. A point-per-game player since 2011-12, the 25-year-old has become the savior of what was a struggling franchise before he was drafted first overall in 2009. In fact, Tavares has become the Islanders' most important player in every aspect of the game since joining the team:
| Category | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 476 | 2 |
| Goals | 190 | 1 |
| Assists | 245 | 1 |
| Points | 435 | 1 |
| Power-Play Points | 155 | 1 |
| Game-Winning Goals | 35 | 1 |
| Shots | 1482 | 1 |
| Playoff Points | 11 | 1 |
With a team that's consistently near the bottom of the league in attendance - the Islanders currently sit 28th despite moving to Brooklyn this season - it's certainly difficult to imagine a scenario where the Islanders could afford to lose their most important player, both on and off the ice.
2. Jamie Benn
Benn is in the fourth year of a five-year, $26.25-million contract, and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season. The Dallas Stars have absolutely no choice but to lock up last year's Art Ross Trophy winner as soon as possible.
Dallas currently possesses arguably the most dynamic scoring duo in the NHL in Benn and Tyler Seguin, who've combined for 438 points in the three years they've been teammates, and Benn is the primary reason for their success. Not only does he lead the NHL in points over the past two seasons, but the Stars' captain is fourth in the entire league in points since the 2012-13 lockout:
| Rank | Players | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sidney Crosby | 285 |
| 2 | Patrick Kane | 261 |
| 3 | Alex Ovechkin | 258 |
| 4 | Jamie Benn | 257 |
It's nearly impossible to find this type of homegrown elite-level offensive production. Benn's play has not only affected Seguin's output, but is also responsible for the team's rise in the standings, and has had a direct correlation to the Stars' growing attendance numbers.
Dallas' attendance has spiked since Benn took over as captain. After finishing 28th in the league in fan support at home in 2013-14, it moved up to 19th last year, and sits 14th this season. Benn had led the revival of hockey in Dallas, helping the Stars become a franchise that fans want to watch on a nightly basis. They wouldn't be on such a rapid rise without him.
3. Dustin Byfuglien
The clock is undoubtedly ticking for the Winnipeg Jets. Byfuglien is in the final year of a five-year, $26-million contract, and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Winnipeg has approximately $28 million in cap space for next season, but that's without factoring in significant contract extensions for Byfuglien and captain Andrew Ladd, as well as raises for restricted free-agent youngsters Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba. The Jets can't afford to sign all of them, and must choose between keeping Ladd or Byfuglien.
When comparing their statistics since the team relocated to Winnipeg in 2011-12 (while taking their positions into consideration), it's evident that the Jets would be in a lot of trouble without Byfuglien:
| GP | Points | PPP | S | CF% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dustin Byfuglien | 305 | 211 | 82 | 983 | 54.53 |
| Andrew Ladd | 338 | 239 | 66 | 914 | 51.49 |
The 30-year-old defenseman has averaged 57 points over a full 82-game schedule during the past five seasons. He quarterbacks Winnipeg's power play, leading the team with 82 points on the man advantage over the aforementioned period. He also drives puck possession with his impressive Corsi, and brings significant toughness that's exemplified by his team-leading 138 hits this season.
Replacing Byfuglien would be a seemingly impossible task for the Jets, and it would set the franchise back even further if they couldn't manage to get a deal done to keep him in Winnipeg.