The Sheet with Jeff Marek - On the Sheet: David Pagnotta on Dallas’ LTIR Window, Seguin Fallout & Trade Targets

Episode Date: December 6, 2025

Jeff Marek and David Pagnotta dive into the immediate fallout of the Tyler Seguin injury and how it reshapes the Dallas Stars’ entire roster and trade calendar. With Seguin’s LTIR flexibility opening meaningful cap space, Pagnotta outlines why Dallas is now positioned to aggressively pursue names like Rasmus Andersson, Blake Coleman, and potentially Nazem Kadri in a multi-piece Calgary framework. They also dissect how Jim Nill views adding playoff-grade edge, why the Stars covet Cup-tested forwards with bite, and how Jake Oettinger and Jason Robertson fit into Dallas’ long-range spending structure. Plus, why Colorado vs. Dallas could be this spring’s defining arms race, and what happens if Robertson’s contract pushes past the club’s internal salary ceiling.SHOUTOUT TO OUR SPONSORS!!👍🏼 Fan Duel: https://www.fanduel.com/👍🏼Bauer: https://www.bauer.com/👍🏼Uber Eats: https://www.ubereats.com/ca👍🏼Prime Video: https://primevideo-row.pxf.io/c/5560083/3303015/20020Reach out to [e-mail] to connect with our Sales Team and discuss opportunities to partner with us!If you liked this, check out:🚨 OTT - Coming in Hot Sens | https://www.youtube.com/c/thewallyandmethotshow🚨 TOR - LeafsNation | https://www.youtube.com/@theleafsnation401🚨 EDM - OilersNation | https://www.youtube.com/@Oilersnationdotcom🚨 VAN - CanucksArmy | https://www.youtube.com/@Canucks_Army🚨 CGY - FlamesNation | https://www.youtube.com/@FNBarnBurner🚨 Daily Faceoff Fantasy & Betting | www.youtube.com/@DFOFantasyandBetting____________________________________________________________________________________________Connect with us on ⬇️Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/daily_faceoff💻 Website: https://www.dailyfaceoff.com🐦 Follow on twitter: https://x.com/DailyFaceoff💻 Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dailyfaceoffDaily Faceoff Merch:https://nationgear.ca/collections/daily-faceoff Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the meantime, Dave Panyoda joins me every Friday here on the sheet. This week, no difference. And with that, we welcome our DFO Insider from the fourth period, Dave Panyoda aboard. Dave, how are you today, pal? I'm good. I'm good. I'm out in L.A. The weather's a little better than Toronto.

You know what day it is at the Merrick household? It is rinkliner day. And it is freezing. Let's say the stars are at dash 29. we're not quite there yet on the Celsius. I think it's closer to dash 21. But today is a day that we brave it and we freeze our knuckles off

and we put the liner on the pool. But here's the thing. It's got to be done. Like you're all over the place and I know your home base is Los Angeles. Berkey and I were talking about this a couple of weeks ago. I like cold. I really do.

Like I know maybe I'm in the minority amongst a lot. I really enjoy cold. I was like, oh, when you retire, you're going to move to Arizona, Florida? No, I'm sorry. staying here. I enjoy the cold. I enjoy the cold, Dave. I like to visit cold because I know I can leave cold. So that's my preference. I, you know, I go to ski for the Aparais ski primarily, but I go, I know I can go there and then I can leave after. So that's my, yeah, like that's my

thing. I love to hit the pond, go on, you know, hit the ice, get out there. Because you, you know, your body's warm. You're feeling good. And then, you know, you're a couple days later, you're like, well, I'll see you later. Yeah, I'll check you out. Love grandkids because I can leave kids. No, you know, it's you kind of got to stick it out for the long haul. Why are you banging your head against the wall, Dave?

Well, because it feels really good when I stop. All right, so a few things from around the NHL. I just want to tease the Dallas Stars a couple of seconds ago. I got a couple other things on the laundry list here foray. Just throw around discussions, getting people ready for the weekend. Feel awful for Tyler's say again, especially coming off of what he came off of last season with the hip surgery and now this it didn't look good when it happened it sounds even worse afterwards your gym nil

you bite down hard on your mouth guard and you do what Dave you go look you go look to see what areas of your team you can you can solidify and improve like this was a team and Jim Nill was going to be looking anyway. He was already kind of just poking around and just seeing what his options were going to be available to him later on. They've got about 3, 3.1 in current space right now, cap space.

So he was already doing his due diligence to see what was out there. We know about obviously going back to last season, the connection to Rasmus Anderson on the back end. And Raspus's willingness to sign an extension in Dallas. That's one of the top places that he'd love to go. And then, you know, going out there, just seeing what the options are

and at the same time now just having a proper understanding as to what that timeline is for Sagan realistically. The initial is six to eight months, but what does that mean? Is that possible he comes back in the playoffs? Is he done for the duration? And that's what they need to figure out

is that's going to give them the ability to utilize if he is shut down for the full season, including playoffs, $9.85 million dollar caput that they can now add and well to their advantage add to their advantage plus that three the interesting thing that i find here jeff about that situation and then the anderson connection they've also had some interest i know cadre's name is out there a little bit with connection to dallas but also blake coleman for sure i think we might have mentioned this a couple weeks ago too it wouldn't shock me now if

they do shut down sex for the rest of the season and playoffs and have that space could we see an Anderson Blake Coleman combo? I would be very curious to see if the, because the stars are not afraid to go and take a big swing here and address multiple areas like they did last season with San Jose. Remember they got Granlin and Cece in that one deal on Feb first.

I could certainly see something happening along those lines here and Calgary makes a lot of sense. And we'll remind our audience that Blake Coleman was born in Texas as well. So the local boy goes home story is always one that gets fans excited. Like, yeah, I'm with you. And I felt this way, I mean, honestly, I've kind of felt this way a couple of years about

the Dallas Stars that, and it's not for lack of trying, but certainly last year, and you're right, they pivoted to San Jose, but they could have got most, if not all of their shopping done. I mean, Rantan just kind of happened, but they could have kind of got all their shopping done with one team, the Calgary Flames. And to the primaries, just still sit there in Codry and Anderson. And they want to get aggressive by bringing in guys that have that jam, that have that little extra bark and spunk in their game.

And, I mean, both those guys obviously fill that, they fill that without question. They both have rings. They both have championship pedigree. They both have that muckiness that they're willing to bring and go into the gray areas, the corners in front of the net, all that stuff, and throw the body around. Coleman, Codry, certainly. Now, obviously the difference there is that it's a significantly bigger cap hit for Codry.

And he's got multiple years left on his deal, whereas Coleman has one more year on his contract after this season. I think it's $4.5 million. But that possibility, Rasmus Anderson possibility, that connection there, I could certainly see something like that happening. At the same time, they have certainly options. And you go to the usual suspects, to St. Louis is the Nashville's right now and see, you know, can we pluck a couple guys there?

But the Calgary one for me is, is it just makes a lot of sense. Maybe it makes too much sense that it's just not going to happen. But I just think there's an avenue there. And I think Dallas understands, even with Sagan Out, that they've got a great opportunity to pounce here this season with how well Colorado's doing. They've been sticking up with that race at a couple pieces like that, man. man, that would make them that much more dangerous, especially if Ottinger can really get going here.

Well, and that's the key right there is Jake Ottinger. You know, funny talking with Jason Greger on the rundown for Monday's drop last week. And we were talking about, you know, who would you like in that series, the Colorado Avalanche or the Dallas Stars? Like right now, and by the way, congratulations New York Islanders. We haven't seen a team handle Colorado quite like that.

Got good on the Islanders, man. And like, they put the boots to Colorado, something fierce last night. But, you know, the question becoming, who do you like in a seven game series, provided that both teams are healthy? Do you like Dallas or do you like Colorado in that fight? We all are marveling of what Colorado's been able to do. And we're giving Nathan McKinnon the Hart Trophy and Kail McCar's getting the Norris trophy and Jared Bettner might finally get his Jack Adams trophy, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

But could you not make the point that when you, you look at depth and you look at balance and now nil with all this new cap space to play with to reinforce all of it could you not make the case strongly that maybe you like dallas in that fight yeah and then you you still have a miko ranting in avalanche chip on a shoulder big time with without question you got that um you know i'd argue you've got like ottinger's got a chip on a shoulder too with what happened in the playoffs last year and how things ended i think it's coming into this season with that and then going into the playoffs and just showing look i i can hold my own here i can carry this team um guys are doing whatever they got to do up front but i can carry this team in net

and hold the fort down i think you've got that you've got the rant in an equation you've got just how well robertson and johnson have been playing whatever they add because they're going to um it's going to make them that much more fierce. I think I'm leaning in your direction right now. Now, depending what Colorado ends up doing, do they create some space and whatnot? But I like I mean, this is just going to be a shot

for shot series whenever they do meet in the playoffs again. Just one after another, just a full-on seven game brawl. Give me it. Make it best of 11. I don't want best of 7. Like, I want just like the, let's just do a one-off here, NHL.

Best of 11 between Dallas. And the Colorado Ravans. You just, yeah. And everybody will say, well, you know, playoff format complaining about this, that, and the other, at least we know that this won't be a first round matchup. So we got, take that into it.

Yeah, that like, I'll tell you, man, like you, boy, it's, we've talked about this with other divisions before. With the Central, like, right now, it's like, hey, if you're in Minnesota, like, that's awesome, you're getting there, but like, look what a waste.

Look, what. Look at it awaits. Holy cheese. Okay. You mentioned Jason Robertson a couple of seconds ago. So I was talking to someone not too long ago who was making the point that like, hey, listen, if, you know, Jason Robertson wants a Thomas Harley deal, he can have it. I don't think Jason Robertson wants the Thomas Harley deal.

And I'm pretty sure that the Dallas Stars don't want to pay Jason Robertson more than Miko Rantan. Rantan. But, like, I'm trying to figure out, like, where does this thing, saw off. Or maybe I should be saying to myself, who blinks first in this one? Now, the caveat is he's a restricted free agent at the end of the year. Having said that, I don't know that Dallas wants to take it to that outcome, right? I mean, you don't want, I mean, he's a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. I'm not so sure that Jim Nell wants an arbitrator to decide his salary cap. Do you have any, because I keep going back and forth in my brain on where this saws

off. And every day that goes by is another deal that another day they don't have a deal. How do you see this thing ending up? Because this one's a pretzel in my brain. Yeah. I mean, the final number for me is where I can't, I can't draw that definitively. Because I think, yeah, I think you're right. Like there's no way they want to go past or prefer to not go past the rantan in dollars. But they, I think they're getting to a point now, other guys getting deals and with the cap going up and all that stuff that everybody knows about, I don't think they're going to have a choice. And it'll be a lower number overall like Ranton and took because of where they're playing.

Sure. Tax-free state, we know that. But it's still going to be equivalent to 15, 16 million per year, which probably takes you in that 13 plus range and makes him the highest paid player on the Dallas stars. that's where it ends up. If you're going full term, that's probably at least where it ends up with his production this year. He keeps it up. The longer this goes, the number just keeps going up. The one caveat that I have to all of it is, I'm sure that Dallas would blow right through their internal salary cap if they win the Stanley Cup and he's the Consumithe Award winner.

Yeah. Yeah, well, yeah, at that point, you're like, you know what? you win you win you'll just do it sign here yeah yeah i could yeah that but you know what i i mean i don't know if they want to get that far um i could see something like like we've got a trade freeze at the olympic break but we don't have necessary like you can still negotiate and do your work and whatnot yeah exactly we've talked to we've talked to some some different gms and whatnot Waddell was on the Insider Edition last week saying I'm waiting for that time to get my contract situation sorted out with my pending RFAs and UFAs. I think that's if nothing happens in season prior to that, I think that's a good window for Jim Nill and Peppresant to sit down and say, all right, let's try to hammer this out. But again, like, I think he will become the highest paid player on the stars.

to what extent? I mean, we got to wait and see. And yes, I think there will be some type of team friendly discount. But, I mean, you're talking about, you know, six figures, not anything more than that. Speaking of contracts, and I want to sort of dovetail this next point into a bigger discussion about Tampa. Ryan McDonough, who will be 37 when his three-year contract extension begins. I was always under the impression. Well, first of all, Ryan McDonough wants to be there, period.

Tampa wants Ryan McDonough. It is clearly obvious that they see him as the one guy who can't get away. You know, every year Tampa would win a Stanley Cup and the snake would shed some skin. It just happens in nature of the salary cap, especially a flat one. But he's the one guy that they realize, ooh, won a mulligan on that one. I always thought it would just be an evergreen deal for McDonough, one year, one year, one year. Were you surprised to see three? Are you surprised to see term?

A little bit. But I think we're seeing those types of defensemen. Their longevity is longer. They've been, like those kinds of guys, they're playing into their late 30s comfortably and are still being able to shut down and still play that type of role. Obviously, you're going to lose a little bit of foot speed year after year,

But just with what he brings, the stability that he brings on that back end, what he brings in that room, the professionalism on and off the ice, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. I think the value, they just see that being there. And it's like, why mess around and go year by year if we feel, this is the notion that I got after the fact, but why go that route when we just know we're just, we're going in this direction anyway?

And this kind of happened pretty quickly. I think McDonough even admitted that publicly as well the other day, in like we sat down, we started talking, we had a good idea, and it just came together pretty quick. Like you said, he loves it there. He wants to be there. They love him. The fit makes sense. And I think those caliber, like you're seeing some of these guys, like Bernsey's 41, and he's modified his game significantly, but he's still rolling out, and he's averaging just under 20 minutes a night with the ads. I think he's in the 19s. So you're seeing these kinds of guys going into their late 30s, even some like Berns in the early 40s. And

They're still producing at the level that they expect to produce and the team now expects them to produce in terms of modifying their game. So I think they just said, you know what, we know where this is going to go. We know what you bring. Let's just lock this in for probably his last contract. You know, Burns is going to be fascinating.

It's coming down here to Brent Burns and Corey Perry, who will be the last man standing in the 2003 draft? Who's going to win this draft? Anyhow, how frisky will Tampa be, do you think, for the remainder of the season leading in the deadline? Yeah, they're an interesting one because now they've got a little more cap space to play with than they normally do. And it's not significant.

I think they're just over a million, 1.2, something in that range right now. That'll continue to accrue. But as we've seen Julianne Briseboa in the past, he's not afraid to make those types to move. Now, I think this is going to, like, I'm not anticipating big impact type additions. This is going to be adding the complementary pieces. like they've done in the past, like Coleman, in the past, like when they brought in Goodrow.

They paid a premium for those guys, but those guys were integral in helping win the Stanley Cup. And they made a shrewd move last year by not only getting Gord and then eventually signing him, but also bringing in that same deal, I completely blanked on his name. Oliver Bjork Strand. Yes, thank you.

And he was under contract for an additional season, which is now. So they kind of thought ahead a little bit in that regard, But I could see them going out there and making that type of move. You know, they're always lurking. They're always looking around. And I would be a little bit surprised if they don't do something by the deadline in terms of just adding that quality depth piece, that intangible piece that they've done in the past because it's worked. Why try to mess with that?

Is Utah too quiet for you right now? Utah is a team. look, I think they would love to make noise and would have liked to make noise by now, but they're a team and Bill Armstrong's a team, a GM that has been

given the green light to add something significant to his roster. Now, it's up to him to find out when that is and who that is, but I just mentioned Tampa kind of lurking. Utah is doing the same, but for the big guns. They want to add another star power to that

lineup to help complement the Keller and Kooley and et cetera group, which is still interesting to me because they have Nick Schmaltz who's been playing great this season, but is a UFA, and we touched on it, you know, earlier on in the season. They had trade talks in the summer. They weren't able to come to a contract. I don't think there's been much progress. So they're also thinking a little bit ahead with how they're going to utilize that

cap space that they've got, not just this year, but next year and on. But this is a team that I could definitely see going out. out there adding a very big impact piece. Again, they'd love to do it now. They'd love to do it in season. They are the mischiffy quiet type right now. But I think that's just because they're, yeah, they're just looking.

They're looking. And they'll cause it if they can. They've done deals with the Buffalo Sabres. before Dave you always look for general managers that are comfortable with one another Dave yeah yeah

are we talking about that guy with T and T is that who you're referring to I don't know I could see a lot of teams I could see maybe a team like oh I don't know

I'll just throw a dart Philadelphia may be interested in that TT player as well but like as that's right up there alley that and what are they looking for

number one center like bam there you there you go I do wonder if Buffalo makes that decision But then again You know what the thing about Buffalo is though Dave This is why I keep coming back to

If Buffalo makes that decision I don't know that it's Kevin Adams It makes the deal Yeah I was going to say I think those types of moves Like Alex Tucker right now UPL right now Those kind of Byram

Like that world I think Adams Yarmo That combo is I think there's enough Confidence I guess in making those caliber moves, but if we're talking about Thompson, Dahlene, even Owen Power, I think that's something that they wait on because of that reason.

Like, do they, are they moving full? Because there was talk last season at the beginning of last season, especially, we're going back to that point of maybe contemplating a change at the managerial position. And then it quieted down. They went on a bit of a, they piled up some wins, and then we saw how things went. And then this season they bring in Yarmow. They brought in Eric Stahl. I think they want to wait for those caliber deals.

I haven't gotten the sense that that's even under consideration right now, even though teams continue to be like, what do you think? But that one's the interest, like those caliber pieces, those are the interesting ones for me exactly to your point. Is it going to be this group, the guy, at least Adams at the helm, that's going to make that decision? Right. And, of course, everything needs to be run by Terry Pagula at this level anyhow.

So there's another sort of wrinkle in all of it. Okay, a couple of teams. We've got a couple of seconds left with you. One, what up with L.A.? What's their next move? I'm guessing trying to find someone that can score. And I do want to ask you also about a couple of other teams if we have time. But really quickly, Los Angeles Kings, what's next?

Yeah, yeah, scoring. Their guys, their secondary guys haven't produced it all this season. Phil Dono's got four assists on the year. His special team's ice time has almost non-existent because of his five-on-five play. Andre Kuzmenko has not produced at a level they thought he would, based on how he played when he was with them last year. He's got three goals on the season. Trevor Moore, as well, even though he scored last night,

they'd like to add offense. They've got three plus million in cap space. I don't think they're against moving a roster player either. And I think it's premature right now because I think they're just starting to go through that process. but if Kenny Holland can find himself somebody else that can help supplement some offense and be a secondary scoring type guy like Trevor Moore used to be,

at least prior to this season, that's what I would not be shocked if the Kings pull something like that off at some point this year. You know what I wonder about with Philip DeNoe and maybe you might say like, oh, it's just the easy, the easy, obvious answer to all this. Could you see him back in Montreal?

Not exactly as a secret that they need help down the middle. Yeah. Look, there was some chatter a couple weeks ago, a few weeks ago, that maybe that was something that would be a possibility that the Kings might explore. There was even some talk that there were some rumors out there that he had asked for a trade. That's not true. That hadn't happened. But that would be an interesting one. You know, certainly for me, his two-way ability is still there. You know, he still sound up the middle in terms of, like, the defensive side of the game. Yeah. And he really, he had an off year last year, too, but he turned it up in the postseason. This year, it's even worse from an offensive side of it.

But he's still very capable at that position. I think Perfect World, you're looking at a 3C now, but a shutdown 3C that you would put up against any team's top unit. I mean, that would be interesting from the HAB side of things. I think they want to go a little bit more for a guy that fits their core unless it's an expiring deal. But I think right now it's more so for L.A. just looking at how do I add somebody who can put this puck in the net? Because they are, I mean, seven regulation wins so far on the season, even though they're holding third in that division, if they can add some type of piece that can help add some punch to the score sheet, I think that's what they want to do. They've had to adjust it. People are complaining here that, well, they play

as such a defensive structured game and this and that. It's boring hockey. You have to adjust when your guys aren't scoring. You have no choice but to go to what has worked. And until they add that, that's the type of hockey they're going to play. You know, have you, let me close on this. Have you heard anything about Seattle? And the reason I ask about Seattle is like, you know,

listen, they're a great story to start the season. In a playoff spot, they've now dropped three games in a row got absolutely hammered last night by the Edmonton Oilers. Shane Wright's ice time is still, you know, sort of consistently

around the 13 minute mark, which I think considering where he's at in his career, mind you, he's had three different coaches so far in his career in the NHL. It has to raise some eyebrows as well. So I don't know what's going on there. Have you heard anything at all about Seattle?

So they just had their meetings this week here in L.A. Some of their quartermark preceasing or pre-scouting meetings. This is another team that I put into the Utah category of looking, of being there, being present, and wanting to add a star power to their lineup. That's what Seattle would love to be able to do. They tried doing it in the summer.

They tried doing it around draft. We heard Jordan Kairu's name at that time. That's the piece, that type of players is what they'd love to be able to add to that group. Now they've got some guys that are a little banged up, and some of those guys are on expiring deals. And I think this is another team that looks at the Eberleys and the Schwartz's and the Alexiacs and so on, Mason Marchman as well, and have those contract talks in February,

unless they completely fall off. And then you have to escalate those to potentially sell. But this is another team that, be it now or be it in the summer, I think they were going to make a big swing at some point or take a big swing at some point. for someone in that top six and if they can land a top line guy I think they'd love to do that

that TT guy I wonder if there's a connection there for them because that's that would be perfect for the caliber that they're looking for tax free state tax free state helps you know what I'll tell you just that we talked about Jim Nill earlier

you know what I really thought going back to last summer that Nell when he traded Marchman really did him a solid trading it from a tax free state to another tax free state so he didn't have to take a pay cut like that's a wrinkle in all of this right i think we've talked about this before whether it's

you know national is it is an obvious one like if you're stephen stancoe's okay i'm going to wave my no move clause and you end up going to new york or philadelphia or wherever what you're saying is i'll waive my no move and take a pay cut and take less yeah exactly and like some guys they're like sure just get me in a winning environment and others are going wait a second yeah hold on i'm losing how many ks of a week a month uh uh Yeah, that's a factor. It is. It really is.

All right. You're the best. Thanks, as always. Enjoy your weekend. You do well, Dave. You too, buddy. I said 16 hours last night, every day this week, every day this month. I can't get out my head.

I lost all ambitions day to day. Because you can call it all right. I went to the dark man, you're trying to give me a little medicine. I'm like, no, and that's fine. I'm out against those men that's pretty new. It's me and myself and how this is going to be fixing my mind. I do want to backer. I turned on the music.

I do want to begers. I turned on the music. It's enough And I'm out there I'm going to sometimes losing I've been on the days that we're wrong