Stars reveal why they chose Pavelski over Zuccarello

On July 1st, the Dallas Stars made a big move on the free agent market, signing former San Jose Sharks captain Joe Pavelski to a three-year deal worth $21 million. 

The 34-year-old veteran will carry an average annual cap hit of $7 million with his new club.

But the money isn’t the reason why he picked Dallas over San Jose, where he spent the first 13 years of his NHL career. He admitted in an interview with the Dallas Morning News that he had a great visit in Dallas and could picture his family happy there. 

As for the Stars, it was well-known that they could have decided to sign Mats Zuccarello instead, he who was traded to Dallas at the deadline by the New York Rangers and was a great contributor in the postseason for the Stars despite missing a large chunk of the regular season with a broken arm. 

However, team insider Mike Heika revealed that the Stars chose to offer Pavelski a contract because a deal with Zuccarello would have cost them a first-round pick. Their desire to hang onto their 2020 first-round pick was key in their willingness to let Zuccarello walk.

Sure, the Stars wanted to keep Zuccarello, but when they knew they had a good shot at Pavelski, the focus shifted to the shorter term with less to lose. The former captain was seeking a three-year deal, which he got, and that was perfect for Dallas. 

Too bad they couldn’t make it work with Zuccarello… but it makes sense, right?