5 Stars Players Leaving Dallas in the New Year

The 2023-24 NHL season is nearly halfway over and the Dallas Stars are heading towards a playoff appearance. But just because the team is on the right path doesn't mean these five players are guaranteed to last the New Year in the Lone Star State.

Matt Duchene is one of five Stars players who could leave Dallas in 2024. / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

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5. Scott Wedgewood

Stars fans tend to anticipate a victory whenever backup goaltender Scott Wedgewood starts in place of Jake Oettinger. The veteran netminder has backstopped his way to an 11-2-2 record in his first 15 appearances, putting him just two victories back of his career-high.

Nevertheless, while Wedgewood's record is impressive, his play hasn't been all that special. His .905 save percentage and 2.92 goals-against average are serviceable for a backup, but they're also done from where they were last year (.915 SV% and 2.72 GAA, respectively). On top of that, he's only saved 1.1 goals above average in 14 starts this season compared to 6.7 across 18 starts in 2022-23.

Even though Wedgewood could be brought back as a free agent this offseason, I wouldn't hold my breath. It'd be far from surprising if one general manager sees the 31-year-old's inflated record this summer and winds up offering a financial number that's more than Dallas is willing to pay to a backup goalie.

As comforting as it's been to have Wedgewood to turn to, backup netminders are replaceable and the last thing the Stars need to do is to overpay for average play.

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