The Dallas Stars are still mulling over contract details with defenseman Thomas Harley, the team’s final restricted free agent. Stars general manager Jim Nill isn’t phased by negotiations carrying into August, sharing with Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News that he’s confident talks will ramp up soon and Harley will re-sign. Nill added, “We’re having healthy communication. We’re having talks. … We’re going to get him signed. I’m not too concerned.”
Harley will be signing the first real contract of his NHL career after doing more than enough to earn an NHL role on his three-year entry-level contract. Dallas selected Harley 18th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and signed him to his first pro deal just three months later. He returned to the Mississauga Steelheads following the draft, but found his way into an unexpected NHL debut during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs after joining Dallas’ taxi squad following the end of Mississauga’s season.
Harley went without a point in the debut, but impressively kept up with a high-tempo Colorado Avalanche offense. He spent the next three seasons finding his footing in a top-line role with the AHL’s Texas Stars, though a pair of extended recalls in 2022 allowed him to play out his rookie NHL season. He logged one goal and four points in 34 games.
The Stars were patient with Harley’s development, keeping him in the minor leagues through 131 games despite promising production to the tune of 70 points. But the long wait paid off, and Harley exploded in his first full NHL season this year. The 22-year-old defenseman managed 47 points in 79 games (just seven points back from Miro Heiskanen, who led the Stars defense in scoring). What’s more, Harley’s 15 goals were the most from a Stars defender since Trevor Daley in 2015. Harley managed the impressive scoring while averaging 21 minutes of ice time every night, serving as the haymaker behind Heiskanen in Dallas’ lineup.
That breakout performance is likely what makes Harley difficult to extend. He entered this season with just 40 NHL games and six points under his belt, then joined the heights of players like Noah Dobson, Zach Werenski, and Justin Faulk with his U23 scoring. Both Dobson and Faulk continued on bridge deals with cap hits around $5M after their breakout years, though they both had longer stints in the NHL than Harley’s been afforded. The lack of NHL games played could hold Harley back from the $5M mark, though a bridge deal would give him a chance to prove his worth next season.
It’s hard to deny that Harley is set for a long and fruitful career — especially granted his cushy role behind Heiskanen. Dallas will have to put a figure to their confidence in the young defender in the next few weeks. If, and presumably when, he finally re-signs, Harley will return to a Stars lineup that looks like it could be dangerous for years to come on the back of incredibly talented young stars like himself.
