Roope Hintz

Roope Hintz is unlikely to suit up for the rest of the Stars-Wild series, and that changes the chessboard in a hurry. When a top-line center goes missing in May, coaches start juggling matchups and everyone else starts pretending the next guy can absorb the load. Dallas can talk next-man-up all it wants, but this is the kind of injury that forces a team to reveal how deep it really is.

The Dallas Stars are staring at a financial problem that can make even a productive core player feel movable. Roope Hintz has the kind of value that plenty of teams would line up for, and the New York Rangers keep showing up whenever a big-name puzzle piece hits the board. If Dallas starts looking for flexibility, this is the sort of rumor that gets a quiet front office suddenly very loud.