Helene St. James

Detroit Free Press

What happened to the Dallas Stars could benefit the Detroit Red Wings.

The Stars saw their playoff run come to a crashing halt with a 6-1 loss in Game 7 to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. It wasn't even the first time in the second-round series that the Stars allowed six goals: They did the same in Game 3. And they allowed five goals twice in their first-round series against the Minnesota Wild (the Stars ended the playoffs with a 3.23 goals-against average, third-worst among the 16 teams that made it).

Clearly, the Stars have goaltending problems.

They rode Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi to 50 regular-season victories, but neither proved worthy in the playoffs. The Stars started the playoffs with Lehtonen, switched to Niemi for Game 4 against Minnesota, rode him two games, then went back to Lehtonen. Niemi relieved Lehtonen after the first period of Game 2 in the second round, but Lehtonen was back in net by the second period of the next game. Lehtonen was chased in Wednesday's elimination game after allowing three goals on eight shots, finishing the playoffs with a 2.81 goals-against average and .899 save percentage; Niemi was at 3.29 and .865.

This is where the Wings could benefit, because they are looking to move Jimmy Howard now that Petr Mrazek is the No. 1 man in net. Howard makes $5.3 million, entirely too much for a backup (and Mrazek, a restricted free agent, is due a new contract). Dallas general manager Jim Nill formerly was the assistant general manager in Detroit and knows Howard well from having drafted him in 2003 through seeing him work his way up to starting.

Howard, 32, has had a turbulent 18 months, but he had All-Star numbers in January 2015 and bailed out the Wings the last two months of this regular season, after Mrazek faltered. He earned the start for the first two games of the playoffs. (Being replaced by Mrazek for Game 3 was a reflection of needing to shake things up, not how Howard had played.) In 48 career playoff games, Howard has a 2.58 GAA and .918 save percentage.

Lehtonen and Niemi both are signed for two more years, Lehtonen with a $5.9-million salary cap hit and Niemi at $4.5 million. That's $10.5 million tied up in two guys with less-than-stellar playoff numbers. In 19 career games, Lehtonen, 32, has a 3.30 GAA and .887 save percentage. Niemi's overall numbers (67 games, 2.77 GAA and .905 save percentage) are helped by the years he spent with Chicago and San Jose.

The Stars would seem handcuffed by their goaltending situation, but as recent trades such as those involving David Clarkson, Nathan Horton, Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf prove, there are no immovable contracts. It may take salary retention, it may take settling for less than ideal, but it is possible.

The Wings are looking to boost their lineup, but the Stars aren't going to give up their good young players. And some of the Stars defensemen who might be available -- such as Jason Demers and Kris Russell -- are fourth or fifth D-men and are pending unrestricted free agents, anyway.

Maybe a three-team deal can be worked out, in which the Wings move Howard to Dallas in return for Niemi, who then gets traded to a team that needs a veteran goaltender, such as Toronto, Calgary or Carolina.

It's worth exploring, because even if the Wings have to take Niemi in return, it's a little less money and one year less term.

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Contact Helene St. James: hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames.