The longer that Jamie Benn goes unsigned in Dallas, the more the Stars are being inundated with a variety of inquiries about whether the team would consider trading his rights. That's just how it goes, as teams try to feel out what it would take to land the burgeoning first-line center and the Stars at least formulate backup plans in case someone blows them away with an offer they can't refuse.

Let me be very clear here. The Stars still intend to get Benn signed. They view him as a franchise player and, as such, are trying to come up with a combination of salary and years that is agreeable to both Benn and his agent, Rich Evans. Dallas would like to avoid a deal that takes Benn up through his UFA year, but the apparent range being discussed right now is three years (a "bridge" contract in which he'll still be a RFA) or five years.

When you look at what Benn brings to the table -- a combination of size, physical play, grit, hands and two-way ability -- it is going to be hard for the Stars to keep the cost down. If the Stars get Benn to sign at anything below the cap range of what the Oilers paid to lock up Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall, it would be a coup.

Frankly, I'd argue that is it crucial for Dallas to get Benn signed if they are to take the next steps in remaking themselves back into a playoff team. They lost Brad Richards to free agency. They traded James Neal (and Matt Niskanen) for Alex Goligoski in a deal that has undeniably helped Pittsburgh more than the Stars thus far. So Joe Nieuwendyk absolutely has to nail this one with Benn.

If it does end up coming down to a trade, I think the teams that are interested (which are keeping things close to the vest right now) would end up in a bidding war simply due to the sheer volume of teams that covet him. Benn is not Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Makin or Claude Giroux in terms of offensive creativity but he is already a top-line caliber player on any team in the NHL, and also has the ability to play center or wing with equal skill.

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