Jamie Benn Quickly Cementing Legacy With Dallas Stars

It is unsure whether the Dallas Stars knew exactly what they were getting into when they drafted Canadian forward Jamie Benn in the fifth round of the 2007 NHL Draft.

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The 129th overall pick ended up being a complete steal. Eight years later, Benn is the only drafted member of the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh rounds that has made an NHL All Star Team and been named an All Star. The Stars picked Colton Sceviour in the fourth round of the draft and even spent the 128th pick on Austin Smith, who is not even on the team anymore.

Starting in 2009-2010, Jamie Benn became a full-time member of the Dallas Stars. He played a complete 82-game slate, which is rare for a rookie, especially a fifth-round rookie. Benn tallied 41 points, averaging a point every other game running on 14:41 average ice time.

Jamie Benn would slowly work his way up the chain on offense, gaining more playing time with each passing season and converting it into more points per game each year.

A minor disagreement in contract negotiations forced the then-23-year-old to miss the first few games of the lockout season, but he would still find a way to put up 33 points in 41 games. This might have been one of Benn’s worst seasons considering he went up in ice time and down in points per game as well as suffering his career worst -12 on-ice rating.

On September 19, 2013, the Dallas Stars made a big move by naming 24-year old Jamie Benn their newest captain. Though he was still in the growing process, Benn was becoming one of the more dominant players in the NHL. His mixture of physicality and offensive prowess make him a rare find throughout the NHL.

This past season may have been one of his most memorable. Benn played the entire 82-game slate and did it on two faulty hips. Not only that, but he also won the Art Ross Trophy by tallying 87 total points in the year, beating out John Tavares by one. Jamie Benn ultimately proved that he can be a team player as well as a one-man wrecking crew.

And he is just getting started, at least as far as we know of. Entering his seventh NHL season and third as captain, Benn is back to normal health and looking forward to another big season. The Dallas Stars had another big offseason by raking in big-name players, and Benn will once again be one of the biggest parts of the Stars offense.

With Tyler Seguin and newly-acquired Patrick Sharp skating alongside him, Benn will be taking the reins of the Stars offensive scheme and will plan for big things. With 359 points in 426 games through his career, he may be the most lethal forwards in the Stars organization.

So the legacy of Jamie Benn could continue to grow, but it is all up to him. If the past holds any evidence for the future, he’ll end up setting more records this coming year. But with more talent on the team means there may be less of a chance to score. But it will all work itself out.

Jamie Benn now has the build-up of an officially threatening team behind him. Now it is time for him to lead them to victory. Three days away.

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