Dallas Stars Report Cards: Stephen Johns

The Dallas Stars had a wonderful 2015-2016 season, we know that. But how did each player specifically perform? Blackout Dallas will dive into this question over the next few weeks by writing up a report card for each player.

Going into the 2015-2016 season, the Dallas Stars had one major problem haunting them from the year before that they had to fix if they wanted to become a playoff team. They had to find a way to improve the defense in a significant way.

They ended the 14-15 year giving up the fifth most average goals per game in the NHL. That is one of the biggest reasons why they fell seven points short of a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Once the offseason rolled around, GM Jim Nill was adamant about adding skilled pieces to the Stars’ defense. In a mere four days, he brought Johnny Oduya and Stephen Johns from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Stars’ blue line. Turns out he made a very wise decision.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ biggest regret

Stephen Johns came to Dallas by way of trade last offseason, tacking on in the package with Patrick Sharp in exchange for Trevor Daley and Ryan Garbutt. Chicago columnists and beat writers were astounded that the Hawks gave away Johns in the deal, considering they all saw him as a prime starter in the Hawks’ lineup for the following year and many more.

Johns came to Dallas and once he was given his first shot in the pros, he took it. Come next season, it seems as though he will be a regular starter on the Stars’ blue line.

Regular season recap

Stephen Johns did not technically throw on a victory green Dallas Stars’ jersey for a regular season game until March 11th when he suited up against his former team. He only played 14 games with the Stars during the regular season. He scored one goal and tallied two assists, along with a -6 on-ice rating in 17:50 average on-ice time.

Johns may not have produced the best on-ice rating, but his physicality is something the Stars severely lack in their defensive core. He racked up 55 hits in the regular season, as well as 21 blocked shots. Being paired with Johnny Oduya, the two helped provide a reliable defensive pairing, especially going into the playoffs.

Playoff recap

Stephen Johns made his NHL playoff debut with the Stars this year as well. He played all 13 games and went pointless, along with having a +/- rating of zero. His minutes went down drastically, only skating an average of 14:48. He did have an encouraging 41 hits though.

Contract situation

Stephen Johns signed a two-year extension with the Dallas Stars this past season. It is a two-way deal paying $1.45 million with a $725,000 cap hit. The 24-year old American will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2017-2018 season.

The opinion section

The Dallas Stars struck gold by trading for both Patrick Sharp and Stephen Johns last offseason. While Sharp had a massive influence on the offense, Johns helped improve the defense down the stretch.

must read: Dallas Stars' Report Cards

Before Johns, the Stars’ defense boasted a primarily small and quick lineup made of mainly offensive defensemen. Johns added a defensive defenseman to the mix with plenty of size and physicality.

The Dallas Stars are lucky to have Johns in their lineup, and as he continues to grow he will mold into a shutdown defender that the Stars will put in the spotlight for years to come.

Bottom line

Stephen Johns is just now entering the formative years that all NHL players eventually meet up with. It’s great that he is hitting them early on in his career, meaning that he will only improve from here.

Next: Top Three Things To Watch For In Stars' Offseason

Johns is a critical piece to the Dallas Stars’ defensive future for years to come, and Nill obviously knew what he was doing when he picked him up in the trade. If the Stars were looking for their next Derian Hatcher, they might have found something very similar.