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Dallas Stars: Who Will Make NHL Roster In 2016-17

By Josh Clark

Dec 27, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Patrick Sharp (10) an center Jason Spezza (90) and left wing Jamie Benn (14) watch their team take on the St. Louis Blues during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Sharp and Benn each score goals. The Stars shut out the Blues 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 27, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Patrick Sharp (10) an center Jason Spezza (90) and left wing Jamie Benn (14) watch their team take on the St. Louis Blues during the third period at the American Airlines Center. Sharp and Benn each score goals. The Stars shut out the Blues 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NHL season is only six weeks away, and the Dallas Stars have some decisions to make about their roster. Training camp will help, but which players have a shot at making the 23-man roster on opening night?

Welcome to September, Dallas Stars fans. The offseason is finally in the rearview mirror, and training camp is just about three weeks off in the distance.

The World Cup of Hockey, training camp, and the preseason are just days away, and the regular season will follow shortly after. In other words, it’s a good time to be a hockey fan.

The Stars spent the majority of this offseason filling voids that were created back on July 1st. Jason Demers, Kris Russell, Alex Goligoski, Vernon Fiddler, and Colton Sceviour set sail for new destinations in the days leading up to and on the first day of free agency.

But since the opening day, Dan Hamhuis and Jiri Hudler have signed with Dallas, giving the Stars two new veteran players to incorporate into the lineup.

The new acquisitions will benefit the 2016-17 Dallas Stars, but they will be forced to make some tough decisions between now and then.

The new question that beckons at the center of Dallas hockey is how the lineup will shape out by the time opening night rolls around. Will players like Brett Ritchie or Curtis McKenzie be in the starting lineup? Is Esa Lindell ready to start on the blue line?

Some people might assume that the Stars won’t be willing to start a rookie when the stakes are high like on opening night. But don’t forget that Mattias Janmark played his first NHL game on opening night of last season and scored his first goal on his first shot.

Training camp and potentially even the World Cup will play significant roles in helping decide which players have earned a spot on October 13th. But let’s make an early prediction on who could be in the starting lineup a month from now.

First off, let’s put the “for sure” starters off to the side.

Offense

Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Patrick Sharp, Cody Eakin, Jiri Hudler, Ales Hemsky, Antoine Roussel

Defense

John Klingberg, Dan Hamhuis, Johnny Oduya, Stephen Johns

This leaves a good number of potential starters on both sides of the puck that need to be sorted through.

Offense (four open spots)

Radek Faksa, Valeri Nichushkin, Mattias Janmark, Patrick Eaves, Brett Ritchie, Curtis McKenzie, Adam Cracknell

Defense (two open spots)

Jordie Benn, Patrik Nemeth, Esa Lindell, Jamie Oleksiak

Just from last year’s performance, it seems like Faksa, Nichushkin, Janmark, and Eaves would fit into the final spots on the forward lineup. Meanwhile, Benn and Nemeth seem to be the two likely fillers on defense.

Whatever the case may be, the bigger question is who will make the 23-man roster.

The Dallas Stars will have 12 starting forwards, six starting defenders, and one starting goaltender, just like every other NHL team. That’s 19 players. That leaves four open spaces for other players.

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Of course Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen will both be on the opening night lineup. That’s two goaltenders, which increases the total to 20. Three spots left.

The Stars have alluded to the fact that they more than likely want to carry eight defensemen, at least to start the year. That gives both Lindell and Oleksiak a chance to rotate in the lineup. But it also means the lineup is now at 22, leaving just one space open for a forward.

So which forward does Dallas pick? Do they go with Ritchie as the substitute? Or should they give it to McKenzie? Could Cracknell be a dark horse candidate considering his experience level is above that of the other two?

The biggest issue that comes along with this is that one player will not be able to have a consistent starting spot. The two that are not selected will likely be put in the starting lineup of the Texas Stars in the AHL. So who do you give regular AHL playing time to and who do you play at a semi-consistent rate in the NHL? Training camp will hopefully help answer this final question.

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Whatever the case may be, the Stars are in good standing in regards to their lineup this coming season. They are going to be an exhilarating team to watch, especially in this crucial season. It’s nice to know that September is finally here and that hockey is just around the corner.

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