Dallas Stars Need Jamie Benn For All Sorts Of Reasons

Despite highs and lows in a downward trending season, one thing is very apparent for the Dallas Stars: they desperately need Jamie Benn.

I mean, duh. It’s an idea that’s not really at the forefront of our minds very often, but something that generally goes without saying. The Dallas Stars need Jamie Benn.

However, in the midst of a season turned topsy turvy and inside out with failure and disappointment, that fact may have been one of the things muddled up and forgotten in between so many other pressing concerns.

Last night’s performance against the Calgary Flames, though, sans the captain, served as a reminder that a team needs its leader, and that Jamie Benn has been that leader for the Stars, despite some minor downswings of his own.

Of course, the Stars have locked Jamie Benn up with an 8 year contract extension. So unless Benn turns out to be the next Jaromir Jagr, he’ll be in victory green for probably the rest of his skating days.

Dallas Stars

Looking to the past, however, Benn has had some personal ups and downs, resulting in a slow in production this season. Still, when examining his production in past years, it becomes easy to see that his production reflects the state of the team as a whole, truly proving his status as a team player and a great leader.

With this year excluded, Benn’s seasons since he became the Dallas Stars’ captain in 2013 have generally been on an upward trajectory. In the four seasons he’s been serving as captain, he has missed a total of 6 games. That’s one game out of 82 during the 13-14 season, and the 6 that he was sidelined this season, with last night’s game included.

Those two seasons in between- the 14-15 and 15-16 seasons- have really been Benn’s finest yet. At the end of the 14-15 season, of course, the Stars were desperate to gain back lost ground and make it into a Wildcard spot, despite the horrible rut of long losing streaks they had gotten themselves into.

It was Jamie Benn, of course, who picked up the slack and ended with a then career-high 35 goals and the record 87 points that earned him the first Art Ross trophy awarded to a Dallas Star. Another notable thing is the increase in assists. That year boasted Benn’s current career high in assists: 52.

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For a season in which he mostly carried the team on his back and worked tirelessly for its success as a whole, all while struggling with a hip injury, an individual award was not the ultimate reward since the Stars were kept out of playoffs. Still, it was a fitting tribute to the hard work of the captain and provided a diversion for the fans and a positive note upon which to end the season.

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The 15-16 campaign saw the Dallas Stars coming closer and closer to their goal, but still ultimately falling short in the conference’s second round.

However, it could still be considered a victory if measured in individual terms for the career of the captain. Although his points were topped by Patrick Kane for the Art Ross, Benn improved up on his award-winning record with 89 points, and notched a new career high of 41 goals, which he seems unlikely to top this season.

This season, of course, hasn’t really treated any of the Dallas Stars very kindly. Of the players drifting in and out of the roster due to injury, Jamie Benn has paid his dues multiple times. Benn missed several games at the beginning of January after being placed on IR following a foot injury, and because of a scratched eye suffered during a fight, missed last night’s tilt as well.

And it was clear that the Stars struggled without their captain, resulting in a final score of 3-1 Flames. Although it was clear that the Stars missed Benn last night, his importance been less apparent, although still relevant, at points throughout the season.

Given that this season seems to be a slump for him in comparison to his last season, that conclusion is understandable. However, Benn and Seguin are still the team’s high scorers and Benn only falls slightly behind Tyler Seguin in points. In short, the captain is still leading the team in  more ways than one.

It’s been said often that the future of the Stars is with the prospects and the rookies, and it is true to a certain extent. Radek Faksa, Devin Shore, and even Brett Ritchie have played in more games this season than Benn has.

However, Benn’s leadership is helping to keep that important balance that the Stars will need to find more of if they wish to put this season in the rearview. Experience and youth, size and agility, defense and offense- all of these need to be treated in that yin and yang sort of way: incorporated in equals amounts that complement each other and bring out the best results.

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With so many other areas being off balance for the Stars right now, it’s comforting at least to know that Dallas has a competent and hard working leader in Jamie Benn, at least up until 2025.

And honestly, with a season like we’ve had, who’s actually thinking of or planning for that far in advance, anyways (besides, of course, Jim Nill)? Until then, the Stars, their locker room, and their attitude and team spirit are in good hands with Jamie Benn.