Dallas Stars 2017 Offseason Rebuild Resembling Late 1990’s Rebuild
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars will need a serious revamping this offseason if they are looking to turn their misfortunes around and become contenders again. Luckily, they already have the blueprint on how to do it and are following accordingly.
The Nashville Predators made history last night. After wiping the Anaheim Ducks out of the playoff race with a surprising 6-3 victory, the Preds advanced to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance in franchise history.
It’s almost hard to believe. This is a team that had only won three separate playoff series going into this past season since their inception in 1998. And all of a sudden they have doubled that total and are four wins from their first Stanley Cup.
They entered this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs as the eight seed in the Western Conference and squared off with the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round. No one expected much out of them, but look at where they are now.
The Predators have steadily progressed over the past four seasons and have finally reached their pinnacle. All they must do now is follow through.
Dallas Stars
And now think about what the Dallas Stars have done over the past four seasons. It’s been a rollercoaster effect. First round playoff exit, seven points outside playoff bubble, second round playoff exit, 15 points outside playoff bubble. At the current moment, they are at the bottom of the coaster, looking for any possible way to get back on the uphill swing.
So while Nashville is soaring to new heights, Dallas is still struggling to get off the ground.
The Stars are in a delicate position at the moment. Even though they turned in a 34-37-11 record (the second lowest in franchise history) this past season, they could easily be a playoff contender next year. That’s not a typical situation for sports teams to be in, yet here the Stars are.
But if they want to get back into contention, it’s clear that the makeup of their 2016-17 squad needs a few tweaks and adjustments. This is where history can help them out.
As Rafiki wisely said in the movie The Lion King, “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.” The Dallas Stars need to dig into their past for answers on how to form a quick turnaround.
And it looks as though that is exactly what Jim Nill is doing. Throughout the first month of the offseason for the Stars, they have made plenty of moves that the late-’90’s Dallas Stars made when they were in a similar situation and searching for answers.
This season was definitely an ugly one, but it still doesn’t take the cake as the worst one in franchise history. The 1995-96 season was much worse for the Dallas Stars. A 26-42-14 record and 66 points held the Stars out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since their move to Dallas and was enough to push the memo for change.
Head coach Bob Gainey was fired by the team mid-season and was replaced by a young Ken Hitchcock. After helping the Stars salvage the remainder of their season, Hitch turned things around over the summer. With some changes to the scheme and game plan, the Stars went from 66 points to 104 points in just one season.
Dallas quickly jumped from 23rd in goals for per game (2.77) to seventh (3.07) and from 19th in goals against per game (3.71) to third (2.41). And it was all due to a change behind the bench.
The Stars would go on to lose in the quarterfinals that year, but it was a significant first step in the right direction.
Then came the acquisition of veteran goaltender Ed Belfour. Dallas signed him in free agency before the 1997-98 season to beef up the crease and give the team a valued and solidified starter. In his first season with Dallas, he post a 37-12-10 record with a 1.88 GAA and helped lead the Stars to the Conference Finals.
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The final big kicker came in the 1998 offseason when the Stars went out and picked up RW Brett Hull. The move gave Dallas more power on offense and immediately pushed them into contention. The Stars would go on to post their highest point total in a given season in franchise history (114) and, as we all know too well, win the franchise’s Stanley Cup that season.
It’s crazy how much changed in a span of three years (like Nashville) that transformed the Stars into legitimate contenders. Some key changes were made that righted the ship for Dallas, giving them a chance at glory, and they took it.
Now the Stars are back in the same hole that held them down in 1996. Luckily, the Stars seem to be learning from their past and taking a page out of their own history book on how to fix this mess. But this time, Jim Nill is trying to get it all done in one offseason.
He’s already got a new coach, and it just so happens to be the same one that led the franchise to its first Cup. Hitchcock is back and will likely make some big changes before next season to the Stars’ scheme and strategy.
Nill also went out and got himself a veteran starting goaltender in Ben Bishop. This move gives Dallas a significant presence in the crease for the first time in years. Bishop is signed to a six-year deal and will give the Stars plenty to look forward to.
They still need a right winger to play on the top line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, but Nill has four months to get that done.
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It’s kind of creepy how everything is lining up with the late ’90’s like it is for Dallas. They are certainly learning from their past and using it to their advantage.
But it could also be beautifully poetic. The new era pt. 2. All they have to do now is follow through with the big prize at the end.