Dallas Stars Offer Something Significant To Free Agents
By Josh Clark
The Dallas area is the definition of a non-traditional hockey market that is still trying to establish its identity in the NHL. So why would players want to join the Dallas Stars?
Why Dallas?
It’s a question that has been asked ever since Minnesota North Stars owner Norm Green announced that he would be moving the franchise south to Big D back in 1993. Though the franchise was slowly slipping into obscurity in Minnesota, Green could have moved the team to plenty of other cities.
So why choose the heart of Texas? Why choose a place where it’s more likely to hit 110 degrees than it is to ice over at a given point? Why Dallas?
Well, because Green saw promise. Dallas was and still is a thriving sports city with plenty of potential, and giving them something new like an NHL franchise to embrace and rally behind seemed to be a terrific idea. The city did not disappoint.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars were the talk of the town in the late 1990’s. With the Dallas Mavericks going the entire decade without a playoff berth, the Dallas Cowboys picking up their final Super Bowl victory during the 1995 season and then slowly slipping into a 21-year drought, and the Texas Rangers picking up just one playoff win over the decade, the Stars had the attention of the Dallas sports community.
And they took complete advantage. The Stars won their first Stanley Cup in 1999 and went back to the Finals in 2000. They were one of the hottest teams in the NHL and gave the city something to indulge in and be proud of.
But as time progresses, things change. Fast forward 17 years and where is the team? Quite a significant cry from where they were at the turn of the century.
The Stars have won a total of five playoff series since 2000 and have only punched their postseason ticket in two of the past nine seasons. The team has been through a lot since their Stanley Cup victory, including financial troubles, six coaching changes, and an overall struggle at solidifying themselves in the Dallas sports market.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks made 12 straight playoff appearances and won their first Finals, the Cowboys are one of the most exciting teams in the NFL with their young but dominant roster, and the Rangers made back-to-back trips to the World Series and have secured four AL West pennants since 2010.
That being said, the Dallas Stars have slipped from their place of prominence in Big D. Some could make the argument that they are the least followed professional sports franchise in Dallas. They realistically fall either third or fourth in terms of popularity at the moment.
And it’s not entirely their fault. Their counterparts have simply found a grand amount of success over the past 15 years or so (which is great for those who are fans of all Dallas sports franchises).
But for the Stars, it’s causing some bumps. Over the past four years, things seem to have steadily been getting better. Sure Dallas has only qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in two of the four, but they have a Central Division title to go with it and a playoff series win.
This past year, however, could have derailed all of that progress. Dallas fell drastically from their 109-point performance in 2015-16, turning in 79 points and a 34-37-11 record. They missed the playoffs by a mile, and that caused plenty of unrest and uncertainty.
So, Jim Nill went to action. He hired a new coach in Ken Hitchcock and locked up veteran starting goaltender Ben Bishop on a six-year deal in hopes of righting the ship.
But there is still work to be done. The Dallas Stars still need arguably two or three more players to fix their problems and build hope for a quick turnaround starting next season.
Before that turnaround can happen, players need to jump on board. And that refers us back to our original question: Why Dallas? Why should a free agent/trade piece want to come to Dallas?
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This was a question asked a lot during the 2016-17 regular season as Stars fans frantically built up theories on how to fix their struggling team. Whenever the name of a player or coach would be thrown out, the answer would be something like, “Do you really think he would want to come to Dallas instead of staying where he currently is?”
It was a fair answer, no matter how much it hurt. And after this most recent tire fire of a season, why would any player want to come to a non-traditional hockey market? It would be one thing if Dallas was winning Stanley Cups every other year, but they haven’t gotten any closer than the first round in the past decade.
To be honest, there’s plenty of reasons. Forget the “non-traditional hockey market” jargon (thanks for killing that superstition, Nashville). So have no fear, Stars fans.
The thing is that the Dallas Stars are on the rise. They are a young group that has the potential to rise out of the ashes and even possibly contend for a Cup next year.
Ken Hitchcock is a proven head coach who gets things done through any means necessary. He’s personal with his players and always gets the most out of each one. He knows how to turn around a franchise that is in the dust and get them back on track.
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Ben Bishop is a legitimate number one goaltender that can play big minutes and solidify himself as a top-five goalie in the NHL. He’s here for six years. He vetoed a trade to Calgary because Dallas was the number one destination on his list. He knows the market and community of Texas well, so that has to be a good reference point for potential free agents and trade targets.
And then there’s the “already established” part of the club. After all, playing alongside Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, and John Klingberg must be a pretty enticing offer. Not to mention the depth that the Stars possess in rookies and dedicated assets. The organization is definitely set up to win.
The team that the Dallas Stars currently possess could do some serious damage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the right vision and game plan. Hitchcock can give them that vision. But with a few more helpful additions, the Stars can complete their turnaround before October hits.
But it’s not just the opportunity of playing with some of the best players and the surprising chance to go after a Stanley Cup as early as next year. It’s the culture as well. What Jim Nill has built in these past four years is still a work in progress, but it’s an impressive creation.
The Stars are no longer dealing with the “empty seat” syndrome on a nightly basis. Even in an ugly down year like 2016-17, the Stars still finished 16th in average attendance across the NHL. Fans are still returning to the franchise and new ones are being converted each day.
The team is competitive again and has built a bright future. This culture may not be a “traditional” one like you’ll find in Montreal or New York, but it is definitely one that is growing and putting itself on the map.
Next: Stars Mirroring Their Late 1990's Rebuild
Every team goes through their dark periods before finding the light. The Dallas Stars’ dark period has gone on for a little longer than usual, and that has caused the questions and uncertainties to arise. But those are quickly receding with the recent spark of the team. Dallas is still a prime landing spot for players in need of a championship run, a dedicated community, or a little bit of everything,
After all, it is called Victory Rising.