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Dallas Stars Will Have To Adjust To NHL Once Vegas Golden Knights Join

By Allison Scott

May 31, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA: General overall view of the T-Mobile Arena exterior on Las Vegas Blvd. on the Las Vegas strip. The facility will be the home of the NHL expansion franchise Vegas Golden Knights which will begin play during the 2017-18 season. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
May 31, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA: General overall view of the T-Mobile Arena exterior on Las Vegas Blvd. on the Las Vegas strip. The facility will be the home of the NHL expansion franchise Vegas Golden Knights which will begin play during the 2017-18 season. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Vegas Golden Knights are in for quite a week ahead. But once they are settled in and ready to go, some other teams will have to adjust to their presence. That includes the Dallas Stars.

The NHL is in for a few changes in the near future, which includes the Dallas Stars. With the addition of the Las Vegas Golden Knights franchise to the league, there will be some adjustments necessary in order for things to run smoothly.

Drafting

The Entry Draft is around the corner and it will be unlike any draft before. That isn’t just because the Stars have two picks, 3rd and 29th overall respectively.

This year for the first time in history each round will consist of 31 players compared to the previous 30. While one player in each round doesn’t sound that significant, it seems off to move to an odd number.

Of course there are rumors floating around regarding the NHL expanding to 32 teams eventually, but until that happens 31 will have to do.

Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars /

Dallas Stars

Las Vegas’ Line-up

Another strange adjustment for the Stars, and the NHL in general, will be the Golden Knights’ new roster. With the expansion draft and free agency on the horizon, a number of players will find themselves calling Sin City home.

While the specific players have not yet been chosen, it will be strange to see a combination of former Stars players suited up in Golden Knights gear. Not to mention that players usually associated with teams throughout the league will be finding themselves on a new team.

What will be even more interesting is seeing how those players from various teams work together and what chemistry is discovered that would’ve otherwise gone unknown.

Road Trips

Lastly, the Stars will be in for interesting road trips. Jokes are often made about having professional sports teams head to a city as eventful and dangerously fun as Vegas, but time will tell if the atmosphere overshadows the job that needs to be done.

If Dallas can focus on their game and ignore the fact that the city is open basically 24/7, they’ll be a lot less regretful come season’s end. That will ring especially true if they make the playoffs and are able to have a shot at the Stanley Cup.

Bottom Line

Really the entire establishment and beginning of Las Vegas as a franchise will be an adjustment for the league. New franchises often go through tough times at the beginning, but just because that’s deemed normal doesn’t mean it will be the case.

Next: Dallas Stars' Stanley Cup Odds are Favorable

Dallas needs to prepare for games against the Golden Knights just like they would any other organization, even if ex-Stars players are on their roster due to expansion.

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