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Dallas Stars Forwards Making Progress In EA Sports Conquest

By Josh Clark |

The Dallas Stars have seen quite the transition over the past two seasons. Since a bit of an unexpected change in the front office at the GM position, the Stars have experience a complete rebirth it seems.

From a team lost in long offseason vacations for six years running to a team competing hard and sometimes qualifying for playoff spots over the past two seasons, the Stars are on the brink of major success. Not only that, but their success in trade and signings during each offseason over the past three years has turned Dallas into a popular destination for many NHL superstars. If the roster can finally produce in all three categories, the Stars could be looking at a Stanley Cup-caliber season in 2015-2016.

But, as all Dallas Stars fans know, the 2014-2015 season was one filled with disappointment and disbelief. Strong offseason moves are supposed to help your team get over their obstacles from the previous year, but instead it was the areas that weren’t improved that ended up hurting the Stars. So GM Jim Nill decided to cover all his bases this past offseason and added a new force to every aspect of the team.

But though the defense and goaltending saw a bit of a “crash-and-burn” sequence in the 14-15 season, the offense was near-deadly. With an all-star cast leading the way, the Stars finished second in the NHL in goals scored. At the head of the pack for the second season in a row were the two young guns Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Benn went on to win the Art Ross Trophy with two faulty hips, tallying four points in the final game of the year to mark a new career-high 87 points. Seguin on the other hand was one of the favorites to win the Rocket Richard Trophy for most goals scored in a season. But his season was cut off with an injury in mid-February, officially pinning him back in the race. But even with 11 less games, Seguin still finished just 10 points back of teammate Benn.

These two are considered the future of the Dallas Stars, moreover the future of the NHL. The dynamic duo can always be counted on to make a big impression in any given game, whether it’s one or both of them.

It seems as though EA Sports is taking note as well. Last season, only one Dallas Star was ranked in the top five of a given position. This was Jamie Benn, who rolled in at fifth for left wingers.

This year, there’s a different twist to it. When EA Sports released NHL 16 ratings for each position, there was a lot of speculation on who would make the cut. They decided to do it in a top 10 format this year, leaving many guessing on which ten made it in each position. Surprisingly enough, the Stars did not have any players in the top 10 for goaltending, defense, or right wing…

But when they released the rankings for center, another Dallas Star was finally shown some well-deserved love. Tyler Seguin is ranked as the tenth best center in the game this year, coming in at a 91 (of course it is) overall. The fact that Sidney Crosby is once again at the top of the list after a step-down year is a bit confusing, but nonetheless Seguin is finally being recognized.

And of course, you cannot forget the Captain in the left wing ranks. Jamie Benn jumped a few spots, and is now considered the second best LW in the league. His only predecessor is Alex Ovechkin, which could be debated a few different ways. One ended up winning the Art Ross, the other took home the Rocket Richard. Apples and oranges here. But Benn enters the game with a 92 overall average, one that will definitely help out Stars fans online.

But what’s this? Just as soon as you thought that those were the only Stars worth considering in the elite ranks, it turns out another has snuck his way in at left wing. The newcomer Patrick Sharp, fresh off of a Stanley Cup victory with the Chicago Blackhawks, is ranked tenth among left wingers with an 88 overall.

So, who is planning on buying the game now that they know the Dallas Stars will finally be well-represented and equipped? It’ll be a fun game, but something tells me the season will be a little more entertaining. But we’ll have to see.

Next: Stars Taking Firepower With Them To Traverse City Tournament

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