Dallas Stars Feel Out Likely First Line

Think back to July: the peak of summer and the month that probably left you sleep deprived as you waited with baited breath to see just what sort of excitement Jim Nill would unleash upon Dallas Stars fans next. And when the Sharp deal went down, the first judgment that a lot of us maybe came to, though our faith in Nill obviously never wavered, probably sounded something like this: why did we trade for another forward when defense is our weakness?

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And when the details of the trade surfaced and included defensive gains as well, we all breathed a little easier but still maybe doubted the necessity of having Sharp on the team. Sure, it was definitely not a bad thing to add another great shot to the lineup, but how was that really going to help the Stars chase down the Cup?

Then Nill did it, suggesting that, potentially, we could see Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Patrick Sharp all manning the first line. At that, the pieces started to fall a little more into place, and now even those who were doubters among us are pretty anxious to see what kind of firepower that line could generate.

So let’s take it practically and evaluate the effectiveness of this potential line and the likelihood that it will not only make a debut, but will persist throughout the season.

The current Art Ross champion has been a great player for Dallas for some time, but seems to have really come into his own this past season in both play and leadership. But don’t take my word for it. Over the last several seasons, he’s been an Olympic champion, won the Art Ross trophy, and been nominated for the Ted Lindsay– recognition that speaks volumes all by itself.

There’s some speculation, of course, that his off-season double hip surgery may set him back a few notches when he returns after the preseason. However, if everything we know about Jamie Benn is true, he will come back stronger than ever and ready for a season which could be even better than his last, since he will hopefully be playing pain-free. And if that doesn’t scare the rest of the West, I don’t know what will.

Benn is, simply put, a huge asset on and off the ice. He’s big for a forward, which he uses to his advantage to scare defenders into submission. On top of that, Benn can match smaller forwards in agility and the ability to weave and maneuver into open space. And don’t even get me started on his shot. I’ll take a note from Seguin and leave it at, “yeah, he’s wicked.”

Seguin, pretty wicked himself, is also currently set up for a season to top his last. That knee injury that sidelined him for 10 games put a dent in what was a rapidly increasing goal count; a lot of fans have speculated that Seguin would have been the one who earned the nickname Arty if only he had never been injured and had been available for those 10, crucial games.

But such is life, and at least the Art Ross stayed in the family, so to speak. Putting extra work in over the summer to strengthen his knee and also participating in the IIHF World Championship, Seguin will undoubtedly come back stronger than ever, just like Benn.

His strong suits on the ice? It would be easier to try and make a list of things he isn’t good at (depending on your definition of easy). Seguin is a master play-maker, with an uncanny ability to read where the puck is going and what he needs to do to make sure it sees the back of the net.

And although we may sometimes forget, Seguin also has Stanley Cup experience. While some may argue that he was too young then for it to really impact him, remember that Seguin spent his formative NHL years as a part of Boston’s winning culture. It was easy to tell how hard he took it when the Stars missed playoffs, and it’s not difficult to assume that he’ll do his part and then some to be sure the team is not in the same place at the end of this season.

So his brutally hard shot, passing accuracy, winning mentality, and lithe speed (mentally and physically) make him an ideal center on a line with Benn and Sharp.

So we’ve got brains and brawn already accounted for here. How does Sharp fit in? Back in Chicago during playoffs, Sharp was most productive on a line with Marian Hossa centered by Jonathan Toews. If Ruff is looking to recreate that productivity in Dallas, the importance of assigning Sharp to a line reminiscent of this one is intuitively obvious.

Sharp himself can definitely even out Seguin and Benn’s talent, and it’s not a stretch to think that he will not have a hard time keeping up with them once he settles into his new position. He can work both angles: he is both a thoughtful playmaker and a quick shot.

And I’m not the first one to compare Seguin and Toews. Sharp noted after skating alongside Seguin in the scrimmage at training camp on Sunday that his new teammate’s skill is similar to that of his former Blackhawks linemates. On top of being “very impressed” with Seguin, Sharp noted that he could “feel the chemistry building already.” Enough said. Are you rubbing your hands together in eager anticipation, too? Throw Benn in, mix well, and add heat- there’s no telling how far this line could go.

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