Dallas Stars: Five Big Things To Watch For In 2016
1. Will The Dallas Stars Hot Start Give Way To A Cold Finish?
When you step back and look at the big picture, it’s clear that the Dallas Stars have exceeded just about everyone’s expectations this season. On April 6, 2015, the Stars were officially eliminated from the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That means that they were in the bottom 47 percent of the NHL, not even in the top half.
That was a mere nine months ago. It has not even been a full year since the Stars were a subpar team, and now they are the NHL’s best.
But will that fire ever dissipate? It is possible, and perfectly natural if it does happen. The Stars are 28-9-4 so far this season, but have seen a bit of a decline. Since December 1st, the Stars have played in 13 games where they did not walk away with two points. That means eight of their 13 losses have happened in just a little over the past month.
The Stars are going to have to get used to every team giving them all they’ve got when they meet up. Whether it is one of the best teams in the league or a team at the bottom of the standings, everyone wants to have a claim to fame and what better way to do that than beating the best team?
What the Stars will have to lean on will be keeping their energy and focus. So far in 2016, they have looked lackadaisical and the Eastern Conference opponents have had a field day with the Stars. They will seriously need to check their focus quickly before they begin to slip up more. It’s a tight league, and any signs of weakness can end up being exploited beyond belief.
But the Stars first half of the season was nothing short of exceptional. That gives them no reason to fall off the deep end in 2016, but they can settle back when they need to. Those early points are quite the cushion.
The beginning of 2016 may be a sign of change coming in the Dallas Stars play. This change could come with a bit of a step back from the fast-paced action we’ve grown accustomed to. But that’s okay. As long as it isn’t too far of a step back. Their play has them out front, and though it would be nice to end the year in first place throughout the NHL, first place in the West or even in just the Central is fine as well.
All you have to do is get in the playoffs, remember?
Next: 2. Will The Stars Be Active At The Trade Deadline?
2. Will The Stars Continue Their Tradition Of Dealing At Trade Deadline?
Since Jim Nill took over as general manager of the Dallas Stars in April of 2013, there’s been a lot of good things that have happened. For starters, names like Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Jason Demers, Patrick Sharp, and Johnny Oduya have made their way to Dallas.
Aside from trading and signing top-tier talent in the offseason, Nill is also known for always being active at the trade deadline. In 2014, he traded Stephane Robidas and Dan Ellis before the deadline. In 2015, he traded Anders Lindback away a month before and finished the deadline by giving away Erik Cole as well.
Live Feed class=inline-text id=inline-text-4
Blue Line Station
Mostly, he’s only been involved in two scenarios: either trading away a subpar backup goaltender that didn’t work out in his first year in Dallas or trading a veteran player in the final year of their deal.
Does that mean that he will be active again this coming winter?
February 29th is the NHL trade deadline for this 2015-2016 season. In all reality, it’s a little less than two months away. While the Stars are not likely to trade away Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen, considering the two-goalie system is working so well with both in action.
But could the Stars be set up to trading away a player in the final year of his deal to shed the burden of contract negotiations in the offseason?
The Dallas Stars currently have nine players on their roster that are set to be free agents of some sort in the 2016 offseason. If the Stars are still on pace to be first in the West and have a shot at a deep playoff run, they could definitely deal a player in his final year in order to add on a powerful forward or defender to help in the playoff push.
But the Stars are more likely to stay quiet this coming deadline. They have a well-rounded team and dishing any piece of it could prove to be detrimental. Now, if the right deal pops up, Nill is a smart man and would probably accept it. That remains to be seen, though. At this point, the Stars are in good standing.
Next: 3. Is A Cup Run A Logical Theory?
3. Can The Dallas Stars Go On A Stanley Cup Run This Year?
This is perhaps the biggest question of 2016 and the season as a whole. Sure the Dallas Stars are among the league’s best teams so far this year. But the most points in the standings does not get you a Stanley Cup.
It’s a puzzling path to navigate when you try and determine a team’s legitimacy for a Stanley Cup championship. While the Dallas Stars are a powerful club in terms of scoring depth, their defensive and goaltending efforts can be on and off in regards to dominance. Not to mention that once they get to the playoffs, anything can happen.
More from Blackout Dallas
- Dallas Stars Traverse City Tournament: Who had great performances?
- Grushnikov and Stankoven lead Dallas Stars to 6-3 win over Columbus
- Dallas Stars prospects look to wrap up tournament with a win
- Burn the tapes: Dallas Stars prospects lose 5-1 to Toronto Maple Leafs
- Dallas Stars look to continue success today against the Maple Leafs
Plus there are the factors that have yet to be revealed, such as injuries, trades, and even possibly suspensions.
But the biggest factor is that this is a Stars team with a certain level of playoff experience. The group as a whole went on a one year hiatus from playoff competition last season, but there is a good amount of leadership. Jim Nill made a smart move by acquiring Sharp, Oduya, and Niemi in the last offseason. He didn’t know if they would work out or not, but if and when they eventually did, it’s nice to know that their playoff experience will only further the Stars cause once mid-April comes along.
Out of the 23 players on the Stars roster, only five have never competed in an NHL playoff game. That will definitely help once the postseason begins.
But if the NHL started the playoffs tomorrow and the Stars went with the current roster they had, I would definitely see them at least making it to the semifinals. A Cup would be a bit of a stretch, but that is what this team has been known for this year. So who knows. In the end, this team could find a way to the Finals. But don’t get too cocky and assume it has to happen just yet. Like you saw yesterday, they still have some rough edges to smooth.
Next: 4. Which Stars Will Be Present At The NHL Awards Ceremony?
4. Do The Stars Have Some Players Set To Win Awards?
The Dallas Stars made headlines between April 11th and June 27th last season. It wasn’t because of playoffs, but instead because of NHL Awards. Jamie Benn became the first Dallas Star to ever win the Art Ross Trophy last season.
After a four-point effort that was capped off with a secondary assist with just 8.5 seconds remaining in the final game of the season, Benn narrowly won the trophy with 87 points.
This season, it looks like the Stars may be sending a larger chunk of their organization to the Awards show in late June.
There are a couple of awards that are up for grabs with the Stars players and management.
Jamie Benn – Benn currently sits just five points behind the league lead in points, which would win him his second Art Ross Trophy in a row. Meanwhile, he leads the league with 24 goals scored. If the lead holds out, he would win the Rocket Richard Trophy. He was also a candidate last season for the Ted Lindsay Award, which is awarded to the NHL’s most outstanding player as voted by the players. He could be a candidate this year as well.
To cap it all off, he has a strong chance at winning the Hart Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL’s most valuable player. Benn’s combination of dedication, scoring, physicality, and leadership make him the perfect candidate.
Tyler Seguin – Seguin is also in a tight race for a few of those trophies. He sits a mere seven points back of the Art Ross lead, and is only one goal back of Jamie Benn for the Rocket Richard lead. Seguin could also be considered for the Ted Lindsay Award and maybe even the Hart Trophy.
The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is also a viable one for him to win with his charity “Seguin’s Stars.” The award is given to the player who excels in leadership on and off the ice and makes a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.
John Klingberg – Although he has slipped a good bit in the points race, Klingberg is still a viable candidate for the Norris Trophy. This award is given to the defensemen who demonstrates the greatest all-around ability at his position. Klingberg has been in conversations for this one all year and draws plenty of comparisons to Erik Karlsson, who won the award last year. He is a well-rounded defenseman with a knack for scoring. He would be a perfect recipient.
Lindy Ruff – There’s only one award that Ruff could win, but he would completely deserve it. The Jack Adams Award to the coach who has attributed the most to his team’s success. Ruff has taken what Nill has given him and turned it into a playoff-caliber team. He has made some difficult calls all year that have paid off in dividends. There’s no doubt that he deserves to be one of the candidates.
Jim Nill – The NHL General Manager of the Year Award is pretty self explanatory. Which is also why you should be able to comprehend why Nill is the best choice for this award.
Three straight seasons of bringing top quality talent to the Stars organization and making it look easy. This team would be nowhere close to where they are right now without Nill’s genius. If he doesn’t win GM of the Year this go around, there is something seriously wrong with the judging system.
Next: 5. What Does The Stars Offseason Entail?
5. How Will The Dallas Stars Offseason Pan Out? Which FA’s Will Stay?
The Dallas Stars are focused on a strong finish to the season and hopefully a deep playoff run, and nothing more at this point. However, it is important to look ahead into the future that they will eventually be faced with.
This coming offseason may be the biggest one of Jim Nill’s tenure in Dallas. For the first time, there is no real weakness that will require Nill to make a blockbuster deal like he has the past three years. Instead, he will have to make some tough decisions regarding which free agents he will bring back and which he will let go.
The Stars have nine players on their current roster that will be a free agent of some sort this coming offseason. With cap space a bit tighter than it has been in the past and the Stars prospect system overflowing with NHL-ready talent, some tough decisions will have to be made.
More from Blackout Dallas
- Dallas Stars Traverse City Tournament: Who had great performances?
- Grushnikov and Stankoven lead Dallas Stars to 6-3 win over Columbus
- Dallas Stars prospects look to wrap up tournament with a win
- Burn the tapes: Dallas Stars prospects lose 5-1 to Toronto Maple Leafs
- Dallas Stars look to continue success today against the Maple Leafs
That means potentially parting with some fan-favorite players, some players past their prime, and some players that simply cost too much.
Here are the nine players who will be requiring a new contract come the 2016 offseason:
UFA’s:
Alex Goligoski
Jason Demers
Vernon Fiddler
Colton Sceviour
RFA’s:
Valeri Nichushkin
Not to mention that some of these players are still somewhat young and on the fence in regards to their potential with the team. They will more than likely need to have career seasons if they are looking to stay in Dallas.
There are a lot of question marks floating around in the Dallas Stars free agency pool. On the bright side, there is a lot of season left to play where it will all hopefully sort itself out.
Next: Conclusion