Dallas Stars Offense: What It Looks Like Right Now

The Dallas Stars are known for one thing: their lethal offense. As they await to hopefully start the 2016-2017 season on a dominant note, there are a couple of question marks that must be answered in the next few weeks.

Every NHL team has its trademark. Whether that is being the team that “rebuilds” every year, the team that can never make it out of the first round of playoffs, or the team that wins a Stanley Cup every other year, each club has a reputation that makes them significant.

For the Dallas Stars, they are the team that knows how to score. Quite possibly more than any other team in the NHL, the Stars are electric on the offensive side and put the puck in the back of the net on a consistent basis.

Led by four strong forward lines of support and a reliable defensive core, the Stars have mastered the puck possession game and offensive attack. The 2014-2015 regular season was where the Stars were able to put their new offense on full display. By the end of the year, they were the second highest scoring team in the league at 3.13 goals per game.

After another offseason of exquisite additions, the Stars amped it up even more in the 15-16 session. By the end of the most recent season, they had netted 265 goals, 17 more than the next highest team. That translates to 3.23 goals per game. In other words, the Stars are currently the kings of offense in the NHL.

But is this trend set to continue in the years to come? The Dallas Stars have a jam-packed offseason ahead in which they will have to deal with forwards becoming free agents (four UFA and two RFA), contract extensions for certain superstar forwards, and offensive prospects knocking on the door.

It’s definitely going to get interesting, and no one knows exactly what the Dallas Stars are going to end up with. That means that trying to finalize the Stars’ starting offense next season is not going to be easy. There are simply too many moving pieces at the moment.

That doesn’t mean we can’t make some predictions though, right?

When breaking down the Dallas Stars’ offense, there are some definite combinations that will not be changing. The first line is an example of a certainty.

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Patrick Sharp

These three proved this season that there is not a line in the entire NHL that has proven to be more consistent or lethal. The trio combined for 94 goals (over 35 percent of the team’s total) and 217 points. All three are under contract for the upcoming year, including Benn who will more than likely be receiving a max-offer extension this coming offseason.

There’s just no beating the line, so why change it?

Mattias Janmark – Jason Spezza – Valeri Nichushkin

As you move down to the second line, some questions start to arise. Jason Spezza is under contract until 2019 and continues to impress and improve every season, so he will more than likely sit in the second line center spot for a third straight year. Mattias Janmark proved to be one of the hottest rookies out there this season and had excellent chemistry, meaning he will likely stay alongside Spezza at left wing.

On the right wing, Valeri Nichushkin is currently an RFA. The Stars have been awaiting Val to hit full potential, and he is making his way to that mark. It’s highly likely that Dallas brings him back and slots him next to Spezza and Janmark.

Antoine Roussel – Radek Faksa – Ales Hemsky

Ah, the good ole Fak ‘Em line. This line surged towards the end of the season and was probably the most effective third line of any playoff team. A healthy dose of rookie, early years, and veteran makes this line one of a kind. With all of these forwards still secured under contract, this line likely won’t be seeing any change.

Once you reach the fourth line, a world of possibility opens up. When the season ended, the Dallas Stars were running a fourth line that looked like this:

Colton Sceviour – Vernon Fiddler – Patrick Eaves

Travis Moen had been an alternate for either of the wings before going out with an injury. Brett Ritchie also saw a couple of starts on the wing as the season dwindled down to its untimely end.

This coming offseason, all five of these names will be free agents. Ritchie will be an RFA and at the young age of 22, he has plenty of potential ahead of him. Book it that he signs a new deal with Dallas.

But for the other four, it could come down to a roll of the dice. Moen is a strong and dedicated soldier, but his offensive production is nowhere near what the Stars are looking for. The guess is he will become an unrestricted free agent. Colton Sceviour is still growing and continues to impress and increase production each year. He’ll probably be returning as well.

So the assumption is that with Sceviour on the left or right wing, there are two spots remaining. Fiddler is a natural center and Eaves a winger, so each one could take the respective open spots.

But hold up. Let’s not forget about Cody Eakin. The 25-year old had another productive year in light of having his minutes cut down from years past. He can play well throughout the lineup and is definitely a strong center option for the Stars’ future.

That being said, is Fiddler done? Well, not entirely. The Dallas Stars farm system continues to produce hungry, NHL-ready talent that makes an immediate impact once it hits the ice in Dallas. This results in veterans having to fight for their positions.

Fiddler has proven his determination to the Stars over the past five years, and can still be utilized on a number of levels to benefit the Dallas offensive assault. But with the rookie Faksa arriving this past season, the Stars had to juggle five NHL centers for the year. Now that one of them is on the outside, they might choose to leave him. That remains to be seen.

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Meanwhile, Patrick Eaves’s spot is up for grabs, and Brett Ritchie continues to show that he is ready to embrace it. While Eaves is still in his early 30’s with plenty of miles left, his recent past with injuries could be a problem.

Both of the UFA forwards would definitely sign for cheap, but the question is if the Stars are willing to move on. Eaves and Fiddler are determined scorers that can play through the lineup and fill necessary positions that other Stars can’t. They also work well on the special teams units. But is it time to part ways?

Cody Eakin definitely deserves to keep his spot in the lineup, though he can play as an effective left wing as well. So do the Stars sign one of the UFA’s as a backup? Or do they bring both back and do some more adjustments? Or do both walk?

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It’s a big mess, as you can see. Whatever happens, just know that general manager Jim Nill is trying to make the best moves for the Dallas Stars’ offense.

But even without the fourth line debates, the Stars offense still seems stacked to run the table once again next year. Is it October yet?