The Dallas Stars improved their special teams greatly between 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. But this success could be in serious danger depending on how the Stars’ offseason pans out.
The Dallas Stars’ 2014-2015 season was atrocious, as everyone knows. Bad defense mixed with sloppy, one-dimensional goaltending were too much for a firepower offense to overcome. As a result, the Stars spent the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs on vacation.
So the offseason rolled around, and GM Jim Nill did what all genius general managers do: reassemble and restock. Only he did it in a big and productive way. By trading for Antti Niemi, Patrick Sharp, and Stephen Johns, as well as signing Johnny Oduya in free agency, Nill transformed the Stars into an elite force.
The Dallas Stars stormed out of the gate this past season, running the table in the Central Division and Western Conference. For a while, they were ranked the best team in the entire NHL. By the end of the season, they had to settle on best in the West.
The playoffs rolled around, and the Stars were able to snag their first Stanley Cup Playoffs series victory for the first time in eight years. Dallas knocked off the Minnesota Wild in six games and jumped to the Western semifinals where they fell to the St. Louis Blues in a seven-game slate.
But their season was not defined as a second-round dropout. Instead, it was seen as a monumental step up from the season before and a hopeful outlook for the future. One of the biggest things they updated in regards to their play was their efforts on special teams.
In 2014-2015, the Dallas Stars struggled to figure out how to effectively run a power play and penalty kill. The Stars finished their playoff-less season with a 19 percent success rate on the power play (12th in NHL) and an 80.7 percent success rate on the penalty kill (19th).
This past season, Dallas improved to 22.1 percent on the power play (4th in NHL) and an 82.3 percent rate on the penalty kill (10th). While it does not look like the biggest jump numbers-wise, the progress was rather substantial.
Patrick Sharp was a major part of the Stars’ increase on the power play. Meanwhile, Johnny Oduya helped pick up the penalty kill.
This increase in effectiveness and lethality on the special teams’ units was nice and all, but it could be in some serious jeopardy depending on how some offseason moves are made.
The Dallas Stars have a plethora of free agents, both restricted and unrestricted, that they must negotiate with this offseason. Some of those names include Vernon Fiddler, Colton Sceviour, Patrick Eaves, Valeri Nichushkin, Jason Demers, and Alex Goligoski.
All five of these players will be UFA’s except Nichushkin who will be restricted, and the Stars will more than likely not be able to bring every player back due to cap space and younger players looking to fill spots.
Fiddler, Sceviour, Goligoski, and Demers are all valuable members of the penalty kill. Eaves, Nichuhskin, Demers, and Goligoski are all prime pieces of the stacked power play the Stars own.
must read: What Does Fiddler's Future Look Like With Stars?
As you can see, something has to give. The Stars revitalized their special teams’ efforts this past season, but Dallas is on the ropes in this one.
Of course, there is always a chance the Dallas Stars have competent backups for these players. But then again, they might not.
Next: An Open Letter To Stars' PBP Announcer Dave Strader
So Jim Nill has a lot more to look at than what is simply on the surface with each of these players. It’s definitely panning out to be the most interesting off-seasons for the Stars in recent memory. Hold onto your hats.