The Dallas Stars always have to be on their toes in the Central Division. Which team should they be most worried about this year?
And so the drought continues. It’s now August 12th, and hockey seems just as far away as it did on June 13th, the day after the Pittsburgh Penguins clinched the Stanley Cup.
But we promise it’s getting closer. The World Cup of Hockey is only 37 days off in the distance, and the Dallas Stars begin regular season play in just a hair over two months. Sure that seems like a long time, but just relax, breathe, and try not to have mini panic attacks and it will be here before you know it.
All we can really do at this point is just talk about everything we can think about that will impact the Stars’ season. From their own lineup to the opponents they will face, there is a lot to dive into. Sadly, we have already ventured down a lot of these avenues. We’re just trying to find something else to go off of.
If you know me, you know that I hate publicly speculating through writing. I figure that considering it won’t have any impact on the season and play itself, why do it?
So we’re going to stay away from that and instead dive into a question that we’ve somewhat answered, but not entirely. Which Central Division opponent will challenge the Dallas Stars the most for the division title this year?
It’s an interesting question, to say the least. At first glance, there are a number of teams that could logically fit the bill. The Chicago Blackhawks always know how to be dangerous. The St. Louis Blues kicked the Stars out of the postseason last year. The Nashville Predators picked up P.K. Subban this offseason. There’s a lot to digest.
And not only that, but every person will have a different opinion on who they think is the strongest in the Central. The things with the Central Division is that there really is no wrong answer. It’s a complete gamble. Every team has a reason to be optimistic in the Central.
So the only logical way to come to a conclusion would be to eliminate the teams that have less reasons to be optimistic in the coming season.
The first two that probably come to mind are the teams that finished at the bottom of the division last year: the Colorado Avalanche and the Winnipeg Jets. Neither made any sizable additions this offseason that would potentially make them a definitively stronger team next season.
The Jets added Patrik Laine with the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, but one rookie can only do so much to help lift a team (we saw a great example of that this year with Connor McDavid in Edmonton). Not to mention they sold Andrew Ladd at the deadline last season. But they shocked a lot of people in 2015 when they grabbed a wild card spot, so keep your eyes on Winnipeg.
Meanwhile, the Avs spent the offseason adding minor, inconsistent pieces. They took a heavy shot yesterday when Patrick Roy stepped down as head coach and VP of hockey operations, leaving Colorado coach-less with one month until training camp.
All in all, things are not looking likely for either the Jets or Avs to make a run at the top spot in the Central this season.
Then you move on to the Minnesota Wild, who finished fifth last season. The thing is, Minnesota might not even reach fifth this season. The Wild took a bit of a dive into mediocrity this offseason. They hired Bruce Boudreau, who failed to carry the Anaheim Ducks to the Stanley Cup Finals over five seasons, as their new head coach.
They also picked up G Alex Stalock, F Chris Stewart, and F Eric Staal from free agency. None of those players are near the superstar caliber that Minnesota lacks. They finished up by buying out Thomas Vanek‘s contract and sending him to free agency.
The thing is, it looks like the Wild’s window of opportunity has closed. They have qualified for the postseason in each of the past four years, but have never made it past the second round. Devan Dubnyk‘s miraculous run took a halt, superstars Ryan Suter and Zach Parise are slowly fading on production, and the hiring of Boudreau is not signaling a Cup. Minnesota might be in need of a rebuild. Stay tuned on that front.
Based on the offseason moves and the current makeup of the clubs, none of these three teams should be threatening to claim the top spot in the Central this season.
Meanwhile, Chicago, St. Louis, and Nashville are still eagerly awaiting a chance at the top spot.
The St. Louis Blues could be headed for disaster. In Ken Hitchcock’s final season as bench boss in STL, the Blues’ lineup looks significantly different than last year. St. Louis said goodbye to many cornerstone pieces in their lineup, at least that were during the postseason. G Brian Elliott and F Troy Brouwer are headed to Calgary and captain David Backes is off to Boston.
Anyone who tries to say the Blues are a stronger team from last season is in denial. St. Louis lost not only its leader, but one of their top goal scorers in the playoffs and the goaltender who carried them past the Dallas Stars. That’s not easy to replace.
The Blues could still snag a spot in the top three, but it’s going to be difficult for them to be within two points of the top spot like they were last year with all of the change going down in STL.
That leaves the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators. Many might automatically assume that Dallas will be in tight contention with the Hawks for the top spot, but they very well could be wrong. If any team is stronger than they were last year, it’s the Nashville Predators.
Adding D P.K. Subban, D Matt Carle, D Matt Irwin, and D Yannick Weber helped bolster the Preds defense in a significant way. They also locked up forward Filip Forsberg on a six-year extension.
Forsberg, Ryan Johansen, James Neal, and Mike Fisher will return to help run the Preds offense. If Pekka Rinne can stand tall in net and face the likely few shots he will have to take with the new defense in front of him, expect to see the Predators make a run at the Central Division title.
must read: Examining The Stars' Central Division Enemies
The Blackhawks are always a dangerous opponent, but have been a wild card as of late. They can go either way during the regular season. It’s the playoffs where they tend to take the reins, even if they don’t have home ice advantage.
Last year, the Dallas Stars trounced the Hawks for the first time in a given season since joining the Central, going 4-1-0 against them on the year. This offseason, Chicago added and lost some minor pieces without doing anything significant to their lineup. Keep an eye on them, because you never know what they’re going to do.
But at the current moment, it looks like the Dallas Stars’ biggest threat to defend the title against will be from Tennessee. Nashville is doing all the right things over the past few years, and they are finally seeing consistent success.
Next: Taking A Look At The Stars' Central Division Schedule
Once again, this is just simple assuming based on facts and previous history. Don’t take it as fact. Unless you want to, of course. Actually, you can do whatever you want. It’s the offseason, remember? Try to enjoy yourself.