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Dallas Stars Season Expectations: Best Defenseman

By Allison Scott |
Mar 17, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns (28) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring his first career goal in the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at American Airlines Center. The Stars won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Stars defenseman Stephen Johns (28) is congratulated by his teammates after scoring his first career goal in the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning at American Airlines Center. The Stars won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Stars have a big question mark on their blue line this coming season. Who might their best defenseman be in the season ahead?

With the regular season almost here the Dallas Stars are quickly gearing up to be competitive yet again. That means figuring out which players are invited to training camp and ultimately what the final roster will look like for the season.

The Stars have been a team with defensive issues for a while. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 1999, the Dallas Stars have struggled to replace the key defenders that greatly contributed to their success. Still, the Stars have been able to find their own success over the last few years.

They’ve rebuilt the team in a way that makes sense for how the league runs now and to say it’s been impressive would be a disservice. With that said, the Stars definitely have talent on the blue line.

Best Defenseman

With young talent all around the Stars’ backend it’s difficult to choose just one player that will have a good season. While many defenders look to be preparing for a great season, it seems like Stephen Johns is the defender on the rise for the Stars.

Johns made a name for himself when he was called up at the end of the regular season. He made it nearly impossible to take him out of the line-up and he played in the final 14 games of the regular season before participating in Dallas’ 13 playoff games as well.

While Johns only managed three points in the regular season and none in the postseason, his presence was felt in other areas of the game.

Sizing Up the Competition

Johns is 6’3 and weighs in at 225 pounds. He’s a big player and he uses his size to his advantage, making big hits look like the easiest thing in the world. No. 28 is right-handed and, therefore, is very versatile for the Stars.

He can be paired with nearly any defenseman Dallas needs and although his puck handling ability isn’t quite up to par, he’ll only get better with time.

Overall, Johns’ size and ability to make those big, sometimes game changing, hits allows him to contribute in a different way to the Stars. He’s a bigger guy than what Dallas normally has on the backend and his contributions don’t go unnoticed.

Just the Beginning

Johns is only 24-years-old and he only has 14 NHL regular season games under his belt. The NHL season is a long one and his ability to grow and develop this upcoming year will be crucial to his success.

Stephen Johns will be the best defender for the Stars because he has all the necessary traits. Johns is a good skater, has good eyes and hands, makes solid hits and defends well in all three zones of the ice.

With that said, he’ll only improve upon the skill set he already has as the season progresses. That isn’t to say that No. 28 won’t have hiccups along the way, but he’ll be learning throughout the year and it will only make him better and better.

Blueline Transformation

What it really comes down to is the fact that the Stars have transformed their blue line over the course of their rebuild. Dallas has gone from a team with questionable defense to one with a lot of young players with a lot of potential.

Next: Dallas Stars Summer Recap

While Johns is predicted to be the best, it looks as if the Stars are in the best place they’ve been defensively since their success in the late 90s.

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