Dallas Stars Could Have NHL’s Scariest Forward Line This Season
By Tom Dorsa
With the recent signing of Alexander Radulov, the Dallas Stars are potentially igniting the most dangerous forward line in the NHL.
Most of last season, the Dallas Stars separated the Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn pair that was extremely effective and exciting throughout their tenure in Big D together. Over the past three seasons prior to 2016-17, no one-two linemate punch in the National Hockey League had been on the scoresheet more than the 474 times Benn or Seguin’s names were there.
However, citing poor defensive responsibility and lineup inconsistencies, former Stars head coach used Tyler Seguin as a second-line center with varying linemates such as Antoine Roussel, Lauri Korpikoski, or Remi Elie. Meanwhile, Jamie Benn had been set beside 12-point center Cody Eakin for the majority of the 60 games Eakin played.
This, to a degree, worked, but each of the two Dallas superstar forwards failed to crack the 30-goal mark despite each having over 65 points in 2016-17. It was the first time Tyler Seguin hadn’t scored 30 or more single-season goals in his four years at American Airlines Center, and a first for Jamie Benn since 2013-14.
It’s not like Benn and Seguin were completely incapable of producing offense, either: both were positive Corsi players (Benn at 50.1%, Seguin at 51.6%), but having nobody around them to either put their slick passes home, or set the two elite shooters up, made point production extraordinarily difficult.
Dallas Stars
Don’t be discouraged, though – that point production is returning in a big way next season, when Seguin and Benn introduce recently signed Russian forward Alexander Radulov. Radulov is an elite playmaking winger that will not only compliment the All-Star duo, but excel in his own right.
Radulov was the second-highest point scorer on the Montreal Canadiens last season, after the winger returned to North American hockey from his tenure in the Kontinental Hockey League. His 18 goals and team-high 36 assists combined for 54 points on team that had been dying for scoring.
What’s impressive is that Radulov was performing well with everyone and anyone around him. Radulov’s five most frequent lines, according to Left Wing Lock, all posted positive Corsi For Percentages: his combination of elite shooter Max Pacioretty and two-zone center Phillip Danault posted a 56.8 CF%, while Radulov with less-skilled Paul Byron and Torrey Mitchell jumped up to 62.6 CF%.
Related Story: Stars Solidify Offensive Core With Alexander Radulov Signing
It shows that Radulov can play, and play exceptionally well at that, with just about everyone. While a one-year sample size causes concerns, Radulov was the leading point-scorer in the KHL in three of the past six seasons with Salavat Yulaev and CSKA Moscow, which points to his consistency as a scorer.
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Now for something you probably already know, but Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have been the League’s top offensive duo for four years now and they’re still churning. While last season was awry in terms of injuries for them both, Jamie looks to have recovered from last season’s mystery ailments that dwindled his hit stats downward and Tyler is rehabbing a shoulder surgery that will not bother him come training camp.
We’ve seen what Seguin, the only point-per-game player with at least 250 games played in Dallas Stars history, and Benn, a Hart Trophy finalist in 2015-16 can do when they’re at full strength. Having a full, complete offensive dynamo in Radulov on your squad makes quite a difference as well. This line, on paper, is the best in the National Hockey League.
The Seguin-Benn duo has succeeded mightily with average to subpar players in the past (Valeri Nichushkin, Patrick Sharp, Alex Chiasson, Ryan Garbutt); who knows what will happen when Radulov, who will wear a Victory Green sweater for five seasons at $6.25 million each year, joins the force. You can take a Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Alexander Radulov line and inject it straight into my veins.
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If I’m a fan, coach, or player of an opposing franchise, I would be biting my fingernails over the prospect of this true supernova first forward line of Benn-Seguin-Radulov.
Stars fans, we’re in for a treat.