Dallas Stars’ Disappointing 2016-17 Season Will Pay Off In Major Way

The 2016-17 season is one that will easily be forgotten by Dallas Stars fans. But there is always a silver lining, and the Stars will reap the benefits of that this season.

On October 13, 2016, Dallas Stars fans everywhere had no idea about the pain they would endure down the long road that was the 2016-17 season. Starting the year off with a commanding win didn’t necessarily help either.

Fast forward to six months later and the Stars are cleaning out their lockers and heading home for an extended summer vacation. What happened in that six-month span that derailed Dallas so much? Both the Stars and their fans would probably love to forget about it.

It was an ugly year to say the least. The Stars’ 2016-17 campaign was riddled with injuries, inconsistencies, and disappointments. When it was all said and done, Dallas had a 34-37-11 record (their second-worst in franchise history) and missed the playoffs by a whopping 15 points.

Perhaps the worst part about the plagued season was the expectations set in the preseason. After winning the Central Division in 2015-16, it was assumed that big things were in store for the Stars. That didn’t end up happening, and Dallas quickly fell out of Stanley Cup talks, playoff talks, and even overall relevance.

Dallas Stars

The 2017-18 season is a chance for them to regain said relevance. Their offseason moves provided them with a springboard in the right direction. GM Jim Nill addressed all of the team’s glaring needs and helped round out the roster overall. He brought in a good balance of both young and veteran talent along with superstar and depth role players.

All that remains is to see how this new look team performs on the ice and if they can live up to the hype or not. Either way, Stars fans need something to help eliminate the pain from 2016-17.

But it wasn’t all bad. Even though 2016-17 was an ugly time, the Stars had plenty of positives that came out of the season.

The season was an ugly one, but it’s over now and the positives that were reaped from it will help carry the Stars next year.

One of the biggest positives would be the Stars’ youth movement that quickly made itself prevalent as the season neared its end. Some of the younger players of the organization got a chance to experience NHL action and prove their worth in the process. Players like Remi Elie, Jason Dickinson, and Julius Honka along with a few others received different opportunities to slot into the Dallas Stars lineup and see exactly how the NHL goes.

It also gave an opportunity younger, established starters to take new risks and explore new chances. Radek Faksa, Devin Shore, and Esa Lindell completed their first full season in Dallas this past year, and each proved to be valuable pieces of the Stars’ core in regards to the future. They had the chance to experiment with new roles, use a trial and error process, and find new ways to contribute to the team.

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We also found out that Stephen Johns is not an efficient defenseman in an “offense first” setting. But that’s okay, because the Stars adapted and Johns will have a new scheme to thrive under in the coming year.

Another positive, though it may not be as prevalent, was the embarrassment. The Dallas Stars sunk lower than most Stars fans have ever seen them go before, and it may have been difficult to dodge ridicule and laughter when talking with fellow hockey fans.

While you might have personally been embarrassed, imagine how the players felt. They constantly talked about it in interviews and you could see it in their expressions on the ice. It was demoralizing and it stung. It’s not fun being second place, but it’s really not fun being 24th. The Stars learned that last season.

As a result, they can apply that anger and depression to their play this season. Revenge is one of the best (but not healthiest) medicines around, after all.

Last season was a heartbreaker for the Dallas Stars. It took them to some low depths and gave them little to be happy about. But now that it’s over and there’s a clean slate, it’s a lot easier to find the positives hidden within the miscues. That’s a strong encouragement factor when thinking about all of the big things planned for the season ahead.

Next: Dallas And Nashville: A Tale Of Two Cities

Don’t forget that happiness can be found even in the darkest of times. All you have to do is turn on the light (credit to Albus Dumbledore).