Dallas Stars: Blackout Dallas Predicts The 2017-18 Season
By Josh Clark
Dallas Could Be WCF Bound This Season, If The Timing Is Right
by Tom Dorsa, Staff Writer
Greatest Strength
The Stars’ greatest strength is, to me, their depth at forward. As Ken Hitchcock has taken over the team, he has highlighted Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Martin Hanzal, and Radek Faksa as his four centers; no Devin Shore, no Jason Dickinson. This means the Dallas Stars plan to roll four lines that can each produce points and defensive reliability, not worrying about specific roles or deployments, and just going out there and skating the wheels off of the opposition.
With those four centermen, you get players that can all reach (and for Seguin and Spezza surely) potentially score upwards of 40 points. With a myriad of different mix-and-match options for the wingers, the Stars will have tremendous forward depth.
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Greatest Weakness
The Stars will face a major hurdle this season with their extremely tough schedule. In the NHL, each team plays the others at least twice, so a “tough schedule” isn’t what it means in other sports… until you factor in divisional play.
The Central Division is perhaps the strongest division in pro hockey (hell, maybe pro sports), with defending Western Conference champs Nashville, defending Central Division champions Chicago, the improving Minnesota Wild, and the overlooked St. Louis Blues all looking to get back into the postseason.
Not only that, but superior talents like Patrik Laine, Mark Schiefele, and Blake Wheeler have the Winnipeg Jets on the verge of contending. Having to compete against teams, players, and cities like this could spell trouble for the Dallas Stars.
Leading Goal Scorer
After netting the NHL’s third-most goals in 2015-16 Central Division conquest, Jamie Benn looks healthy and fit to perhaps score 40 goals again. His most glaring issue last season was a lack of a steady center to tag-team with (Cody Eakin absorbed most of the minutes on Benn’s line), however, the offseason move of bringing in Alexander Radulov and a resurgence of Tyler Seguin at the center spot will assist (pun intended) Benn at again reaching the top of the NHL’s goal-scoring list.
With a wicked release and unparalleled strength on the puck, Benn could propel himself to another Hart Trophy nomination.
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Leader In Points
For the same reason I’m predicting the captain of the Dallas Stars to lead the team in goals, I have penciled in Tyler Seguin to pace the team’s point-scoring. One of only three players in the NHL to score 70 or more points in each of the past four seasons, Seguin is a model of consistency and resolve, always looking effective in all situations.
A 35-goal, 50-assist season for Seguin doesn’t seem too unlikely given his power-play deployment, his stacked line, and his previous career high of 84 points in 2013-14. Having the speed and shot to potentially net 45 goals, but the vision and responsibility to feed his teammates (Benn and Radulov most likely on his line), Seguin will lead the team in overall scoring.
Biggest Surprise Player
With an extremely impressive 16-game stint for Julius Honka in the NHL last season, coupled with three straight 30-point seasons with the Texas Stars, Honka is the man to watch and be completely and refreshingly surprised by this season.
The 21-year-old has seemingly won a roster spot out of training camp, and his projected 55-point ceiling makes him a dangerous player to overlook. Honka could have a 40-point regular season, depending on deployment and health, perhaps garnering Calder Trophy consideration. I live in Cedar Park and have been gushing over Honka for years, but if you haven’t seen much of him, you will be pleasantly surprised in his game.
Biggest Bust Player
Stephen Johns could further fall into “bust” category, but not by his own doing. Head coach Ken Hitchcock has spoken heavily about the improvement of Jamie Oleksiak and his potential for success on the right side of the defensive ice, meaning Johns could be out of the lineup one way or another.
It wasn’t long ago that injuries forced Johns to recall from the AHL, with Johns subsequently stealing a job and showing loads of three-zone promise in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, Johns has his work cut out for him in repeating that success now and could be in for a rough season.
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Which UFA Earns A New Deal?
Kari Lehtonen, after the 2017-18, will be an unrestricted free agent. Weirdly enough, I think Kari Lehtonen enjoys a comeback season and excels in his new backup role. The goalie, who would then be 34 at his contract’s end, could take a pay cut to stay with the club.
Lehtonen has been in Dallas for awhile and likely doesn’t have the mileage to reemerge as a starter in the NHL, essentially forcing his hand in coming back to the Stars as a reliable, veteran reserve goaltender under the wing of Ben Bishop. I do feel obligated to mention Mattias Janmark, an RFA at year’s end, however, as someone who could (and will) earn a new contract with Dallas.
Final Record
The Stars, given the competition in the Central Division, are going to have to be on fire to win 50 games like they did two years prior. I’ll put them at 44-29-9, which puts them at a fair 97 points.
We do have to remember, this is a fairly young team with little experience in postseason atmosphere, and they will have some growing pains. Nevertheless, we’ll see the return of the speedy, entertaining Dallas Stars of old, with a potential playoff spot belonging to the boys in Victory Green.
Projected Central Division Standings
Nashville Predators – 108 points
Minnesota Wild – 102 points
Dallas Stars – 97 points
Winnipeg Jets – 89 points
St. Louis Blues – 87 points
Chicago Blackhawks – 82 points
Colorado Avalanche – 64 points
Do They Make The Playoffs? If So, How Far Do They Go?
Yes, the Dallas Stars return to the postseason, qualifying for the third time in five seasons. The Predators last season proved that the Western Conference playoffs are as open as any tournament format in sports, with Nashville – the bracket’s de facto #8 seed – sweeping the Blackhawks and advancing all the way to the Cup Final.
If the Dallas Stars get on a roll of some sorts (and they are historically a pretty streaky team), they could find themselves hosting Lord Stanley. I’ll tone down expectations a bit and say Western Conference Final, falling in six games to, for the sake of fun, the Jets.