Dallas Stars: Depth Players Will Start Scoring Soon Enough

Through the first 11 games of the regular season, the Dallas Stars’ top forwards seem to be doing all of the work. But the depth forwards are doing everything right except actually putting points on the board.

There was a lot to like and a lot to be cautious about in the Dallas Stars’ first 11 games of the 2017-18 season. As you examine the team from a critical standpoint, those positives and negatives are pretty obvious.

Special teams, the goaltending duo, and the resilience and determination of the team are great positives. Defensive power and an inability to close out games are some of the negatives.

Another glaring negative is in regards to the Stars’ lack of depth scoring.

To put it plainly, if a Dallas Stars forward isn’t named Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, or Alexander Radulov, they have had a tough start to the year statistics-wise. While the top line is producing, the bottom nine look as though they are struggling along on the stat sheet.

Dallas Stars

Many of the depth players are struggling to put up points, something that they made look easy last season. Devin Shore, Radek Faksa, Antoine Roussel, and Brett Ritchie were just a few of the players that dominated the depth play in 2016-17. This season, it doesn’t seem like they are progressing, and that’s concerning for the Stars.

But that statement isn’t entirely justified. In fact, the Stars’ depth players are doing a lot to help out the team. Their performances simply are not showing up on the scoresheet just yet. This includes players like Roussel, Shore, Faksa, Ritchie, Tyler Pitlick, Gemel Smith, and even Martin Hanzal and Jason Spezza.

If you have watched a Dallas Stars game this season, you have probably noticed how dominant their style of play is. They don’t fold easy, fight until the final bell, and control the flow of the game more often than not. They set the pace and put forth the necessary effort. The fact that they are only 6-5-0 even with their impressive performances is ludicrous.

One of the many standout factors of this new Dallas Stars team is their depth. And it’s not just in regards to the number of weapons they possess in the bottom nine. It primarily deals with the resiliency and dedication shown by those players.

In the salary cap era, it’s difficult to construct a team that is ultimately dangerous on all four lines. There will definitely be at least one weak spot, so depth scoring is usually looked over by NHL teams. Having a solid offense, defense, and crease is the primary focus, followed by everything else. But depth scoring is just as important as primary scoring.

As a result, most of the average NHL team’s depth scoring comes from their younger players. These rookies and second-years have a chance to get acclimated to the NHL level while working their way up through the lineup.

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The Dallas Stars have no shortage of young and progressing talent both on their roster and in the system. In addition to the ones like Faksa, Shore, and Pitlick in the NHL, they also have players like Jason Dickinson, Curtis McKenzie, Justin Dowling, and Roope Hintz in the AHL. Many of them are considered depth forwards and fill in the bottom six for Dallas.

So far this season, these players have not made a significant impact on the scoreboard. Of the 24 goals scored by Stars forwards this year,  only eight of them have not been tallied by Benn, Seguin, or Radulov. That’s eight goals among nine players. It gets even more worrisome when you realize that Faksa, Pitlick, and Mattias Janmark own six of those eight. That stat essentially splits two goals up between the bottom six.

But there is no need to worry just yet. That’s because the play of the depth forwards has been easily noticeable and impressive.

Whenever they are on the ice (in whatever line combination), they are adding onto the first line’s dominance and keeping control of the game. They are fast, hard on the puck, and generate plenty of chances. Their determination is encouraging and reassuring for the Dallas offensive attack.

Players like Jason Spezza and Martin Hanzal are used to scoring on a regular basis. Considering they are a part of this depth scoring slump, it’ll be up to them to use their veteran instincts and snap themselves out along with the rest of the forwards.

For some reason, the results just aren’t turning over for them. But that’s okay, because everything has to break through at one point or another. The Stars’ depth forwards are applying plenty of pressure with each game, and that will begin yielding positive results if they keep it up.

There are worries circulating around that the Dallas Stars are lacking in depth. Those complaints are coming from a lack of scoreboard production. But in all reality, the depth forwards are doing their job and applying consistent pressure and effort. They create chances as a unit and give the opposition a handful to deal with.

Next: Stars Should Rely On Kari Lehtonen More Often

It’s only a matter of time before these young guns and veterans alike start finding the back of the net. And once they do, the NHL better be on red alert.