Dallas Stars: Five Surprise Players From The 2017-18 Season
The Dallas Stars didn’t get the job done in the 2017-18 regular season. But even though they fell short, there was still a lot to like about the team’s performance. Not to mention there were a few players that exceeded expectations and took new strides.
42-32-8. That’s the record that the Dallas Stars turned in following the final game of their 2017-18 season. And, as you already know, it ended up not being enough to punch the Stars’ ticket to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The 2017-18 season was an entertaining journey that turned into a painful lesson for the Stars. It started out on a shaky note, turned into a powerful surge, and ended in an epic collapse. When it was all said and done, one bad losing streak in the month of March was enough to bury the team and knock them from contention. And with that, the Stars missed the playoffs for the eighth time in the past ten years.
But it wasn’t the epic collapse or rollercoaster-like style that the team followed that made them interesting. Instead, it was the way in which they played this past season. They did a lot of things differently than they had in the previous four seasons, and a lot of that had to do with the coach behind the bench.
Ken Hitchcock was hired to replace Lindy Ruff in April 2017. Though he didn’t get Dallas back to the playoffs, he helped the team take a big step forward from an even more disastrous 2016-17 season that was stale and depressing all around.
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Hitchcock implemented new systems and styles that stuck with the Dallas Stars like glue. By the end of the year, they were heavily improved on defense, possessed one of the better penalty kills in the league, and had a defined lineup that had taken large strides throughout the year. But they still didn’t make it to the postseason.
As a result, Hitchcock stepped down from his post by retiring on Friday morning. The retirement leaves Dallas once again searching for a head coach in their most important offseason in a long time. They have to make some significant changes and each change has to pay off. There’s no more time for delay.
But the players should be better prepared to take on this challenge. That’s largely due to the number of Stars that turned in a surprising year this past season. One of the most interesting points about this past season is the number of players that broke out of their shells and stepped into the spotlight for the Dallas Stars. These players gave Dallas an extra edge and proved that they can be even more useful than usual when they are reaching this new level.
Here are a few of the Stars that took their play the extra mile this season. It didn’t go unnoticed and will definitely follow the player into next year, regardless of where they play.
5. Greg Pateryn
Not many NHL players can say that they went through what Greg Pateryn has gone through since joining the Dallas Stars a little over a year ago.
After being traded to Dallas by the Montreal Canadiens in February 2017, Pateryn became a bit of an isolated project. He played a minor role in the end of the 2016-17 season and entered the 2017-18 season under a new head coaching staff with one year left on his contract.
Following training camp, Pateryn was faced with a tough uphill battle. He was labeled as the eighth defenseman in the system on opening night, with Jamie Oleksiak and Julius Honka standing between him and a starting spot.
But here we are at the end of the season, and Pateryn is in an entirely new situation. He played in 73 consecutive games to close out the season and proved to be one of the Stars’ most consistent defensemen.
“He’s a real pro,” Hitchcock said of Pateryn back in November. “He could have taken it the wrong way because he was placed at 8 or 9 at the end of training camp. But he stayed there, did all of the extra work and he worked hard with Rick [Wilson] and went to film sessions. He acted and behaved like a 5/6. He didn’t give up or get discouraged when he was at 8/9 and then when he got in, he stabilized a pair.”
Pateryn posted one goal and 12 assists on the year, including a +6 rating. All of those numbers were career highs.
But he’s a defensive defenseman, so scoring stats aren’t really his forte. Let’s talk about what he did in the defensive end instead.
No. 29 had a career year in a lot of categories. He posted 155 hits, skated an average of 19:37 per game, and played heavy minutes on the penalty kill. He was aggressive on the back check, constantly hounded the puck carrier, and blocked 148 shots on the season. Pateryn wasn’t afraid to give up the body and did anything he had to in order to shut down an offensive rush.
Even though he digressed a bit down the final stretch, he turned in the best year of his career. His defensive skills improved significantly under the new coaching staff and he helped make up one of the Stars’ most consistent defensive pairings.
To start the season as an 8/9 and end the year as a 3/4 is pretty incredible for a guy that hadn’t played a complete NHL season up to this year. That’s not too shabby for a 27-year-old.
4. John Klingberg
It’s obvious that the Dallas Stars defense turned a significant corner in the 2017-18 season. With that new success came individual strides for each defender.
One of the biggest strides taken was by young phenom John Klingberg. In his fourth NHL season, Klingberg established himself as a reliable and confident top-10 defender in the league. He also became a Norris Trophy favorite back in February before hitting a slight regression in March and April.
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Klingberg is one of the more talented offensive defensemen in the NHL at the moment, and he proved it this year. The 25-year-old posted a career-high 67 points, including eight goals (which tied for the lead in goals by Stars defenders). He also posted a +10 rating and was 22nd in the NHL in time on ice by a defender with 24:04.
He quarterbacked the Dallas power play and even experienced a new role on the penalty kill.
But what really made Klingberg’s performance special this past year was his new defensive side. Klingberg jumped onto the scene as an offensive defenseman in his first three seasons. He was constantly pushing up into the offensive zone, taking chances and trying to get as involved in the offense as possible. This was a positive until the play broke down and found him out of position.
This year, however, he rounded out his game. Under a new coaching staff, Klingberg found a fit in both zones, made the smart and easy plays, and learned how to be an effective shutdown player in the defensive zone.
Klingberg’s game was nothing short of stellar and he was a consistent and reliable blue line presence. That can be difficult to find in today’s NHL.
So one last time, all together now: Klingberg for Norris.
3. Radek Faksa
It seems as though Radek Faksa is the only ultimately successful Stars forward drafted in the last seven years. But that’s okay, because he is shining bright through the early part of his NHL career.
Faksa just wrapped up his second full season with the Dallas Stars. He set a new career-high in goals with 17, tied his career-high in points with 33, and notched an incredible +21 rating, which was the highest of any Stars player.
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It was another big year for the 24-year-old simply because he was given an extensive role in just about every aspect of the game. He owned a respectable face-off percentage at 51.6 percent, was the first guy over the boards for the penalty kill, and played a lot of time in the defensive zone. And yet, he still turned in a +21.
Faksa generated excellent chemistry early on in the season with Antoine Roussel and Tyler Pitlick, and the three formed one of the Stars’ most consistent lines. The three were a defensive-based line, playing strong on the forecheck and back check and getting control of the puck quickly. They were the perfect balance of physicality, grittiness, intelligence, and puck management.
The most surprising thing about Faksa’s performance this year is that he played a minute less than he did last year. And yet, he was one of Hitchcock’s most trusted advocates on the bench.
Faksa stole the show in the defensive zone this year and is molding into one of the Stars’ top defensive forwards. He even earned a shoutout from Elliotte Friedman in his “31 Thoughts” column as a potential Selke Trophy nominee (which is awarded to the league’s top defensive forward). He knows how to get physical in the defensive zone, get possession of the puck, and push forward an offensive rush.
He continues to develop into a smarter and more dynamic forward with each passing season. And as Faksa’s game progresses, so does the Stars’ offense, defense, and special teams. He’s a bright and reliable part of the Dallas Stars future.
Can you say future second line center?
2. Tyler Seguin
Wow. What a season it was for Tyler Seguin.
When the Dallas Stars traded for Seguin in April 2013, most people expected a good bit out of the future no. 1 center. But there’s a good chance that Seguin surpassed a lot of those expectations.
In his fifth full season with the Stars (that’s shocking in and of itself), no. 91 found yet another new way to exceed his potential. Seguin put up 40 goals for the first time in his NHL career, posted the second-highest points total of his career with 78, and notched a +12 rating.
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The 26-year-old (that’s even crazier) was one of the Stars’ top face-off winners (winning 300+ more than he has in any other season) as well and carried the Dallas Stars down the middle this season. He was their top performer and scorer on the power play (he led the team with 14 goals), played his first season on the penalty kill and adapted quickly, and ate up minutes in both zones.
A lot of that is due to Ken Hitchcock designating him with the biggest role and growing opportunity of his career.
With the help of the new coaching staff, Seguin took on new obstacles and challenges and molded into a more effective center because of it. He learned the defensive game, found confidence in his shot, worked on all special teams units, and was trusted to be an effective and consistent player in both zones and in transition. And he thrived, playing in his second straight 82-game season.
“He’s made all of the adjustments necessary to be a great player,” said head coach Ken Hitchcock on exit interview day. “He’s really changed and adapted and bought in to what it takes to be a great player. I’m really proud of him. He’s done a lot of things that were really uncomfortable in training camp that we pushed him through and he bought in much quicker than I thought he would be able to.”
It was an exciting year for no. 91 as he continues to climb the ladder of potential. He’s approaching the 600-game club but still seems to get better with each passing game. If anything promising came out of this season, it’s the potential that Seguin reaffirmed.
If the Dallas Stars gave out a Hart Trophy specifically to their team, it would probably have to go to Seguin if that’s any consolation.
1. Mattias Janmark
This list really isn’t in any specific order, but it’s only right to put Mattias Janmark at the top anyways.
It’s unlikely that anyone could have predicted Janmark’s success this year. He had surgery in September 2016 to repair osteochondritis dissecans, a rare but severe knee condition. Janmark was given an 80 percent chance at making a full recovery. And while that seems promising, it’s scary to think that there is a 20 percent chance that your livelihood could be completely taken away because of a knee injury, especially at the age of 23.
But he recovered, fought his way back into the lineup, and made an incredible splash in his first season back.
Janmark tallied 19 goals this season and 35 points while skating primarily on the second line this season. For 16:56 per game, those are solid numbers. He finished fourth on the team in goals and fifth in points among all active Dallas Stars.
He was a key resource for Hitchcock and his staff on the offensive side this year, providing extensive depth on a team that is significantly lacking in that category.
“I think this is just the tip of the iceberg for how good he can be,” said Hitchcock in February. “And now there’s no worrying. He just comes to the rink and is a normal hockey player. And now you’re seeing him get extended time with us and he’s playing big minutes. I think he plays the third or fourth most minutes as far as a forward goes. He’s effective in every zone and is a dynamic player.”
“I just try to play my game and get back to where I was and play my hardest,” Janmark said prior to a game against Minnesota in February. “I’m getting to play a lot this year, so that helps of course, and I get to play with good players. I haven’t really done anything special. Just trying to work on my game and play the way I know it.”
It’s almost unbelievable to think that one year ago, there was a chance that Janmark would never play hockey again or be able to reach the level he did in his rookie season. But in one year, he’s proved all doubters wrong and sealed the deal with a nomination for the Masterton Trophy. And to say that there are very few Masterton nominees that deserve it as much as or more than this guy would be appropriate. That’s just the kind of player he is.
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Janmark is a bright piece of the Dallas depth chart going forward and continues to turn heads. We’ll go ahead and mark this one as another significant trade victory for GM Jim Nill.