Dallas Stars: Three Things That Made 2017-18 Season Worthwhile

1. Various Stars Developed In Significant Ways

The 2017-18 season was not one for the faint of heart, and the Dallas Stars knew that (at least for most of the campaign). And with that realization came a new level of compete from a good number of players. As a result, some players not only fit themselves into new roles and became more multidimensional, but also surpassed career highs in the process.

As you peruse the Stars’ roster and individual statistics, there are a handful of players that stand out. They could be sticking out for any number of reasons, but each one found a way to make their presence known in a new form this season.

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Take Radek Faksa for example. The third-year center and former first round draft pick made a statement through his play when he entered the league midway through the 2015-16 season. In his first two seasons, he proved himself to be a valuable depth center that could play a physical game while contributing with a scoring touch. He also proved himself to be a valuable penalty killer and skater in the defensive zone.

This season, however, Faksa did all of that and more. No. 12 actually skated one minute less on average this season than he did last year. But when Faksa was on the ice, he was practically indispensable. The 24-year-old posted a career-high in goals with 17 and finished the year with 33 points along with an impressive plus-21 rating.

But his contributions weren’t only on the stat sheet. Faksa earned the trust of head coach Ken Hitchcock early on in the season and found himself serving a larger role as a result through his efforts. After forming chemistry on a line with Antoine Roussel and Tyler Pitlick in the early part of the season, the trio stuck together for the majority of the year with Faksa in the center.

Hitchcock trusted Faksa to the point where he would often match his line up against the opponent’s top line to serve as a deterrent in an attempt to wear down the other team’s best players. And Faksa did a pretty good job at it. He used his physicality and puck possession skills to his advantage and showed off a new side to his game in addition to doing all of the usual things that make him such a valuable depth forward.

But it’s not just him. Tyler Seguin hit the 40-goal mark for the first time in his career and became a dangerous two-way center that now plays on both special teams units. Alexander Radulov also surpassed all expectations, posting 72 points in 82 games in his first season in Victory Green. He was an excellent complement on the top line and proved to be the free agency steal of the 2017 offseason.

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John Klingberg took another giant leap forward in his career as well. Now he is not only a no. 1 defenseman for Dallas, but also held the attention of the NHL as a favorite to win the Norris Trophy for the middle part of the season. His performance was outstanding this season (67 points in 82 games) as he set new personal records across the board and turned into a well-rounded defender.

Esa Lindell became a more focused and confident on the blue line and turned into a regular on the first pairing. Greg Pateryn started the season at the bottom of the depth chart but proved himself when given one chance and turned into an effective and shutdown starter for the team who should get a solid payday this offseason. Newcomer Tyler Pitlick also turned in a solid first year with the team and proved to be one of the best pickups of the offseason.

And who could forget Mattias Janmark, who came back from a career-threatening injury that benched him for all of the 2016-17 season? Janmark turned in a career season in his first year back and proved that he can be a top-six forward no matter the circumstances.

The list could go on for a while, but we don’t want to drag this point out too far. But it’s clear that this year’s Dallas Stars team saw a lot of individual success. Different players thrived in new roles or situations and found a way to contribute even more. And though it didn’t all come together in the end, it’s encouraging to see all of the individuals trending in the right direction.