With the Stanley Cup Finals right around the corner and a number of things up in the air for teams around the league, it’s only fair that there is a lot of speculation about what’s to come. The Dallas Stars aren’t immune to this, but they need to be cautious about what’s next.
There doesn’t need to be an explanation given to the Dallas Stars that nothing is certain in the NHL. They know this almost too well (especially considering they went from the Central Division leaders in 2016 to missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons) and it doesn’t deter their decisions.
But with as many important decisions rounding the corner — the draft and the start of a new coaching era to name a few — it’s no wonder expectations have soared. However, it is key to remain realistic.
New Isn’t Always Better
Unfortunately for the Stars, losing after a big offseason isn’t a foreign experience. Look at just a year ago when they thought they’d be making a deep playoff run under Hitchcock with Ben Bishop in the crease and Jamie Benn dominating the league.
Instead, they got a coach who tried to change a speedy team into a defensively-focused one, a goaltender who struggled to stay healthy and a star forward and leader who just couldn’t find his groove. Not at all what was expected.
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And that isn’t to say history will repeat itself this season. It could very well be the case that the Stars are a dominating force in 2018-19, leaving any trace of the trauma of 2017-18 behind them.
To expect that, though, is setting yourself up for disappointment. This league is unpredictable and most teams don’t find the success that the Vegas Golden Knights have found so quickly. It doesn’t regularly happen, which is okay.
Have Faith in the System
As coach Montgomery puts his plans in motion for the team, there will be hiccups. There will be time when it seems like nothing is working. But Dallas will come out a better, stronger team because of it.
Now, this might be a difficult concept to grasp after Hitchcock’s system completely tanked, but regardless, it’s important to stay confident. As cliche as it is, when players truly buy-in to the style of hockey a coach is promoting, they typically find their way back in the win column sooner or later.
That does mean that players across the board will have to figure out for themselves where their place is within the guardrails of that system, though. And for younger players, that can often be a big challenge. With guidance and a bit of trial and error, it will happen.
What to Realistically Expect
The Dallas Stars are, for all intents and purposes, probably not going to be the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions. They aren’t going to take the league by storm and leave any resemblance of the last two years behind them easily.
This is a team that can expect to commit to the system Montgomery puts in place, focus on getting back to their offensive-focused roots and let the rest happen as it may. While they’ll certainly have their hand in how things turn out, the upcoming season will be a test of what this team really has.
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The young guns who started their careers in Dallas a few years back are veterans now, and a new crop of NHL hopefuls have taken the reigns. That doesn’t mean time is running out for the older players, but it certainly will light a fire in them to bring Lord Stanley back to Texas. Unfortunately, it may be a while before we see if that’s enough to spark a successful playoff run.