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Dallas Stars: Last Year’s Grade, Next Year’s Guess: Jason Dickinson

By Summer LeBel

DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 30: Jason Dickinson #16 of the Dallas Stars skates against the Los Angeles Kings at the American Airlines Center on January 30, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 30: Jason Dickinson #16 of the Dallas Stars skates against the Los Angeles Kings at the American Airlines Center on January 30, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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During the month of August, we’ll be looking at each returning player for the Dallas Stars to grade their last season and discuss how they’ll do next season. Today’s featured player is Jason Dickinson.

Dickinson spent most of last season hopping back and forth between the Dallas Stars and Texas Stars, playing 27 NHL games and 42 AHL games.

Last Season

Jason Dickinson’s 2017-18 Grade: C-

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Dickinson wasn’t outstanding during his time in Dallas, but he played adequately. Unfortunately, what the Stars desperately needed was depth scoring, which is exactly what Dickinson didn’t provide. He had only 2 assists and 16 shots over 27 games. He did manage 45 hits in that span though, which is better than nothing.

He’s in the negative for plus/minus, Corsi relative, and point shares, but that’s not as bad as it sounds. Plus/minus is an outdated stat in many way and his -2 was nowhere near Devin Shore’s -30. His -1.1 Corsi relative puts him dead center in the middle of the pack for the team last season. However, he was the only Stars player to end the season with a negative point share.

Factoring those things in, a lower grade might make sense for Dickinson, but he was a solid player with the Texas Stars, which keeps him at a technically passing grade. He was still at a -3 in plus/minus, but he was shooting at 16.2% and fourth on the team in points per game (0.67). He didn’t have a great playoff run, but he still contributed to the team’s success.

Next Season

Dickinson got a one-way deal for next year, so expect him to see him on the ice more often next season. He was more impressive when he played 11 games over the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons, so if he could bring that back, he could help out this team.

He needs to work on improving his possession numbers, but some of that may come with a more regular situation. Being bounced between the AHL and NHL as much as he was doesn’t lend itself well to building chemistry with linemates, so some stability next season could help him improve in that regard.

He’s only got a one-year deal for next year, just like most of this year’s RFA class, so he’ll need to prove himself next season. This team is desperate for scoring depth and if he can find a way to produce, he’s golden. He’s been given a better opportunity to succeed with a one-way deal, but he can’t waste the chance.

Next. Last Year’s Grade, Next Year’s Guess: Dillon Heatherington. dark

Keep checking back this month for more player grades and share your personal grades in the comment section. Tomorrow, it’s Marc Methot’s turn.

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