Dallas Stars: Five Things To Watch In 2018 Training Camp

1. A Lot Of Position Battles On The Offensive Side

Of the 59 players on the Dallas Stars training camp roster, 35 of them are classified as forwards. That’s quite a sizable amount when there are only 12-14 spots open on the final roster.

But it becomes even more of an intriguing debate when you realize that 16-18 of them have an argument to be included on the opening night roster. That’s where events like training camp can help.

In this three-day period, the Stars’ coaches and management will have an opportunity to examine each player vying for a roster spot. They will be able to see each players skills, advantages, and their reliability in certain situations.

More from Editorials

• Dallas Stars hockey is about to be the main attraction in Dallas this year
• Age Before Beauty: The impact of Benn’s new role on his Dallas legacy
• Dallas Stars hockey is the light at the end of the tunnel
• Dallas Stars coverage is lacking and it’s very concerning to be honest
• Sit back, relax and watch Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars draft scouts cook

And while there are the shoo-ins for the roster like Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Jason Spezza, the bottom of the NHL depth chart is where things get interesting.

As of right now, the Dallas Stars seem to have their first three lines all but locked in. There may be some tweaking here and there, but the top nine players seem pretty set in stone. But on the bottom line, it’s four to six guys fighting for three spots. Names like Gemel Smith, Remi Elie, Jason Dickinson, Devin Shore, and Roope Hintz could all be duking it out for the final few spots on offense. Training camp is our first chance to see these battles set into motion.

But in addition to the roster spot battles, there are also positional battles. In other words, training camp will give Jim Montgomery and his staff a good look at how his lineup should be built. Which players play the best in each position? Who should play right wing on the top line? Who are the power play specialists? What about the penalty killers?

The Dallas Stars have respectable depth in various situations, so it will be interesting to see how Montgomery ranks each one.

At the 2017 training camp, the defense was overstocked and required a fierce battle through camp and the preseason to ultimately fix. This year, it looks as though the offense will be the center of attention. Which players will step into the spotlight? We’ll see starting with these next three days.