The Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers are about to face off in the Western Conference Finals for a second year. The hockey gods are giving the Stars a second chance to beat the Oilers and advance to the Western Conference Finals. However, they are against a better Oilers team than last year's squad. Dallas Stars Head Coach Pete DeBoer will have his work cut out for him as he looks to win his first Stanley Cup as a head coach this year.
There are a lot of players who might give the Stars some fits throughout the series. While Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are at the top of the list, a couple of other players like Mattias Ekholm and Zach Hyman are ones that the Stars need to watch. It could be a rapid series for the Stars if they don't keep any of these players in check throughout this series. Here are the four players the Stars need to keep an eye on throughout the Western Conference Finals.
Oilers Players to Watch: 4. Mattias Ekholm
He's Edmonton's version of Miro Heiskanen and is an outstanding defenseman. The Stars need to get a massive series lead before he returns to the lineup, or else it could be tough to score on the Oilers. Mikko Rantanen will surely have Mattias Ekholm on his six once he returns to the series. That is why the first couple of games at home are crucial for the Stars' success against the Oilers in this upcoming series. The Stars could use some help from their scoring depth once he returns to the lineup.
Oilers Players to Watch: 3. Zach Hyman
While he's not Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman is one of their best scorers on the team outside of their top two. He has three goals and eight assists through the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Stars' defensemen will probably review how he scores in their scouting report before Wednesday night. He's one of those momentum-shifting scorers teams wished they drafted before Florida did back in 2010. He's another player to watch in this series.
Oilers Players to Watch: 2. Leon Draisaitl
You could say Leon Draisaitl is the second-best player on the Oilers team. Even though he's "Robin" to McDavid, it doesn't make him any less dangerous than he is. I wish the NHL would allow a tracker to be put on one player on the opposing team because you don't want to enable Draisaitl any space to score a goal. Just like Hyman, he can easily shift the momentum of how a playoff game goes with one goal. That's why the Stars must always keep an eye on him when he's on the ice.
Oilers Players to Watch: 1. Connor McDavid
We couldn't wrap up this article without going over one of the best players in hockey right now, Connor McDavid. He's the last person the Stars need roaming around their zone. He was one of the main reasons why the Stars were eliminated by the Oilers in the Western Conference Finals last season. The Stars can't afford for him to go crazy at the American Airlines Center this week. The Stars being down two games going to Edmonton could be a death sentence for the Stars' Stanley Cup hopes.