2023-24 NHL team preview: Dallas Stars

LAST SEASON

The Dallas Stars were dead set on heading to the Stanley Cup Final for a second time in the last four seasons, but the Vegas Golden Knights ended that dream by dismantling them in the Western Conference Final.

It put an end to a season that established Dallas as a true championship threat, finishing with a 47-21-14 regular season record to go with 108 points. The Stars ranked seventh league-wide with an average of 3.43 goals per game and saw massive point production out of Jason Robertson, who exploded for 109 points. With so many impact players in their primes on this roster, it’s hard not to envision this club succeeding similarly in upcoming years. Dallas owns an enviable core of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen and Jake Oettinger, supported by the veteran brigade led by Jamie Benn and Joe Pavelski and a new wave of talent including Wyatt Johnston. Understanding that this team is in a peak contention window, GM Jim Nill added forward Matt Duchene in free agency this offseason. Will he be the final piece of a Stanley Cup puzzle?

KEY ADDITIONS & DEPARTURES

Additions

Matt Duchene, C/RW
Sam Steel, C
Craig Smith, RW
Gavin Bayreuther, D
Derrick Pouliot, D

Departures

Luke Glendening, C/RW (TB)
Colin Miller, D (NJ)
Riley Tufte, C (Col)
Max Domi, C (Tor)
Will Butcher, D (Pit)

OFFENSE

Even with the offensive success the Stars saw during the 2022-23 campaign, Nill felt it was needed to add some speed and scoring; that’s where Duchene comes in. On July 1, he signed a one-year, $3 million contract only one day after the Nashville Predators bought him out of his previous contract. Duchene has not fallen off the rails by any means, either; this is a player who notched 22 goals and 56 points in 71 games last season and should have no problem fitting into the Stars system. With Max Domi out the door and Duchene now added to this group, it gives Stars head coach Pete DeBoer even more weapons to use.

The Stars have had one of the best-scoring lines in the NHL the last couple of seasons in Robertson, Pavelski and Hintz. Robertson set a franchise record for points (in the post-Minnesota era), topping the legendary Mike Modano. Pavelski tallied 77 points, and Hintz notched 75. The trio is again expected to play together and continue wreaking havoc.

Last season, Benn had a resurgent season, scoring 33 goals and 78 points, his most since 2017-18. The Stars had four forwards with 70-plus points, three 30-goal scorers and six players who plotted 20 goals or more. Rookie Johnston notched 24 goals and 41 points in 81 games in his first NHL season. 

Vets like Benn and Seguin will again be heavily relied upon as secondary scoring depth this season. It’s hard not to forget they account for a staggering $19.35 million against the salary cap. That’s a lot of money for players who are no longer the marquee scorers on their team. 

With the scoring power there, the Stars looked for bottom-six players to fill out roles alongside the likes of Radek Faksa, Mason Marchment and Ty Dellandrea. That’s where UFA’s Craig Smith and Sam Steel come into the mix; each signed a one-year contract. Steel tallied 10 goals and 28 points in 65 games with the Minnesota Wild last season, and Smith had 16 points in 46 games with the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.

DEFENSE

The Stars leaned heavily on elite Finnish defenseman Miro Heiskanen last season. Heiskanen notched 11 goals and 62 assists for 73 points in 69 games and has grown into a bellcow role as the Stars’ top defenseman and power-play quarterback. Heiskanen averaged 25:29 of ice time per game, sixth in the NHL, and 27:48 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, second to LA Kings defenseman Drew Doughty.

With Colin Miller out, there won’t be much change to the Stars’ defense pairings. Veteran minute muncher Ryan Suter will continue on the top pairing with Heiskanen, while Jani Hakanpaa and Esa Lindell will provide a one-two punch. Due to Miller’s departure, this gives 21-year-old Thomas Harley a chance to slot into the third pairing with Nils Lundkivst. The Stars also signed Jordie Benn, Jamie’s older brother, to a professional tryout contract. The 36-year-old will join the Stars camp next month. 

GOALTENDING

Once again, the Stars will look to Jake Oettinger to man the crease. The 24-year-old is entering the second year of a three-year, $12 million extension he signed on Sept. 1 last year. Oettinger has become one of the best young goaltenders in the league over the previous few seasons. Oettinger was tied for third for starts among NHL goalies last season with 62. He posted a 2.37 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. 

Meanwhile, Scott Wedgewood will assume the backup role again for the Stars. The reliable veteran appeared in 21 games last season, posting a 9-8-3-1 record with a 2.72 GAA and .915 SV%.

COACHING

Pete DeBoer’s first year with the Stars should primarily be seen as a success. He helped guide the team to a 47-win season and right into the Western Conference Final. He’s gotten teams deep into the playoffs, taking the 2011-12 New Jersey Devils and the 2015-16 San Jose Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final. DeBoer was tremendous with the Vegas Golden Knights, coaching them to a 98-50-12 record over parts of three seasons with a rock-solid .650 points percentage.

ROOKIES

Who is this year’s Johnston? It comes down to two players, Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque. Bourque is a high-skill playmaker and is a tad older than Stankoven, which could give him the edge. But Stankoven is a bull in a china shop; the 2022 CHL Player of the Year notched 97 points in 48 games with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL. He added 30 points in 14 WHL Playoff games and nine points during the 2023 Memorial Cup. Training camp will be crucial to see which one, if either, breaks camp and makes the opening night roster.

BURNING QUESTIONS

1. Can Jason Robertson score 50? After notching 41 goals and 79 points in 2021-22, it was safe to say that Jason Robertson could be labelled as a young superstar. He followed up that season by dropping 46 goals and 109 points. Robertson also went on an 18-game point streak last season, scoring 21 goals and 34 points in that span. With a scoring machine brewing down in the heat of Texas, could the Stars have a 50-goal scorer for the first time since 1994? 

2. How close are the Stars to going back to the Stanley Cup Final? Only a few seasons ago, the Stars and the Lightning battled it out in an empty arena for the Stanley Cup. The Stars had a big run last season under new head coach DeBoer and will likely see similar, if not better, results this season. The team has trended upwards in goals, and Oettinger has become a stone wall in between the pipes. If the vets like Pavelski, Seguin and Benn can keep the motor rolling at 100 mph, the Stars could be a team that emerges as a Cup favorite come playoff time.

3. Can Jamie Benn replicate last season’s offense? Captain Been appeared to be in serious decline before he suddenly rebounded with his best scoring numbers in five years last season. With a resurgent season under his belt, Benn has all the confidence he needs to step on the ice and continue to show just how effective he can still be. Benn is a crucial component of this club; he is the longest-serving captain in team history and is second behind Mike Modano in franchise games played and goals.

PREDICTION

With teams like the Colorado Avalanche, Seattle Kraken, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and the reigning Stanley Cup Champions Vegas Golden Knights battling it out for playoff spots, it will be an absolute war zone in the Western Conference this coming season. But the Stars should remain right with the Avalanche in a tier of their own above the other six Central teams. Bet on another second-place finish at worst.

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