For 10 years, the Dallas Stars faithful have known his name. Starting with his first season in 2009, he’s consistently scored around 20 goals a season. For a short stretch, he scored over 30 goals and in the 2015-16 season, he scored a career high 41 goals. Consistency like that earns you a lot in a locker room. Respect from your coaches, respect from your teammates, and most often, a patch on your sweater, at least an A, but in Benn’s case, a C. But can he keep it?
But last season saw an unusual dip in production. Benn scored less than 20 goals for the first time since 2012 season, a season shortened by a lockout. The beginning of the 2020-21 season held promise for Benn, a chance to return to a strong leadership role, leading the way with the C firmly planted on his chest. Joe Pavelski, on the other hand, has kept his scoring consistent. He also plays solid defense, and has a higher assist count than Jamie Benn. While Pavelski currently skates with the Alternate Captain patch on his jersey, could he be in line to take Benn’s C patch?
Where Have You Jamie Benn
Unfortunately for Benn, a mid-ice collision in the season opener has kept him out of the opening series, and he’s listed as day to day with a lower body injury. His teammates, Pavelski, Alexander Radulov, and Denis Gurianov have kept up their previous season performances and the Stars opened with a hammering 7-0 win. Their power play production set a record with 8 goals in 2 games (tied only by two other teams in NHL history, and their defensive play remains hard-hitting and suffocating. They stand at 3-0, all without Benn on the ice.
For some, it would seem that having a Captain on the ice is not making a big difference for the Stars. Others would say the intangibles that Captains possess far outweighs their on-ice performance, and a change isn’t necessary. Only the boys in the locker room and the head coach, Rick Bowness, can answer which matters more, but from a fans point of view, they long await the return of an offensive producer like the Jamie Benn.
Is a Switch in Need for the Stars
The Stars power play is top-notch so far, but the season is young, and relying on power play goals only can lead to frustration and disappointment quickly. Sometimes the referees arm stays down, and the penalty box official is lonely. The absence of Tyler Seguin was already noted by many opposing teams at the start of the season. The loss of Jamie Benn is an even more noticeable hole in the offensive production of a defensive minded squad.
Maintaining Course
With Benn’s injury listed as day to day, it would be too soon to pull the patch from Benn’s shoulder. The fact that the Stars are continuing in a successful fashion is a credit to Rick Bowness and the program they’ve developed in Dallas. The goal in each player’s mind of finishing what they started last season is keeping the unit together. Even though he is not on the ice, Benn’s talent, experience, and leadership is playing a major role in keeping the team focused. With a hopeful return sooner rather than later, and the eventual return of fellow offensive producer Tyler Seguin, the Stars are gaining momentum built upon a solid defense. Adding an even-strength, powerful offensive output can only help Captain Benn and the Stars get closer to their goal.
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