The NHL season draws near, and the Dallas Stars begin preseason play next week. Here are some storylines for the Dallas Stars during training camp and the 2024-25 season.
Main Dallas Stars Storyline: Taking the Next Step
After being eliminated in Game 6 of the 2023 Western Conference Final by the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Vegas Golden Knights, general manager Jim Nill declared his team ready for the next step in the championship process. He had just won General Manager of the Year after a surprise playoff run.
The roster moves he made led him to a second consecutive award and the Stars to a regular-season Western Conference title. However, their season ended in the same spot, as the Edmonton Oilers won Game 6 2-1 to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Nill got creative again this offseason, adding veteran defenders and trading some contracts to free up cap space. The moves also allowed young players to move up the lineup (more on that later). Still, the Stars lost some key players.
Replacing Veteran Leaders
Joe Pavelski was a massive presence in the Dallas Stars’ locker room and a fantastic mentor for emerging stars. His retirement leaves a hole, but it is far from the only notable departure. Ryan Suter and Chris Tanev‘s absences on the blue line certainly change things, and moving on from Radek Faksa leaves the fourth line less experienced.
Filling those holes is much easier said than done.
Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin, and Jamie Benn are the obvious candidates to continue carrying the torch. Benn has been the team captain since 2013, and his presence on the team and leadership are vital. Seguin can still perform at a high level and his success as a 19-year-old entering the league is something from which the younger guys can learn. Duchene built a rapport with the rest of the team last year and could be the perfect replacement for Pavelski.
Brendan Smith and Matt Dumba should help in the leadership department defensively. Yet, the leadership on the team is a storyline to monitor for the Dallas Stars this season.
Young Players Moving Lines, Taking Permanent Roles
There’s some shuffling expected in the Stars’ lineup this season. Many young players are either taking on new roles or in line to become permanent parts of the team.
Wyatt Johnston is projected to leap to the first line alongside Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. That would make quite the trio at the top as all three are proven playmakers and exceptional scorers. Johnston has proven he can hold his own and then some in the NHL, but will any of that change with his new line?
Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven will also be permanent lineup fixtures this season after spending most of last season in the AHL. Stankoven has more NHL experience, but both have at least shown flashes of their potential. They are projected to be on the third line with Jamie Benn.
Elsewhere, Thomas Harley continues to develop as a top-pair defenceman alongside Miro Heiskanen. Plus, Lian Bichsel, Nils Lundkvist, Matej Blumel, Oscar Back, and others are trying to prove they belong and earn spots on the opening night roster. How many will crack the lineup and how long will they stay?
The Final Forward Spot
As I alluded to in this year’s Puck Drop Preview, Collin Blackwell enters training camp as the projected final forward on the fourth line. But, he hasn’t clinched it yet. Teams generally carry an extra forward in case of injuries, so there are really two spots up for grabs.
Blackwell is obviously in the running, but I’d expect Blumel, Back, Cameron Hughes, and Kole Lind to also compete for those spots.
Oettinger’s Consistency
This is simple. Which Jake Oettinger will the Stars get this year? The 25-year-old goaltender has been one of the best in hockey since he entered the NHL, but last season was his worst as a pro. He also missed about a month in the middle of the season.
He was still named an All-Star and the Stars were able to win the West, but it was far from what was expected of him. Oettinger did return to form in the postseason again, allowing just 2.24 goals per game and stopping 91.6% of the shots he faced.
Jake Oettinger is a highly skilled goaltender. The question is if he builds off the postseason run or has another slow start. That’s a storyline for the Dallas Stars this season.
Remodeled Defence
The addition of Chris Tanev was huge last season and cannot be understated. Yet, his asking price in free agency was too high, and Dallas had to move on.
Three new defencemen are projected to join the everyday lineup. Ilya Lyubushkin, Brendan Smith, and Matt Dumba all signed in the offseason. Dumba and Smith will provide some offensive firepower and physicality on the blue line. Lyubushkin may be the best option to replace Tanev on the defensive end.
Heiskanen, Harley, and Esa Lindell return from last year’s team and can help those guys get acclimated quickly.
Lundkvist, Bichsel, and others will also be in the conversation. It’ll be interesting to see who gets paired up as the season begins and how they mesh with each other throughout the year.
Main Photo: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images
