Reset for Cup Chance

While last season may have felt like a rebuild, the team as a whole persevered their way to the top standings in the league, despite how short the post season may have been. Losing not just key players from our blue line like Granland, but also star forwards like Stankoven, when our veteran presence went on LTIR it was noticed through a slow start to our season.

Although the roster looks nearly identical this season, Borque is sure to be a noticeable missing piece. Drafted and developed by the Stars, his style in cornering opponents to the boards and continuing that play down the middle for a high risk scoring chance shows he’s fluid on both sides of the ice. Will getting Seguin back on the ice fill the slots we noticed last season, paired alongside playing with Benn set the veteran presence to pull the team together to finally get past the Western Conference Finals?

Speaking of obvious pairs, how much depth do we want to put into or wingers each line? It seems that Mikko and Robertson should be getting familiar with playing with each other (ranked 5th and 7th in the league) for high danger shots when we’re trying to tie the score or prevent an overtime. Who would you pair with to make an equal distraction on the ice for the same effect- Mikko with Hryckowian with the level of speed and aggression each player brings; Robertson with Duchene for the fancy footwork and eye for pockets on the ice? On the blue line will we see Bischel and Myers together- their height can’t be ignored and both in front of the goalie allow little to no margin for error on shot.

A few players on the roster are due for a bounce back season, one in particular being Otteinger. Yes the Stars are fortunate to have a backup goalie most teams would take as an upgrade to their current- DeSmith had a considerable amount of ice time last season with favorable stats building onto previous seasons. Oettinger’s save percentage last year took a noticeable drop from the previous 2 seasons, will we get the Olympic level of goaltending we know he’s capable of or will DeSmith continue to steal the spot light this season with a progressing stat sheet. Either way the Stars are on track to having a consistent elite goaltender, especially looking at our AHL team.

While defense never rests solely on goaltending, the 1% improvement we need to see on that side comes from the blue line. How they need to change their style of backing all the way up to our goalie and instead letting Oeittenger play his crease, and need to start challenging the oncoming rush. This style of play is too easy for the speed the forwards in post season have, especially in the toughest division in the league. Another weak spot in defense comes in the neutral zone, and how once again they need to step forward and stop allowing other teams to control so many of the plays on the ice. Spacing and stand stills are easy pockets that elite forwards take advantage of, and if the blue line can’t find speed to prevent feeling pressure on the ice, the other teams will be able to finally stop our post season success we’re known for. Perhaps all the Stars really need are Hintz on a full healthy season and Harley playing to his full potential to perfect our blue line and give the team a sharp edge. With new additions Burroughs and Cherepanov will they fill the holes in the blue line we saw last post season? Will Cherepanov carry the Russian style of play with him as he debuts into the league and bring aggression needed to set the tone for players like Hryckowian to make their high danger shots? Can Burroughs be the quiet yet core defenseman like we saw in Cici, or will he continue to bounce around the league looking for his place?

The Stars are obviously a resilient team given the loses to the team paired with low draft picks, they continue to be an elite in the league with several household names on the roster. While this makes developing difficult, it hasn’t stopped players from falling seamlessly into position- perhaps because of the strict structure the team demands for fluidity on the ice from both sides. If you look at teams like Florida who won back to back cup years, you look at how the plays are structured and see all players on the roster are devoutly playing both sides of the ice. They understand every player needs to be versatile and able to play every corner of the ice, and anticipate for a fellow team mate to not be on an expected position on the ice. If the Stars can build on their success in earning the second best team in the league through last season, and key players can have their bounce back season, then we have an honest chance to fight for the Cup.