Dallas Stars 2023-24 NHL Season Preview
The Dallas Stars finished the 2022-23 NHL Season with a Western Conference Finals appearance but lost in six games to the eventual champion Vegas Golden Knights. Can the Stars get over the hump heading into the 2023-24 season? That’s what we’re here to talk about. Here is your Stars season preview!
Line Combination (Combinations Obtained via DailyFaceoff.com)
*Not picture* Goalies: Jake Oettinger & Scott Wedgewood
The team looks pretty similar to what it did a year ago. The blue line is still a big question mark. Nils Lundkvist can’t defend a lick. Pairing him with Esa Lindell makes sense but Lindell is absolutely dreadful offensively. Not sure how you justify Jani Hakanpaa as a top four role? Ditto Ryan Suter as a top pair guy.
Dallas ranked fourth in the NHL a season ago in goals. That mark probably won’t change this year. They’re really dynamic at the forward spot and a really good goalie to make up for the flawed back end.
New Faces
Matt Duchene is really the only new face worth mentioning. The guy is also making out like a bandit. Nashville bought out Duchne’s contract that still had $24 million remaining. He then inked a one-year deal worth $3 million in another tax free state.
Contract stuff aside, Duchene is in a really good spot to try to rebuild his value. If Duchene can provide Dallas the depth scoring they need, he could realistically cash in on another deal when the cap spikes. We’ll see if he sticks on the second or third line. He’s just two years removed from a 43 goal campaign. 43 goals is a stretch but is it impossible to think that Duchene rakes with the supporting cast that’s in place compared to when he was THE guy in Nashville?
Three Players To Watch
- Miro Heiskanen
For the three players to watch section, I’m mostly listing these three for entertainment purposes. These three guys are guys that should get you to a TV. These three guys give you a reason to watch the Stars on a nightly basis.
Miro Heiskanen might be the best defenseman in the league. Heiskanen notched 73 points a season ago and is an ace defender. Terrific skater and a sneaky bet to win the Norris this year. Heading into age 24, the time is now. Remember, Heiskanen was drafted one spot ahead of Cale Makar. I’m not suggesting that Heiskanen is better… but it might also not be crazy to suggest that he is.
- Jason Robertson
Jason Robertson is that dude. I’m glad you all see that now. Robertson has been a hero on my three straight win streak in fantasy hockey. Every year that I’ve been playing, Robertson has been on the team. I feel like I discovered him before everyone else. I feel like I might be in line to adopt him if that’s on the table.
A season ago, Roberston recorded 109 points including 46 goals. Another guy heading into age 24. Don’t see any reason why he slows down. He’s the boa constrictor. Sneaks up on you and fires sexy goals in the back of the net over and over again. He’s a great watch. Filthy offense.
- Roope Hintz
Hintz centers one of the best lines in hockey has had some knee issues in the past but he’s a total lightning rod. One of the fastest guys in the league. Might be the most underrated player in the league.
Biggest Riser
I think the answer to this question might surprise you but I think it has to be Wyatt Johnston. This cat is going to be a lightning rod. Johnston notched 41 points as a 19-year-old rookie. He’s so good that Dallas had to push Seguin down the pecking order. Expect a mini explosion this year.
Biggest Faller
I could have beat the dead horses of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, but I think the educated fan knows they’re the problem. What I’m more surprised about is the fact that Dallas is just going to run this Ryan Suter thing back. I’m not sure they watched the games if they brought that guy back. Did they watch the playoffs last year? Guy has NOTHING left. Probably should have been bought out. Good luck with this.
The Biggest Question Is…
How long can the ageless wonder of Joe Pavelski produce? Pavelski, 39, just continues to get it done notching 77 points a season ago. He’s great around the net and will continue to just rack points just playing with Hintz and Robertson.
Verdict
Before I give a verdict, can we just take a second to give a hat tip to Jim Nill? He’s done a masterful job navigating the bloated contracts of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. The only problem is those guys continue to hold this team back. The first line is deadly. There just isn’t much of a punch beyond that and the blue line is flawed beyond Heiskanen. The Stars will be very good again, especially with the Otter in net. They just seem like a notch below a true Stanley Cup winning team. Expect another playoff run but they’re still missing a few items in order to lift Lord Stanley.
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