The Dallas Stars appear to have found the reset button to their franchise. It wasn’t as if there was a sinking ship in the “Lone Star” state, but the Stars cleaned house from top to bottom and even decided that their logo had to go.
New logo, new uniforms, a new captain, new general manager and a fresh new sense of optimism for the Dallas Stars, who will also be joining a new, geographically favorable division too. The general manager Jim Nill and head coach Lindy Ruff can hardly be considered new, and it showed with some of the savvy moves made this summer in Big D.
The Stars have embraced the idea that they might be the fourth best option in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With the success of the three other major sports teams in the area, the Stars know that they have to keep things fresh and be competitive if they want to plant butts in the American Airlines Center.
This summer the Stars did just that. The blockbuster deal of the summer brought sniper Tyler Seguin to Dallas in exchange for Loui Eriksson. The loss of Eriksson will be felt, but Seguin brings a huge upside with a less scrutinized hockey media. New captain Jamie Benn returns as the leading scorer and heart of the lineup. Seguin can play center or wing and if he can gel with Benn and maybe Ray Whitney, the Stars have a legitimate elite top line.
Shawn Horcoff, Erik Cole and Rich Peverley constitute the bulk of the remaining veteran depth among the forwards. Top draft pick Valeri Nichushkin should be a nice surprise if he can adjust to the NHL game. He was arguably the most gifted offensive player in the draft and could be a steal for the Stars.
On defense the Stars got much older, but arguably better with the signing of Sergei Gonchar. The longtime blueliner comes to Dallas at age 39 but comes off of yet another big offensive year. He will be the point man of the Dallas power play while veterans Stephane Robidas, Alex Goligoski and Trevor Daley fill out the depth. Youngsters Brenden Dillion and Jordie Benn will compete for playing time with the older guys and are improving daily.
In goal, Kari Lehtonen seemed to turn the corner before a mediocre season last year. Once upon a time the keeper known as “Let-one-in” was a liability, but the 29-year-old Finn has made the goaltender a position of strength for the Stars. Dan Ellis was brought in to provide relief for the workhorse Lehtonen and gives Lindy Ruff a reliable veteran option.
The outlook for the Stars is good. They made the most and arguably best moves of any team in the Central Division. There are other teams that may have more talent on the roster, but Ruff will get the most out of his players every night. This might not be a Stanley Cup contender in Dallas, but they are definitely headed in the right direction.
Prediction: Third