2014-2015 Review
The Stars lived up to their reputation of a high scoring team last year. Jamie Benn won the Art Ross trophy last year for leading the league with 87 points. Benn and Tyler Seguin also topped the 30-goal mark, with Benn getting 35 goals and Seguin getting 37. Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza proved to be a dynamic one two center punch with each getting over 60 points. The problem was that for as good as the team was offensively, they were just as bad defensively. Kari Lehtonen had one of the worst years of his career. His 2.94 GAA and .903 SV% were the worst he has had since he moved to Dallas. Overall the team was a disappointment, missing the playoffs despite netting 261 goals, which was second best in the NHL
New Additions
Patrick Sharp
The rich got richer this off-season as the already loaded Stars offense grabbed Sharp from the champion Chicago Blackhawks. Sharp has scored 30 or more goals in four seasons and figures to fit in somewhere on the Stars top-6 forwards. Only four forwards managed 40 points last year for the Stars, so adding Sharp should lead to an increase in scoring depth.
Johnny Oduya
Oduya was a part of the vaunted top 4 defender group in Chicago. In each of the last three years he played Chicago, Oduya played over 20 minutes a game and had a positive +/-. He should provide plenty of assistance to the fourth worst defense last year.
Antti Niemi
With Lehtonen’s bizarre season last year, the Stars brought in Niemi as a kind of insurance in case things go bad with Lehtonen again. Niemi has proven himself to be a solid starter with a career 2.39 GAA and .916 SV%. He also has a winning record in the post season, and can be counted on in the clutch.
Key Losses
Trevor Daley
Daley has been one of the few consistencies for the Stars over the last decade. For the last seven years, he has logged over 20 minutes a game. Last year he posted career highs with 16 goals and 38 points. However, he had a career worst -13 +/- and made too many mistakes on the blue line. He ended up being a cap casualty, but now someone has to fill the void his absence will create.
Biggest Strength
Offensive Star Power
The Stars had two of the ten highest goal scorers last year in Benn and Seguin. The two were responsible for the enormous offensive production the team had last year. Scoring 3.13 GPG is rare now and days, and the fact that only five Stars got over 40 points a game last year goes to show how important those top scorers were. Add Patrick Sharp to the mix, and you have the most dangerous offense in the league.
Biggest Weakness
Defensive Star Power
While there is plenty of star power in the forward and goaltender groups, there just isn’t much when it comes to defense. Johnny Oduya was great with Chicago, but he was only their fourth best defender. Will becoming the top defender be a challenge for Oduya. John Klingberg was great last year, with 40 points and a positive +/-, but only has a year of NHL experience under his belt. Alex Goligoski played a lot for the Stars last year, but was he really that impressive?
Bottom Line
Someone is going to need to step up on defense and prove that he is the Stars best defender. John Klingberg is going to need to avoid the sophomore slump, because they will really need his two-way ability on the blue line. The goalie situation seems to have been corrected with the arrival of Niemi, so the amount of goals the team lets up should go down considerably. With Benn, Seguin, Spezza and Sharp on offense, the team should not have to worry about scoring enough to make the playoffs.
Fantasy Slant
Most Overrated: Patrick Sharp
Sharp was the biggest name on the market this season when the Stars finally traded for him. There is a lot of talk of him returning to his 70 points a season days, but it is important to note that he is 33 and has played a lot of hockey. He has been a part of all three Chicago Stanley Cup runs, and all of that extra mileage will have to catch up with him sooner or later. Last year it did, with him only scoring 16 goals and notching 43 points. Sharp also will probably not be on the top line, instead providing support for Jason Spezza.
Most Underrated: Jason Spezza
Spezza’s 62 points last year is even more impressive because of his lack of help from his wingers. Ales Hemsky was supposed to help, but was a disappointment with his 11 goals and 32 points. With Patrick Sharp possibly as a line mate, Spezza will have the most help he has gotten in years. With 749 career points 768 games, Spezza looks to return to his point per game form.
Biggest Surprise: John Klingberg
Klingberg has 40 points, and he has not even played a full season yet. Klingberg was one of the most impressive young defenders during the second half of the season last year. That was shown when he put up 13 points in January alone. With the chance to play an entire NHL season, expect Klingberg's numbers to increase.