<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dallas-Projected-2.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="850" height="1000" src="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dallas-Projected-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-84660" srcset="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dallas-Projected-2.png 850w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dallas-Projected-2-255x300.png 255w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dallas-Projected-2-768x904.png 768w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dallas-Projected-2-150x176.png 150w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dallas-Projected-2-300x353.png 300w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dallas-Projected-2-600x706.png 600w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Dallas-Projected-2-696x819.png 696w" sizes="(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px"></a></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-last-season"><strong>LAST SEASON</strong></h2>



<p>What a year it was for the Dallas Stars. They eeked into the playoffs securing the top spot in what was a tightly contested Western Conference wildcard race, but it was far from an ideal first round for them. They took on the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs, losing in a heartbreaking fashion in a Game 7 overtime. The revelation, however, was the fact that goaltender Jake Oettinger had his coming out party. </p>



<p>He had a strong regular season with a 30-15-1 record posting a .914 save percentage, 2.53 GAA and stopping 9.8 goals above average, but boy – did he turn it on in the postseason. He hit another level with a .954 save percentage and a 1.81 GAA against a Flames club that threw everything but the kitchen sink Oettinger’s way. </p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="139"></div>



<p>Aging like a fine wine, Joe Pavelski scored at a .99 point per game pace, the best in his career, all at the age of 37. He was a key contributor for the Stars, who also saw players like Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz step up with huge seasons in their own right. </p>



<p>Rick Bowness, despite a strong season going 46-30-6, stepped down from his role as head coach of the team in a move that caught some by surprise. In a statement, Bowness said he consulted with his wife, Judy, adding “we feel it’s best to step away and allow the organization the opportunity to pursue a different direction at the head coaching position.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>KEY ADDITIONS &amp; DEPARTURES</strong></h2>



<p><strong>Additions</strong><br>Mason Marchment, LW<br>Colin Miller, D<br>Will Butcher, D</p>



<p><strong>Departures</strong><br>John Klingberg, D (ANA)<br>Alexander Radulov, RW (KHL)<br>Vladislav Namestnikov, C (TB)<br>Andrej Sekera, D (UFA)<br>Michael Raffl, LW (Swi.)<br>Joel L’Esperance, C (AHL)</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="142"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>OFFENSE</strong></h2>



<p>The Stars are bringing back their leading scorer Pavelski, who inked a one-year extension back in March, and are poised to have another middle-of-the-road season when it comes to their output offensively. Last year, the Stars scored 238 goals, the 11th fewest in the league. They’ll also be relying on his linemates, Robertson and Hintz, to continue to take another step forward in their development. </p>



<p>Mason Marchment was the big free agent acquisition for Dallas this year. Despite other offers, Marchment inked a four-year, $4.5-million AAV deal to join them. He’s projected to slot in on the second line alongside Tyler Seguin and Denis Gurianov. The big question is whether Marchment can keep up the incredible per-60 production he showed with an elite offensive team in the Florida Panthers. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="131"></div>



<p>Dallas, too, will need vets like Seguin and Jamie Benn to step up their offensive games. While they scored 49 and 46 points last year, respectively, they account for a staggering $19.35 million against the salary cap. That’s a lot of money for what is now secondary scoring. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>DEFENSE</strong></h2>



<p>Dallas lost their best offensive defenseman John Klingberg in free agency and also saw Andrej Sekera depart for free agency with retirement rumors swirling. Losing a top-pairing defenseman is never an easy thing, but Miro Heiskanen has quietly become one of the best all-around rearguards in the league. The 23-year-old scored 36 points in 70 games this year and ate up 24:53 in ice-time per night, and the expectation is he will take another significant step forward in his game in the second season of an eight-year pact. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="138"></div>



<p>Veteran minute muncher Ryan Suter should continue to be a strong player, and Esa Lindell and Jani Hakanpaa will provide a good one-two punch on the second pair. Will a 21-year-old Thomas Harley and Colin Miller be able to hold the fort down in a potential third pairing deployment? Time will tell.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>GOALTENDING</strong></h2>



<p>The Stars still need to get a new deal for RFA Oettinger, but the expectation is that will be wrapped up. He quickly emerged as a star in his incredible series against the Flames in the playoffs, and quietly, some wondered if there was ever a chance for an offer sheet. That seems highly unlikely at this point. Nonetheless, given he’s only 23 years old, the future looks bright for the Dallas Stars’ crease.</p>



<p>Scott Wedgewood, meanwhile, will be a sturdy backup goaltender for the Stars this year.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="4" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="140"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coaching"><strong>COACHING</strong></h2>



<p>Coaching could arguably be one of the biggest question marks for this team. Pete DeBoer takes over from Bowness and joins the team after spending three seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights as their bench boss. His coaching experience goes back to the early ’90’s within the OHL and he broke into the NHL as a head coach with Florida in 2008-09.</p>



<p>He’s gotten teams deep into the playoffs before, taking the 2011-12 New Jersey Devils and the 2015-16 San Jose Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final. DeBoer was tremendous in Vegas, coaching them to a 98-50-12 record over parts of three seasons with a rock-solid .650 points percentage.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>ROOKIES</strong></h2>



<p>There won’t be much youth on this Stars team. Harley, at 21, projects to be the young player on the team with there being no rookies. That being said, there’s a solid group of prospects in the Stars’ system. Guys like Wyatt Johnson, Mavrik Bourque, and Logan Stankoven all project as future impact players on this team. </p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="5" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="167"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-burning-questions"><strong>BURNING QUESTIONS</strong></h2>



<p><strong>1. Will Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn step back up?</strong> To me, this is the most important thing for this Stars team this season. Both players have struggled to produce up to their contract expectations. If they can score up to a point-per-game this season, which would be a surprise with both players on the wrong side of 30, that would be huge in helping the Stars make the postseason again. </p>



<p><strong>2. Can Jake Oettinger repeat the success? </strong>As mentioned above, the tremendous series against the Flames boosted his stock as a goaltender big time. While he won’t post a .954 save percentage during the regular season, is it out of the question for him to elevate from a .914 goaltender to, say, a .923 or even higher? That could go a long way for this team.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="6" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="138"></div>



<p><strong>3. Will Pete DeBoer elevate this team?</strong> The Stars have some nice pieces on their roster, but can DeBoer take them to the next level? He’s done so in the past with both the Devils and Sharks taking them deep in his first season. If Jake Oettinger were to get hot in the playoffs again, this team might win a round or two. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>PREDICTION</strong></h2>



<p>In a Western Conference that saw teams around them make big steps to get better, it’s hard to imagine the Stars beating out the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, or St. Louis Blues for one of the three spots in the Central Division. They’ll be in a dogfight with teams like the Nashville Predators, Vegas Golden Knights, and Vancouver Canucks, among others, for a wildcard spot. I think they eek in taking the second spot.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="7" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="138"></div>



<p>_____</p>



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