DALLAS STARS
COACH: Pete DeBoer (513-379-123 over 15 seasons).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 12 vs. St. Louis.
DEPARTURES: LW Max Domi, C Luke Glendening, D Colin Miller, C Riley Tufte.
ADDITIONS: D Gavin Bayreuther, C Matt Duchene, D Derrick Pouliot, RW Craig Smith, C Sam Steel.
GOALIES: Jake Oettinger (37-11-11, 2.37 goals-against average, .919 save percentage) and Scott Wedgewood (9-8-3, 2.79, .915).
FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK STANLEY CUP ODDS: 13-1.
LAST SEASON: The Stars improved their scoring, maintained their defensive identity and were solid on special teams while making it to the Western Conference Final in their first season under DeBoer. They lost the first three games in that series, but extended it to a Game 6 before running out of steam against eventual Stanley Cup champion Las Vegas. Jason Robertson, who just turned 24, was the first Dallas player with a 100-point season (46 goals, 63 assists), which came after he missed training camp during a contract holdout. Wyatt Johnston tied for the NHL rookie lead with 24 goals, and then turned 20 during the playoffs, when he had game-winning goals two clinching games.
STRENGTHS: Robertson, Roope Hintz and 39-year-old Joe Pavelski are going into their third season together as the Stars’ top scoring line. The trio combined for 261 points (111 goals, 150 assists) last season, after 232 points (105 goals, 127 assists) in 2021-22. They accounted for 45% of the team’s points during that span. Robertson is part of the Stars’ standout 2017 draft class with defenseman Miro Heiskanen and starting goaltender Jake Oettinger. Heiskanen’s 73 points last season were a franchise record for a defenseman.
WEAKNESSES: Dallas struggled when skating beyond regulation last season. In 3-on-3 overtimes, the Stars went 4-11 and had 14 OT losses overall. Things didn’t get much better in the playoffs, even when the extra periods were the usual 5-on-5 play. Dallas was 1-4 in overtime games in the postseason.
WHAT TO EXPECT: The Stars have every reason to anticipate going deep into the playoffs again, and if everything goes right, could make it to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in five seasons. They have the core group of players back on a roster mixed with seasoned veterans and younger standouts. They go into DeBoer’s second season building on a solid foundation, rather than trying to adjust to his system like they were last year. Captain Jamie Benn and six-time All-Star Tyler Seguin, once their top scoring options, are now 30-something players who have adjusted to changed roles and are coming off solid seasons. With the added forwards, Dallas could have four full scoring lines.
PLAYER TO WATCH: The 25-year-old Oettinger was 37-11-11 in his first full season as the starting goaltender, then got his first two playoffs series victories. But he had a heavy workload, which might have contributed to some duds while playing 19 postseason games. Oettinger had already played 62 regular-season games, not getting much of a break late when Wedgewood missed 15 games injured from late February through most of March.
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