Dallas Stars 2015-2016

[Ghost of Kyiv]

Currently, Dallas has a Stanley Cup caliber offense, I'd say around the 18-25th ranked defense and your guess is as good as mine as far as the goaltending is concerned (though it was 2nd worst in the league this year).

I'd say that Dallas is about as well poised as any current non playoff team to become a true contender within the next 3-5 years, though that isn't necessarily saying a lot because the climb from non playoff team to cup contender is massive.

Dallas should compete for a playoff spot this year though, I'd be quite disappointed if they didn't.

 

[Stars27]

Here's my ideal off-season plan:

Sign Paul Martin 3x5.5M
Sign Eaves 2x1.4M
Sign McKenzie 2x1.2M
Trade Oleksiak, Roussel and 2016 DAL 2nd for Sharp and 2016 CHI 4th
Trade Daley and Garbutt for Gorges and BUF 3rd
Waive Benn (Jordie of course)

Lines for 2015-2016

Benn-Seguin-Nichushkin
Sharp-Spezza-Hemsky
McKenzie-Eakin-Ritchie
Moen-Fiddler-Eaves
Sceviour

Martin-Klingberg
Nemeth-Goligoski
Gorges-Demers
Jokipakka

Lehtonen
Niemi

What do you think?

 

[LT]

Not a fan of the Sharp or Gorges deals. Decent line-up though.

 

[________]

Link

Alex Goligoski is getting newfound respect, thanks in part to the focus on shot-differential. Goligoski, 29, was plus-205 on SAT last season while battling through myriad injuries and leading the team in time on ice at 23:48. Fact is, Goligoski has led the team in ice time every season since he arrived in 2011 and has always been a plus-SAT player.

His 205 last season ranked second behind Jason Demers (222) on the Stars and 43rd in the league.

The wrath of the fans right now is on Trevor Daley, who was minus-177 last season. That was worst on the Stars _ and next closest was Travis Moen at minus-36. So how can Daley’s shot differential be that much worse than his teammates? It’s a question the Stars are asking themselves right now.

Daley was plus-41 in 2013-14, same as Goligoski, but he was minus-75 the year before and minus-116 the year before that, so there is a trend in that department.

 

[Satan]

Sculpting the Dallas Stars Blueline

The Stars offense is set. Hell, it was set last season when Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky were added to the team. The Stars went on to score the most goals in the Western Conference, and were one goal from tying the league leading Tampa Bay Lightning’s 262. It’s July. You all knew that.

Where I’m taking this is to the blueline.

Check it out on OT Winner.com


It's a lot of rambling about the defense situation- which itself is a current mess.

 

[Hotspur]

People on the main forum are predicting we'll be in the basement this year. Blows my mind.

 

[Ub the Bub]

Whatever makes them happy. I don't mind at all going into the season as an underdog.

 

[Satan]

I see where they're coming from and I tend to agree with them.

We haven't improved the one glaring issue on our team, defense. We are relying heavily on guys with under 82 NHL games played. Plus we added a questionable veteran goalie to go along with our questionable veteran goalie.

From the outside looking in, this team is boom or bust. Just like last year.

 

[txomisc]

I see where they're coming from and I tend to agree with them.

We haven't improved the one glaring issue on our team, defense. We are relying heavily on guys with under 82 NHL games played. Plus we added a questionable veteran goalie to go along with our questionable veteran goalie.

From the outside looking in, this team is boom or bust. Just like last year.

Eh the defense is and has been a problem but its not enough to put us in the cellar. If we get a season of even average NHL goaltending this team should well above the bottom of the pack.

 

[Satan]

Yeah I agree. But I'm putting myself in the shoes of other fans, and I don't think they realize that.

I do think we're one injury away from potential disaster if Klingberg or Goligoski are out for an extended amount of time. The defense is still quite thin.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

Yeah the cellar dweller predictions seem rather questionable.

Dallas finished with 41 wins and 92 points, so in order for Dallas to finish much worse than that, the status quo would have to change in a significantly negative manner. And the only real changes are pretty obviously in the positive direction (Niemi being an undisputed upgrade over our backups, Sharp being a great 2 way player and Daley being fairly obvious addition by subtraction at least as far as defense is concerned). I guess one could think that Dallas out-preformed their record in 14/15? but that certainly isn't a widely held belief that I am aware of.

So how those changes would drop Dallas from 92 points to basement status is a little quizzical. But I guess that's about all you can expect with regards to superficial predictions which are unsubstantiated by any amount of reasonable logic.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

I do think we're one injury away from potential disaster if Klingberg or Goligoski are out for an extended amount of time. The defense is still quite thin.

Yeah this is my one fear as well. We could probably withstand injuries to players like Oleksiak or Joki, but Klingberg or even Goligoski being our for extended periods would kill Dallas.

 

[LT]

I think this team is expected to make the playoffs, and if they don't, heads will roll. Nill should stick around, but Ruff will almost certainly be gone - inexcusable for a team with this much firepower to miss the playoffs.

The new lottery could play into our hands if we were to miss as well, and there are some stud defenders (Chychrun, Day, etc) available... but this is a playoff team.

Players in () are potential injury call-ups.

Benn - Seguin - Nichushkin
Sharp - Spezza - Hemsky
Roussel - Eakin - Ritchie
McKenzie - Fiddler - Eaves
Moen, Faksa (Dickinson, Morin)

Goligoski - Klingberg
Nemeth - Demers
Jokipakka - Oleksiak
Jo. Benn (Lindell, Johns, Honka)

Lehtonen
Niemi
(Campbell)

Forward group is top five in the league from top to bottom, I have very little doubt of that.

Defense is 17-23ish, unless Klingberg regresses or Nemeth doesn't play like I think he could. Then it could definitely be bottom five, but even then, our offense can carry us.

Goaltending is much improved. I'd be quite surprised if Lehtonen and Niemi both continue to play poorly - its not like either of them in recent history. One bad year doesn't mean they're both terrible goalies.

I'm excited for next year. I think we have a chance to make the second round, maybe even further if someone steps up on defense. Gonna be a very exciting year and a very fun to watch team.

 

[Rune Forumwalker]

Plus we added a questionable veteran goalie to go along with our questionable veteran goalie.

Questionable veteran goalie? He's won a Cup and had a few successful years as the starter in SJ. I'm not sure what is questionable about Niemi.

 

[Satan]

Questionable veteran goalie? He's won a Cup and had a few successful years as the starter in SJ. I'm not sure what is questionable about Niemi.

You read it correctly.

He won a cup 5 years ago, that's good stuff. He has experience.

Niemi was in the bottom third of goalies last season when you look at 5 vs 5 SV%. That stat surprisingly got better from his 2013-14 year.

He's aging. He's a middle - mediocre - average goalie who could begin to decline while behind a young Dallas defense.

The people got questions. He's making a lot of money for 3 more years. He can ride off into the sunset if he wants to. I think it's fair for people to call him questionable.



The benefit for Dallas is he's better than Lindback. He's better than Ellis and old Timmy Thomas. Other fans don't realize we only needed 3 wins from Lindback to make the playoffs last season.

 

[Ub the Bub]

Benn - Seguin - Nichushkin
Sharp - Spezza - Hemsky
Roussel - Eakin - Ritchie
McKenzie - Fiddler - Eaves
Moen, Faksa (Dickinson, Morin)

Forgot there I see? Arguably an easy mistake to make though, I did it myself a few days ago during the Sharp trade.

 

[LT]

Forgot there I see? Arguably an easy mistake to make though, I did it myself a few days ago during the Sharp trade.

Sceviour? Yup

Some good forward depth, at least.

 

[Satan]

Sharp to wear #10
Niemi to wear #31

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

Yeah this is my one fear as well. We could probably withstand injuries to players like Oleksiak or Joki, but Klingberg or even Goligoski being our for extended periods would kill Dallas.

Luck plays into most SC wins, including keeping key players healthy. Not too many teams in a cap world have the luxury of quality back ups. So, we just have to hope the injury bug doesn't get us, like 29 other teams.

No NHL roster is perfect and free from injuries in a cap world. One thing we might have going for us, is depth at call ups for both FW and D. When you can plug in a Dickinson, Ellie, etc. and Johns, Honka, etc. and shelter them a bit in a playoff race, its about the best situation you can have to cover injuries.

 

[Satan]

Interesting stuff.. No "Wednesday Night Rivalry Night" games on NBC.


5th largest TV audience in the USA--- NBC executives are useless. --- Strange nonetheless.

 

[BeaverSports]

I disagree with those who don't have Johns in their ghost rosters. The Stars considered the man the best player in the AHL playoffs and he was in the best organization in hockey. I'm betting he's pencilled in on the NHL roster for next year ahead of a lot of those other prospects.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

On that chart, how does Dallas have only 17 off nights, when some teams (Ducks on the West Coast) have up to 50? It seems like even being in the Central, we still may have the toughest travel schedule.

As to Johns, we know he was nearly a lock to play with the Hawks this year. Yeah, a cap issue, but pretty impressive nonetheless. I wouldn't discount him jumping Oleksiak and Benn, for sure. Or, if we have to give up Jokipakka or Nemeth in trade, then taking their spots. If not opening night, then somewhere down the road next season.

 

[WhoahNow]

Now that Garbutt has been traded who do you think fits best to play with Roussel & Eakin?

Assuming the top 9 is set with:

Benn - Seguin - Nichushkin
Sharp - Spezza - Hemsky
Roussel - Eakin - ?

Possible candidates:

Eaves
Ritchie
Sceviour

My guess would be initially try out Eaves there to keep McKenzie & Ritchie together (replace Horcoff with Fiddler for that line).

 

[Satan]

I'm not really bothered. I think Ritchie could find open ice with Roussel mucking the corners

 

[Mr Misty]

Now that Garbutt has been traded who do you think fits best to play with Roussel & Eakin?

Assuming the top 9 is set with:

Benn - Seguin - Nichushkin
Sharp - Spezza - Hemsky
Roussel - Eakin - ?

Possible candidates:

Eaves
Ritchie
Sceviour

My guess would be initially try out Eaves there to keep McKenzie & Ritchie together (replace Horcoff with Fiddler for that line).

That's the way I size it up as well. Fiddler had a decent cycle game with Nystrom and Dvorak and it would make sense for Ritchie and Mckenzie to play together on the 4th line. Eaves is more trustworthy I guess so if that 3rd line is supposed to shut things down he could be okay there. As it stands the bottom 6 doesn't have many guys I trust to handle the heavy minutes, so a high offense Eakin-Ritchie pairing isn't going to happen.