We need to acknowledge that on paper Stars have the most lethal forwards

[Dolemite]

::cough:: Goaltending and defense are liabilities ::cough::

 

[john skull]

Rous 12 casa 12 Ritchie 15
McKenzie 5 shore 12 pitlick 10
Pretty decent depth scoring. Esp considering the 200 foot game that that third line can play.

 

[john skull]

::cough:: Goaltending and defense are liabilities ::cough::

Since when are vezina nominated goalies liabilities? You say it like it's a matter of fact. But the conventional wisdom is that their goaltending will almost certainly be much improved.

 

[john skull]

Pens.

Crosby>Benn
Malkin>Seguin
Kessel>Radulov
Guentzel>Spezza
Sheary>Hanzal

Well, if you do want to announce that you don't know what you're talking about, this is as good a way as any.

 

[Shruggs Peterson]

Since when are vezina nominated goalies liabilities? You say it like it's a matter of fact. But the conventional wisdom is that their goaltending will almost certainly be much improved.

Well yes because the tire fire tandem they had last year had .902% and .892% save percentages. That isn't going to win you a lot of games.

Should probably temper expectations with Bishop, who didn't have a great year last year. He'll be better than Niemi, but don't think the Stars are getting the Vezina nominated goalie.

Anyways in regards to the question no, the Stars are very good but Pittsburgh and I'd say Winnipeg have better groups. Hitchcock's style will also make that group less lethal than they look on paper.

 

[Treb]

Benn - Seguin - Radulov
Janmark - Spezza - Ritchie
Roussel - Hanzal - Pitlick
Mckenzie - Faksa - Flynn
Shore, Cracknell

is pretty deep, especially at center which is the most important fwd position. That's not counting guys like Dickinson and Guryanov impressing and bumping guys down.

So for the next year at least they are definitely a top3 forward group.

 

[john skull]

Well yes because the tire fire tandem they had last year had .902% and .892% save percentages. That isn't going to win you a lot of games.

Should probably temper expectations with Bishop, who didn't have a great year last year. He'll be better than Niemi, but don't think the Stars are getting the Vezina nominated goalie.

Anyways in regards to the question no, the Stars are very good but Pittsburgh and I'd say Winnipeg have better groups. Hitchcock's style will also make that group less lethal than they look on paper.

That's the thing...they literally are getting a goalie that has two nominations. He may kill it in witch's defensive system or he could, like any other goalie, not kill it. Time will tell. But they signed a guy who will win more games than Kari or niemi. If Bish has an avg year for him .919 the stars will burn some villages for sure.
Stars are gonna score. People don't believe in the quality of their depth or don't know their depth guys the same way they know Toronto's or Winnipeg's? Color me surprised. Bring on the season and lets find out.

 

[Ajacied]

Hitch will suck the life out of that forward group.
Most important thing for them is having Hitch's system work with that terrible D they have.

Terrible defense.. funny coming from a Leafs fan.

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

Benn - Seguin - Radulov
Janmark - Spezza - Ritchie
Roussel - Hanzal - Pitlick
Mckenzie - Faksa - Flynn
Shore, Cracknell

is pretty deep, especially at center which is the most important fwd position. That's not counting guys like Dickinson and Guryanov impressing and bumping guys down.

So for the next year at least they are definitely a top3 forward group.

Hmm, not a bad line up though I think Faksa is wasted as a fourth line centre. I wouldn't mind trying him at right wing with the big boys.

Benn - Seguin - Faksa
Janmark - Spezza - Radulov
Roussel - Hanzal - Ritchie
Shore - Dickinson - Pitlick

Run four deep lines. Move Faksa back to centre on the PK.

 

[tony d]

Their forward group is up there for sure in terms of being lethal. That said hiring Ken Hitchcok back as coach may not have been the best idea.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

Hmm, not a bad line up though I think Faksa is wasted as a fourth line centre. I wouldn't mind trying him at right wing with the big boys.

Benn - Seguin - Faksa
Janmark - Spezza - Radulov
Roussel - Hanzal - Ritchie
Shore - Dickinson - Pitlick

Run four deep lines. Move Faksa back to centre on the PK.

I like it. I've thought about Ritchie #1RW, Faksa with Hanzal in a shutdown role and Radu with Spezza, but that works too.

Can always put Radu with the big boys if they need a goal in the 3rd or something.

Their lineup is the prime example why coaches balance it out. Put all eggs in one basket and suddenly the rest of the lineup doesn't look that impressive, especially if you want guys to play their natural positions.

Hitch always talks about energy levels and stuff like that so im sure he's looking to roll 4 lines.

 

[kmo429]

I'll give it to the Penguins ahead of the Stars, but Stars are close on paper, and #1 in the West.

With that, after their dominant season in 15-16, we all expected the prolific offense would continue yet they regressed mightily.

The team overall added Hanzal, Methot, and Radulov, which should improve the team greatly, in addition to Ben Bishop who will mightily upgrade their goaltending.

At the end of the day, although the offense and defense and goaltending improved on paper, they have had high expectations before. IO do expect them back in the playoffs and top 5 in the NHL in goals./

 

[kmo429]

Terrible defense.. funny coming from a Leafs fan.

Klingberg, Methot, Hamhuis (even at a regressing older age) gives them a very solid top 3 to work with. With Lindell, Johns, Nemeth, and Oleksiak, they should eb able to put together a below average yet fine bottom 3, especially given their improved goaltending and Hitchcock likely going to get the ebst out of them

 

[Unspecified]

How would Radulov look with the Centers Kessel has gotten to play with?

Too soon to call Guentzel better than Spezza. Ville Leino once looked like a world-beater in a playoff run as well.

Sheary over Hanzal is not an appropriate comparison because they play different roles. Hanzal going head to head against another teams top 6 center is arguably as important as the secondary scoring Sheary provides Pittsburgh.

(Not you) Millennials is their Pittsburgh stiffy. I love to see people continue to underestimate the Stars forwards. Hell when Benn won the Art Ross he still didnt get the respect due but rather people on HF were saying "Crosby should of won" blah blah. Seguin has averaged 35 goals the past 3 season prior to this last one and overall has been better than Malkin statistically but yet he is tossed into the wind. Spezza is still a beast but at a slower pace than he used to be but is still better than Guentzel.

 

[BagHead]

I am absolutely in love with the Stars' top 6, and their bottom six can compete with pretty much anyone else's. Compared to last year, their defense might be quite good, and they've got a good starting goalie again. I hesitate to pick a team to win the division when the year before they didn't make the playoffs (not to mention that adding so many new faces often causes teams to start slow), so I wouldn't put them as my main pick to win the Central, but I'd put them as my dark horse pick.

 

[Empoleon8771]

(Not you) Millennials is their Pittsburgh stiffy. I love to see people continue to underestimate the Stars forwards. Hell when Benn won the Art Ross he still didnt get the respect due but rather people on HF were saying "Crosby should of won" blah blah. Seguin has averaged 35 goals the past 3 season prior to this last one and overall has been better than Malkin statistically but yet he is tossed into the wind. Spezza is still a beast but at a slower pace than he used to be but is still better than Guentzel.

There is 1 reason for that: because Malkin gets hurt a ton. No one in their right minds would say Seguin is as good as Malkin offensively.

And how is people saying that the Stars are behind the Penguins at forward "underestimating the Stars forwards"?

 

[Unspecified]

There is 1 reason for that: because Malkin gets hurt a ton. No one in their right minds would say Seguin is as good as Malkin offensively.

And how is people saying that the Stars are behind the Penguins at forward "underestimating the Stars forwards"?

Having small sample sizes of Sheary and Guentzel and yet they are all of a sudden better than Spezza and Radulov? That is underestimating the Dallas players simply for the new shiny pennies in Pitt. Even adding Kessel and adding Hanzal still favors Dallas.

 

[Skobel24]

Top 5 probably. I'd take Pittsburgh, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Anaheim over them. Possibly Minnesota as well. If someone put Dallas as #1, I wouldn't argue it, as I think all the teams mentioned here could have a case for and against.

 

[KingBran]

I think people will realize just how much they are overrating the Stars and a few other teams come a few months from now.

 

[ColdSteel2]

I think people will realize just how much they are overrating the Stars and a few other teams come a few months from now.

Yeah....how often does a team really shoot up the standings like that, especially with all of the turnover? It takes a year or two for a team to come together after so many changes.

 

[Unspecified]

Yeah....how often does a team really shoot up the standings like that, especially with all of the turnover? It takes a year or two for a team to come together after so many changes.

Dallas did it just a couple seasons ago:

2014-2015 - Dallas was 10th in the West and 6th in the Central
2015-2016 - Dallas was 1st in the west

 

[Ajacied]

Klingberg, Methot, Hamhuis (even at a regressing older age) gives them a very solid top 3 to work with. With Lindell, Johns, Nemeth, and Oleksiak, they should eb able to put together a below average yet fine bottom 3, especially given their improved goaltending and Hitchcock likely going to get the ebst out of them

Klingberg, Methot and Hamhuis are fine in their roles. No standout or sure thing #1 defenseman, but decent nonetheless. It has offense, defense and experience. Without overrating the blueline, as they were pretty dismal as a unit last season, you are forgetting Honka, who's among the best offensive defensemen prospects around.

Methot - Klingberg
Hamhuis - Honka
Johns - Lindell

Is a middle of the pack blueline. Some questionmarks, though.

 

[LeafFever]

Terrible defense.. funny coming from a Leafs fan.

Leafs D is better. Rielly/Gardiner and Zaitsev have them beat.
Not sure there was a worse D on paper than Dallas last season.

 

[Ajacied]

Leafs D is better. Rielly/Gardiner and Zaitsev have them beat.

Haha sure, sweet cheeks. If you want to come off as a blatant and uninformed Leaf homer, you are quickly making a big name around here. I've learned not to waste my time on them.

 

[LeafFever]

Haha sure, sweet cheeks. If you want to come off as a blatant and uninformed Leaf homer, you are quickly making a big name around here. I've learned not to waste my time on them.

Leafs D is vastly underrated, Methot is some star now?
Their biggest defensive star is Ken Hitchcock.