I think its easy to be negative about the Stars given the WCF, but the truth is they are still the class of the West and are a better team today than they were starting the season last year. Rantanen for a whole year. Healthy Miro. Bourque and Bichsel taking another half step. If Robo is here, having a full offseason to get going. I also believe in a coaching bump. Gully will provide new perspective and tactics that should pay dividends. I think Edmonton and Winnipeg got worse this offseason. Colorado certainly didn't improve and earmarking Landy to play 82 games next year is quite an assumption. Vegas did add Marner, but lost Pietrangelo. I guess I don't understand the idea Marner will become a playoff supernova with a change of scenery. Kings I could see being really good, but those contract they gave out are simply awful and could hamstring them going forward. I like Dallas' chances to comfortably make the playoffs and advance. Too many twists and turns to predict beyond that.
I think one of the actually applicable lessons teams can take from the Panthers and Oilers these past two years is that being the best team in the regular season doesn’t actually help you win the Cup. Presidents trophy curse aside- Helle and the Jets were exhausted by the time they had to face Dallas. The Panthers made it look easy getting by the Lightning. I think it’s also going to be tricky for GG tho because if the Stars DONT look like the #1 in the west then he’s going to have external pressure about all of that when he knows first hand that doesn’t actually matter and having guys rested matters more. I think Nill would have his back if the Stars aren’t at like .850 winning percentage in November but. I dunno. I think the Stars can make the playoffs pretty easily with the roster as is.
It's funny: Dallas were avowed subscribers to that notion last year, after finishing 1st in the West in 2023-24, only to face a gauntlet as usual. But as always, the Cup champs tend to reinforce those lessons better than anyone else.
I wrote this on David's piece today: basically, any sort of injury to more than one of the top six might see them drop all the way out of the playoffs. They don't have the depth, but that top 6 could carry the load this season. Figuring out the D is going to be what gets them better than a wild card spot.
I think I have more faith in their depth than most, and I could be totally wrong. But I think the guts of the scoring should still be there--especially if they don't have the same bad injury luck they did last year.
I think it’ll remain tight in the Central between Colorado, Dallas and Winnipeg. Minnesota should be in the mix as well. As far as whether Utah will push for anything higher than a wildcard spot, I will believe it when I see it.
I am confident Gulutzan can help with greater control, anxious to see how it translates in 1 through 82.
I think the Stars will finish the regular season in good shape for the playoffs. My concern is the playoffs and their lack of physicality that has doomed them in the playoffs for several years dating back to 2019 against St. Louis. I know Gully has talked about playing slightly more physical from game 1, but I just don’t think they have the players to play that game. I hope I’m wrong as I cheer for another deep playoff run.
I’m hoping they go with the strongest top 6. Give both Johnston and Dutch better wingers to play with!!! Rant will carry his line! Not convinced that Bourque has another gear… hope so, but gotta see it. Maybe one of the AHLers will surprise us?
Stars still a very good team. Need to play with more grit (I think coaching can instil this ingredient with current roster). We need Jake to steal a series in playoffs. With some breaks, I feel that they have as good a chance to make it to the finals, as any other western team.
I'm going with 3rd or 4th in the West. It's about what I figured this last year and obviously they jumped to 2nd, but with how much of a furball the top of the West is, I wouldn't be surprised at even 5th ot 6th and still being "fine".
Will echo a lot of feelings that left wing scoring help is a Need. But more importantly, while there will be some natural adjustment, I do think adding Gully from outside the organization, and Graham from inside, as new voices and Naz as a continuation could be a good match. And the eye in the sky coach being a skating coach could have some interesting impact. The Stars last year (and in many years) got into supreme trouble when defending in their own end devolved into chaos. Strict adherence to man on man or man+a little zone and no flexibility to switch sometimes really did them in. The opponents could game plan against that and forced it as often as they could.
Yes good offense could come from good defense, but what happened when it was average defense or worse? You were then hoping your top players would make the low percentage play work way more often than it should. Sometimes it worked and the Stars got pretty good at it up until the playoffs snuffed it in increasingly tightening coils as the rounds went on.
I shared this same viewpoint, I was interested to hear why people were so sure as to why dallas wont win the central, bias aside I think they have a fair shot, Winnipeg has been powered by INSANE PDO and special teams, they could be heavy regression candidates.
The avs could very well be paper tigers (again). Their goaltending has regressed hard throughout the season, and they lost their 3c, and the dcore doesn't wow me.
I don't see a world where Dallas isn't in the division race for a long chunk of the season.
As for the rest of the west, pretty much everyone that could touch Dallas in a 7-game seires got marginally worse or stayed the same
I think one aspect that could be tightened-up is the duration of the earlier rounds in the playoffs.
Additionally, we saw Florida was able to ride Bobrovsky for all the playoff games. I wonder if it’d help to give DeSmith a game or two in the earlier rounds to better assist with Otters’ ability to keep going.
I think its easy to be negative about the Stars given the WCF, but the truth is they are still the class of the West and are a better team today than they were starting the season last year. Rantanen for a whole year. Healthy Miro. Bourque and Bichsel taking another half step. If Robo is here, having a full offseason to get going. I also believe in a coaching bump. Gully will provide new perspective and tactics that should pay dividends. I think Edmonton and Winnipeg got worse this offseason. Colorado certainly didn't improve and earmarking Landy to play 82 games next year is quite an assumption. Vegas did add Marner, but lost Pietrangelo. I guess I don't understand the idea Marner will become a playoff supernova with a change of scenery. Kings I could see being really good, but those contract they gave out are simply awful and could hamstring them going forward. I like Dallas' chances to comfortably make the playoffs and advance. Too many twists and turns to predict beyond that.
Thank you for this. I'm worried.
Ok, but do we pronounce "Nicolases" with a long E?
If you're speaking Greek, then with an "η," sure.
I think one of the actually applicable lessons teams can take from the Panthers and Oilers these past two years is that being the best team in the regular season doesn’t actually help you win the Cup. Presidents trophy curse aside- Helle and the Jets were exhausted by the time they had to face Dallas. The Panthers made it look easy getting by the Lightning. I think it’s also going to be tricky for GG tho because if the Stars DONT look like the #1 in the west then he’s going to have external pressure about all of that when he knows first hand that doesn’t actually matter and having guys rested matters more. I think Nill would have his back if the Stars aren’t at like .850 winning percentage in November but. I dunno. I think the Stars can make the playoffs pretty easily with the roster as is.
It's funny: Dallas were avowed subscribers to that notion last year, after finishing 1st in the West in 2023-24, only to face a gauntlet as usual. But as always, the Cup champs tend to reinforce those lessons better than anyone else.
Also woof on the Wild shade. Did Jared Spurgeon cut you off in traffic or something? But also, like, yeah. Hard agree on everything
I kinda love Jared Spurgeon as a player, to be honest. The Wild, on the other hand,
Don’t the Wild have the longest current streak of 1st round exits? Atrocious
I wrote this on David's piece today: basically, any sort of injury to more than one of the top six might see them drop all the way out of the playoffs. They don't have the depth, but that top 6 could carry the load this season. Figuring out the D is going to be what gets them better than a wild card spot.
I think I have more faith in their depth than most, and I could be totally wrong. But I think the guts of the scoring should still be there--especially if they don't have the same bad injury luck they did last year.
Just tell me we aren’t going to see Benn with Johnston and I’ll feel better.
How's this for a hot take: I think you might be more likely to see Duchene on Johnston's left wing than Benn.
I’m in on that.
24-21-96
91-53-95
Is there any world in which Erik Karlsson is a RD for Dallas opposite Heiskanen?
Not that I can see, given his contract.
I haven’t looked, but is there any trade, with retention, that Nill might be investigating?
Anything is possible! This seems decidedly less possible than other things, though.
I think it’ll remain tight in the Central between Colorado, Dallas and Winnipeg. Minnesota should be in the mix as well. As far as whether Utah will push for anything higher than a wildcard spot, I will believe it when I see it.
I am confident Gulutzan can help with greater control, anxious to see how it translates in 1 through 82.
I think the Stars will finish the regular season in good shape for the playoffs. My concern is the playoffs and their lack of physicality that has doomed them in the playoffs for several years dating back to 2019 against St. Louis. I know Gully has talked about playing slightly more physical from game 1, but I just don’t think they have the players to play that game. I hope I’m wrong as I cheer for another deep playoff run.
Finish in the playoffs, configured for 16 wins, and healthy & rested.
I’m hoping they go with the strongest top 6. Give both Johnston and Dutch better wingers to play with!!! Rant will carry his line! Not convinced that Bourque has another gear… hope so, but gotta see it. Maybe one of the AHLers will surprise us?
I could see Duchene and Johnston getting together on some line.
Stars still a very good team. Need to play with more grit (I think coaching can instil this ingredient with current roster). We need Jake to steal a series in playoffs. With some breaks, I feel that they have as good a chance to make it to the finals, as any other western team.
A missed opportunity to use "Czechmate" for Faksa! 😉
I'm saving those for my eventual Aleš Hemský magnum opus.
I'm going with 3rd or 4th in the West. It's about what I figured this last year and obviously they jumped to 2nd, but with how much of a furball the top of the West is, I wouldn't be surprised at even 5th ot 6th and still being "fine".
Will echo a lot of feelings that left wing scoring help is a Need. But more importantly, while there will be some natural adjustment, I do think adding Gully from outside the organization, and Graham from inside, as new voices and Naz as a continuation could be a good match. And the eye in the sky coach being a skating coach could have some interesting impact. The Stars last year (and in many years) got into supreme trouble when defending in their own end devolved into chaos. Strict adherence to man on man or man+a little zone and no flexibility to switch sometimes really did them in. The opponents could game plan against that and forced it as often as they could.
Yes good offense could come from good defense, but what happened when it was average defense or worse? You were then hoping your top players would make the low percentage play work way more often than it should. Sometimes it worked and the Stars got pretty good at it up until the playoffs snuffed it in increasingly tightening coils as the rounds went on.
I shared this same viewpoint, I was interested to hear why people were so sure as to why dallas wont win the central, bias aside I think they have a fair shot, Winnipeg has been powered by INSANE PDO and special teams, they could be heavy regression candidates.
The avs could very well be paper tigers (again). Their goaltending has regressed hard throughout the season, and they lost their 3c, and the dcore doesn't wow me.
I don't see a world where Dallas isn't in the division race for a long chunk of the season.
As for the rest of the west, pretty much everyone that could touch Dallas in a 7-game seires got marginally worse or stayed the same
I think one aspect that could be tightened-up is the duration of the earlier rounds in the playoffs.
Additionally, we saw Florida was able to ride Bobrovsky for all the playoff games. I wonder if it’d help to give DeSmith a game or two in the earlier rounds to better assist with Otters’ ability to keep going.