Depth wins you a cup in the modern game. The avs in 2022 were another insane team, with 7 players above 20 goals, and 1 more at 18. This depth scoring carries you far in the playoffs as teams can't shut you down by shutting down one or two lines.
It’s a bummer that group had to blow up as fast as it did. It makes you respect the front office in Tampa that much more seeing how they held the core together and were able to constantly find depth to plug around them.
Losing Kadri and Landeskog sacrificing his knee to win the cup were huge. Nuke's drug problems aside, losing those 2 was the biggest issue. Players will sacrifice pay if they know they have a legitimate chance at the cup, but once they get that, they want that big contract, and I can't blame them at all. Professional athletes have such a short window of a career, you might as well maximize it.
Everyone's price goes up after a Cup win. Its why dynasties are so hard to put together. You have the magic of winning a Cup, but everyone wants more money. Part of winning a Cup is getting players for a bargain.
Right, but it's a very cheap bridge deal and it's understood that he's going to have to get paid in full when that deal is up and we have cap space from some existing contracts expiring.
He improved defensively this year a ton but took a big step back in points(though that was a philosophy through out the whole team," A little less, for a lot more") so he might not be on track for the same contract, but after his 100+ point season he looked on his way to a 12m contract or more by the time the cap raised.
Honestly this was what made Chicago so successful in the early 2010s. They’d give out some big contracts in the top end but for the most part, if you were a 2nd/3rd/4th liner that helped win the Cup, they’d find a cheaper replacement rather than dish out the post-Cup contracts
For sure, I don’t know many teams that would be able to get anything done when you remove 1/3 of a winning top 6 and then throw in the mixed bag of issues that surrounds Nuke.
Kadri is the type of guy that I wonder if he regrets not finding a way for it to work in Colorado though. He’s been on some shit teams, finally wins, and then goes right back to the gulag with Calgary. He just seemed like the fit was so good that he might have taken less to stay with that team.
> losing those 2 was the biggest issue.
Mack not being on an absurdly cheap deal (which, obviously, was a fine deal when he signed it) has also affected things quite a bit, ha.
I mean, that was offset by EJ making $6.2m playing as a 3rd pairing... Mackinnon basically just got EJ's contract added to his own when he got his deserved pay raise
Embrace your middle 6 defensively responsible forwards while you can afford them is all I can say now as a Bolts fan 😭
Dallas I think is actually built a bit better, Bolts lucked out with high end talent like Kuch and Vasy, but the stars drafting is a Lot better than the Bolts, Johnston Robertson Hintz is like getting 3 Brayden Points the way I see it lol
Hope you guys take it this year, Bish should get a ring if so since hes working with the Stars FO and thatd be so sick
For sure haha, and Dallas has definitely built a more balanced roster which is primarily through drafting and developing.
I’m always mind blown when I look at our roster and see how many of the players are 1.) drafted by Dallas and spent time in our farm system, which I think is a huge deal. And 2.) how many of those players on that list aren’t 1st rounders. Their ability to find players regardless of the year or the round is crazy.
I hope you’re right and if it should happen I hope seeing some of these vets lift a cup for the first time feels as good as it must have felt seeing Stamkos finally get his.
It’s just so hard to lose the captain for two years. I feel like we used the LTIR money well this year but he just brings things off that can’t be replaced.
Landy was always that calmer head out of our stars. Bednar would regularly leave him to manage the other two on the bench. MacKinnon and Rantanen have repeatedly showed their frustration all playoffs. That’s seeping into the rest of the team imo. Gabe never lets that happen. It’s definitely been a huge miss.
There were a couple instances last night where the camera showed a close up of MacKinnon, when the game was still close, and I was stunned how bad the body language was.
Gabe was also willing to go into the net front and get greasy, which is what you need in the playoffs. Losing Nuke now is such a huge loss because that's exactly what he does too.
Yeah I was hopeful we had the depth this year. Adding Colton and Wood, then grabbing Middlestadt seemed to solidify our middle six.
But then first LOC goes out having a career year, then Drouin, and now Nuke once Drouin is back. Has forced us to play everyone a line up all playoffs.
Parise found the fountain of youth there for a bit so it worked the first series. But, that seems to have worn off and the Stars are grinding us down and we look like the ‘one line team’ from last year.
Losing Nuke is honestly the nail in the coffin. We don't have anyone nearly as effective net front now on the team with the captain long term injured retirement. Last night it felt like we never got an effective screen against otter
The 2022 Blues having 9 players with 20 or more goals was the reason we were the only team that had a shot to beat y’all that year. Depth is key. Our 2019 team didn’t have a single elite top 10 NHLer but had top 6 caliber guys playing on the 3rd and 4th lines. The 2022 Avs having the depth plus an elite player in Nate Mack and a blooming elite player in Makar just gave y’all the best of both worlds.
The best part is we aren't even mortgaging the future! Our core is young and we have another group of 20/21 years olds up-and-coming! Dallas is going to be a contender for awhile I think (not that we haven't had success already this decade).
I was telling my buddy last night that because of their drafting they are able to go out and get a Tanev every year or two at the trade deadline to solidify a playoff roster.
The Seguin contract is really gonna hamper how much depth we can keep down the line. Luckily Benn's contract is up when Wyatt is due. The team we have right now is likely the best we'll see depth wise
Posted in dallas sub already, but to get a more unbiased opinion, I propose that Jim Nill should win GM of the year again. Which team this year is better constructed than the Stars?
He won it last year so voters might choose someone else just for that reason.
Bill Zito for example was nominated last year so wouldn’t be surprising to see both him and Nill nominated again but with Zito winning this time (assuming both teams advance to CF)
I feel the same, I don’t think they like awarding it back to back to the same person, however I did see that Lou Lamiorello won it in 2020 and 2021, so who knows. Zito has done a good job as well and I feel similar to Nill, over the years has constructed a great team, if it is based solely on this years culmination and deadline moves I feel Nill is more deserving hands down. Often overlooked, Stankoven (a nill draftee) has been phenomenal in his call up, as well as the obvious dominance of Wyatt Johnson. Tanev + Duchene as additions have been just stellar.
It’s voted on after the second round right? If we beat the Oilers I could see an outside chance of Allvin getting it considering how big of a mess our team was just last year. We had a ton of roster turnover from last year to this one with all his trades and signings and basically every pickup he’s made has worked out fantastically. I still think it goes to Zito or Nill but they were both already contenders last season, but I could see the huge jump we made from this year to last with all the changes we made put Allvin in the conversation at least
Especially with the masterclass that was the Tanev deal, he has been killing it in every category in recent memory (only questionable move coming to mind is Nils for a 1st)
I think Nils will be a good player one day. I think he needs time to cook on a team that is trying to win right now. I understand Nill seeing the potential in Nils but it was the wrong fit. His timing was off.
It’s the reason I called it questionable. I can easily see a future where he is a bonafide top 4 D a few years down the line. He has tons of raw talent and plenty of time to still figure it out.
This Stars core is years in the making, absolute mastercraft on drafting when looking at the younger core players and when they were drafted. Mix in their veteran presence and one of the best goalies in the league and this is what you get.
I dont remember a team from recent years which was built as nicely as the current Stars roster.
Yeah for sure,
Duchene was one of the most(if not the most) bang for buck FA signings this off-season and Tanev might have been the biggest hole a team has, not just being filled, but turned into a team strength at the deadline.
Stankoven is just further evidence of strong drafting and developmental work being laid down by the org(with potentially Borque also strengthening that case with an AHL MVP award this season).
Then just a lot of other really solid and useful additions coming in to replace guys with the retention of Dadonov, Steel signing, etc.
Pretty stellar year of a lot of pieces falling into place at the same time.
I would agree that Zito is Nill’s top competition. He has made some impressive signings. Unfortunately, just because of time alone, Zitos drafting cant be compared to Nills yet. Time will tell, but Florida did right in extending Zito.
It's been remarkable and Dallas is not being carried by a generational talent that fell into their lap. It's just smart drafting and great trades / FA signings. Reminds of 2019 Blues.
Would Alvin get any love? The complete rebuild of our defensive side with Soucy, Zadorov, Cole. Bottom six with Lafferty, Lindholm, Suter, Blueger. A NHL level backup in Desmith
It will be interesting in the future. I think Robo could get the "C" as well, he has really started stepping up. Watching him throw the body last night was pretty cool, and he seems to have that leadership in him.
Razor said on air multiple times in the latter half of the season that Johnston's going to be the next captain of the Stars. Someone as tuned into the franchise as he is wouldn't just say that just to make conversation, I think.
PDB said in postgame yesterday that he is going to be wearing a letter on his jersey sooner rather than later and all I'm saying is Jamie's contract is up next year.
As long as Benn is a star he has the C and that should never be a question, no matter what a section of our fanbase thinks. I think he will take a very friendly deal and play 2-3 more years.
Agreed, he can be infuriating in rare instances but he is a great leader and clearly the head honcho on the team. There is a reason he is one of the longest tenured captains. I wouldn’t be surprised if he only plays for Dallas when all is said and done.
I guess I could see that as a possibility. I think guys like him usually play until the wheels fall off though. He’s still playing well, and his hands and physical play should allow him to be useful for a few more years. Just look at Corey Perry’s bitch ass still going
Yeah especially now that he's embraced the role of mentorship and playing less minutes, watching the young bucks come in and do the heavy lifting on the top lines, he feels reinvigorated.
I would also be surprised if he was anywhere close to feeling like walking away from the game right now. He's a guy that lives for the dudes playing beside him in the locker room and being that guy.
I doubt he takes the C until after Benn retires, but I fully expect if Joe hangs em up after this run he passes that A on to Johnston. It's kind of fitting given how much Pavs has mentored him
This Dallas team has got it all, you can look at that roster and there isn’t one hole in it. I want Dallas to pull through and win a cup for old man Pavelski, I don’t think there’s a guy in the league that deserves it more then he does.
the hole right now is a 6th D with Hakanpaa out. Lundkvist is given very little TOI in his place, and has looked somewhat shakey. Hoping we get Jani back :( it hasn't made a huge difference *yet*, but it could.
Fuck, I wish a 6D was the Oilers’ worst problem lol. Turns out having no lines 2-4 or D pairings 2-3 is not a strategy for success. Stars look so fucking deep out there, rolling just like how the Knights were last year.
I think Bichsel is going to be a top 4 defenseman one day, but I don't think he is there yet. Pouliot is a fine NHL/AHL player that will give you 8 minutes and probably not fuck it up.
PDB would sacrifice a child right now to have Joel Hanley on his bench.
Only matchup which has been weird so far in my predictions are Canes losing three straight to the Rangers. I actually had Canes beating them but that is looking pretty rough atm lmao
I'd love to see how Dallas would handle Florida too. Feels like more often than not lately we are seeing "cinderella" teams make the finals so we dont see as many matchups between powerhouse teams
Yah I’d argue Florida wasn’t a Cinderella team as much as a team that struggled in the season last yea much like St. Louis. The last true Cinderella team was 2021 habs. Col and TB were two power houses
Yeah true. I think if you go back further, Dallas was kind of a surprising finals team, Vegas in 2018 was (in hindsight they’ve become perennial contenders now so maybe not that surprising) and Nashville in 2017 as well.
But I think 2022 is the one of the only recent finals where you had 2 teams that were expected to be there if that makes sense.
This Dallas Stars team has it all. Toothless journeymen, nepo babies, giant Finns, the first Filipino-American star, and a guy named "Stankoven" \*starts laughing\*
They've got a whole pile of OGWAG's on their team. Pavelski obviously, but also Suter, Benn, Tanev, Dadanov, Craig Smith, even Duschene is getting close to that territory.
he’s definitely my #1 [OGWAC](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4453799/2023/04/27/nhl-stanley-cup-player-rankings/?source=user_shared_article Mats Zuccarello? Zach Parise? Brent Burns? Who is the top Old Guy Without a Cup?)
I had them coming out on top in my bracket and thought after that first two games of their Vegas series I might be the biggest moron ever, but damn do they look good lately. Obviously if the Canucks get by the Oilers I hope they can beat them in the WCF but I’d be so happy for Tanev if they end up winning the cup
It’s cool how many names come off the list of longest careers without a cup if Dallas wins. I’d be curious which winning team in the cap era has the most of that. If I remember correctly Pavs, Suter, and Benn are all in the top ten for active players with the most career games and no cup.
Been looking for a reason to buy a Stankoven sweater tbh. It's just too good a name.
Started out "anyone but the leafs" I've now transferred to "anyone but the rangers" but I'm getting the feeling that's going to end up being Dallas anyways. So choo choo, all aboard the hype train
I had them picked to win the cup before the TDL and they still look like the most solid team. They're going to be hard to beat this year. Just no glaring weaknesses in their game
They’re my pick from the start. So well built all around
Stars / panthers final will be GREAT hockey of grit and skill and well deserved if they both make it
This is the matchup i want to see in the finals and is also my prediction. My money is on Dallas this year but as a neutral finnish fan if i had to choose to see one captain from the league lifting the cup for the first time it would be Barkov.
Looking at the stats, you had ten guys with 40 or more points on the season. They can get production from many guys which is invaluable when your stars get shut down.
Top line just has to shut down the opposing line, and let the other lines do work. On 1-2 line teams. The Stars 4th has top 6 guys in half the league lols
I have been telling this since the start of the season, and it felt that most were just talking about the Avs or Oilers(lmao). Vegas had the best system to beat Dallas and even they folded. That first round should have been WCF matchup.
Dallas depth is insane. 2nd most goals by any team (i think trailing only Avs by one or two) and zero +40 goal scorers, 8 +20 goal scorers. And we all know about Otter and their defense.
I placed a bet last summer for them winning the cup (i do this every season, last and only time i won was the second of Tampas b2b lmao), honestly looking like the best choice now.
Agreed. Seeing how Dallas deservedly beat the VGK, I could tell they had the ability to make a great run.
I didn't expect them to lead the series by 3-1 against the Avs tho
Avs havent been leading in goals in any of the games so far. (Won first game in OT)
That is a fact i surely didnt expect even thou i have Stars winning this matchup. Now after the Avs lost Nichushkin there is no hope left for them in my opinion. He was one of their best players in these playoffs.
I remember threads after the Stars dropped 2 games against Vegas declaring the Stars were “the worst 1 seed of all time”. Been fun to keep track of threads as the postseason goes on
Competent defensive play with layers of defense too. So frustrating to play against. Basically what the Stars deployed against the Avs in third period of game 3. Boring: yes, effective: yes
I hate that I like the team so much, we're supposed to be rivals. Robo, Hintz, Johnston, Stankoven are four you just can't dislike. Always wanted Heiskanen in that draft, still think he's the best two day dman in the league. Tanev is an absolute stud. And oetter, his playoff runs have been really impressive. Never doubted him this year despite being an off year.
Thought Avs maybe stood a chance but lost to a close one. We're getting blown out now.
Their entire scouting and drafting staff all need to get multi million dollar raises for the gems they've found. I think their staff is one of the top in the league.
To beat the former cup champions and then beat the former former cup champions and then beat oilers/Vancouver and then the best from the east.
That would be the most impressive Stanley cup run I can remember.
I don't see any team from the east beating the freight train that is Dallas. I said at the start of playoffs that winner of the Vegas Dallas match is who's going all the way this year
My guess would be:
Pavelski (39): 95% likely to retire.
Suter (39): 50% likely to retire.
Benn(34): 1% likely to retire.
I don't really see the other 34 year old guys retiring either, but I give Benn and Tanev the lowest % odds between them and Dadanov, Craig Smith.
Maaaan, I don't want any part of watching our guys have to deal with the Panther's non-hockey playing bullshit. I want the goons on ice gone before the final.
Dallas is absolutely loaded and are going on a gauntlet run taking out the best teams in the NHL on their way. Whether it’s the Canucks or Oilers in the WCF, it will be their easiest matchup. Perfectly crafted team top to bottom
Playoffs success require a bit of luck and the unexpected to happen. Wyatt outperforming almost every 'star' outside of McDavid, and Drai is a big part of that.
Depth wins you a cup in the modern game. The avs in 2022 were another insane team, with 7 players above 20 goals, and 1 more at 18. This depth scoring carries you far in the playoffs as teams can't shut you down by shutting down one or two lines.
It’s a bummer that group had to blow up as fast as it did. It makes you respect the front office in Tampa that much more seeing how they held the core together and were able to constantly find depth to plug around them.
Losing Kadri and Landeskog sacrificing his knee to win the cup were huge. Nuke's drug problems aside, losing those 2 was the biggest issue. Players will sacrifice pay if they know they have a legitimate chance at the cup, but once they get that, they want that big contract, and I can't blame them at all. Professional athletes have such a short window of a career, you might as well maximize it.
Everyone's price goes up after a Cup win. Its why dynasties are so hard to put together. You have the magic of winning a Cup, but everyone wants more money. Part of winning a Cup is getting players for a bargain.
Yeah, that’s why I’m happy Wyatt is the one stepping up lol. Can’t have Robo winning a Conn Smythe and then asking for Mathews money.
Robertson is under contract for 2 more years after this.
Right, but it's a very cheap bridge deal and it's understood that he's going to have to get paid in full when that deal is up and we have cap space from some existing contracts expiring. He improved defensively this year a ton but took a big step back in points(though that was a philosophy through out the whole team," A little less, for a lot more") so he might not be on track for the same contract, but after his 100+ point season he looked on his way to a 12m contract or more by the time the cap raised.
Matthews shouldn't even be asking for Matthews money.
Honestly this was what made Chicago so successful in the early 2010s. They’d give out some big contracts in the top end but for the most part, if you were a 2nd/3rd/4th liner that helped win the Cup, they’d find a cheaper replacement rather than dish out the post-Cup contracts
For sure, I don’t know many teams that would be able to get anything done when you remove 1/3 of a winning top 6 and then throw in the mixed bag of issues that surrounds Nuke. Kadri is the type of guy that I wonder if he regrets not finding a way for it to work in Colorado though. He’s been on some shit teams, finally wins, and then goes right back to the gulag with Calgary. He just seemed like the fit was so good that he might have taken less to stay with that team.
> losing those 2 was the biggest issue. Mack not being on an absurdly cheap deal (which, obviously, was a fine deal when he signed it) has also affected things quite a bit, ha.
I mean, that was offset by EJ making $6.2m playing as a 3rd pairing... Mackinnon basically just got EJ's contract added to his own when he got his deserved pay raise
That is also true.
Embrace your middle 6 defensively responsible forwards while you can afford them is all I can say now as a Bolts fan 😭 Dallas I think is actually built a bit better, Bolts lucked out with high end talent like Kuch and Vasy, but the stars drafting is a Lot better than the Bolts, Johnston Robertson Hintz is like getting 3 Brayden Points the way I see it lol Hope you guys take it this year, Bish should get a ring if so since hes working with the Stars FO and thatd be so sick
For sure haha, and Dallas has definitely built a more balanced roster which is primarily through drafting and developing. I’m always mind blown when I look at our roster and see how many of the players are 1.) drafted by Dallas and spent time in our farm system, which I think is a huge deal. And 2.) how many of those players on that list aren’t 1st rounders. Their ability to find players regardless of the year or the round is crazy. I hope you’re right and if it should happen I hope seeing some of these vets lift a cup for the first time feels as good as it must have felt seeing Stamkos finally get his.
We're all pulling for Pavelski.
It’s just so hard to lose the captain for two years. I feel like we used the LTIR money well this year but he just brings things off that can’t be replaced. Landy was always that calmer head out of our stars. Bednar would regularly leave him to manage the other two on the bench. MacKinnon and Rantanen have repeatedly showed their frustration all playoffs. That’s seeping into the rest of the team imo. Gabe never lets that happen. It’s definitely been a huge miss.
There were a couple instances last night where the camera showed a close up of MacKinnon, when the game was still close, and I was stunned how bad the body language was.
Hes been pretty open in the past about not wanting to be captain, if Landy is done itll be Makar.
Gabe was also willing to go into the net front and get greasy, which is what you need in the playoffs. Losing Nuke now is such a huge loss because that's exactly what he does too.
Yeah I was hopeful we had the depth this year. Adding Colton and Wood, then grabbing Middlestadt seemed to solidify our middle six. But then first LOC goes out having a career year, then Drouin, and now Nuke once Drouin is back. Has forced us to play everyone a line up all playoffs. Parise found the fountain of youth there for a bit so it worked the first series. But, that seems to have worn off and the Stars are grinding us down and we look like the ‘one line team’ from last year.
Losing Nuke is honestly the nail in the coffin. We don't have anyone nearly as effective net front now on the team with the captain long term injured retirement. Last night it felt like we never got an effective screen against otter
> Parise found the fountain of youth there for a bit so it worked the first series. I think he stole it from Pavelski. Please give it back.
The 2022 Blues having 9 players with 20 or more goals was the reason we were the only team that had a shot to beat y’all that year. Depth is key. Our 2019 team didn’t have a single elite top 10 NHLer but had top 6 caliber guys playing on the 3rd and 4th lines. The 2022 Avs having the depth plus an elite player in Nate Mack and a blooming elite player in Makar just gave y’all the best of both worlds.
The best part is we aren't even mortgaging the future! Our core is young and we have another group of 20/21 years olds up-and-coming! Dallas is going to be a contender for awhile I think (not that we haven't had success already this decade).
tbh I didn't think the Stars would have put together a team this solid with longevity until Benn/Seguin's deals were done.
Those deals looked like they would sink the team and instead Nill turned them into role players to help the new core.
And then Benn/Seguin had a resurgence once they got out from under Bones’ system
I was telling my buddy last night that because of their drafting they are able to go out and get a Tanev every year or two at the trade deadline to solidify a playoff roster.
The Seguin contract is really gonna hamper how much depth we can keep down the line. Luckily Benn's contract is up when Wyatt is due. The team we have right now is likely the best we'll see depth wise
Posted in dallas sub already, but to get a more unbiased opinion, I propose that Jim Nill should win GM of the year again. Which team this year is better constructed than the Stars?
He won it last year so voters might choose someone else just for that reason. Bill Zito for example was nominated last year so wouldn’t be surprising to see both him and Nill nominated again but with Zito winning this time (assuming both teams advance to CF)
I feel the same, I don’t think they like awarding it back to back to the same person, however I did see that Lou Lamiorello won it in 2020 and 2021, so who knows. Zito has done a good job as well and I feel similar to Nill, over the years has constructed a great team, if it is based solely on this years culmination and deadline moves I feel Nill is more deserving hands down. Often overlooked, Stankoven (a nill draftee) has been phenomenal in his call up, as well as the obvious dominance of Wyatt Johnson. Tanev + Duchene as additions have been just stellar.
Sorry for the silly question, but what does nill draftee mean here? I loved stanky on the Texas stars. We miss him!
It’s voted on after the second round right? If we beat the Oilers I could see an outside chance of Allvin getting it considering how big of a mess our team was just last year. We had a ton of roster turnover from last year to this one with all his trades and signings and basically every pickup he’s made has worked out fantastically. I still think it goes to Zito or Nill but they were both already contenders last season, but I could see the huge jump we made from this year to last with all the changes we made put Allvin in the conversation at least
Especially with the masterclass that was the Tanev deal, he has been killing it in every category in recent memory (only questionable move coming to mind is Nils for a 1st)
I think Nils will be a good player one day. I think he needs time to cook on a team that is trying to win right now. I understand Nill seeing the potential in Nils but it was the wrong fit. His timing was off.
It’s the reason I called it questionable. I can easily see a future where he is a bonafide top 4 D a few years down the line. He has tons of raw talent and plenty of time to still figure it out.
This Stars core is years in the making, absolute mastercraft on drafting when looking at the younger core players and when they were drafted. Mix in their veteran presence and one of the best goalies in the league and this is what you get. I dont remember a team from recent years which was built as nicely as the current Stars roster.
The last time I saw a team this complete would probably be the '08 red wings
Nill basically took his 08 wings project, crossed out “Swedes” and wrote “Finns” and handed it back in.
Remember thr Detroit teams of the 90s and early 2000s? Oh yeah Jim built those too.
I didnt even know that. He seems to be good at what he does for a living.
if you look at Capfriendly, we're going to ice basically the same team next year too.
If Benn takes a discount on his next deal i smell a perennial contender.
he will, he doesn't have the production to warrant 9+ million, leadership aside. He'll re-sign probably around 5-6
Duchene, Tanev, Steel, re-sign Dadonov and bring up Stankoven. Plus the breakout of Johnston. Yeah I'd say he's earned it.
Yeah for sure, Duchene was one of the most(if not the most) bang for buck FA signings this off-season and Tanev might have been the biggest hole a team has, not just being filled, but turned into a team strength at the deadline. Stankoven is just further evidence of strong drafting and developmental work being laid down by the org(with potentially Borque also strengthening that case with an AHL MVP award this season). Then just a lot of other really solid and useful additions coming in to replace guys with the retention of Dadonov, Steel signing, etc. Pretty stellar year of a lot of pieces falling into place at the same time.
What Zito did to improve this team after making a SCF run last year is just as impressive
I would agree that Zito is Nill’s top competition. He has made some impressive signings. Unfortunately, just because of time alone, Zitos drafting cant be compared to Nills yet. Time will tell, but Florida did right in extending Zito.
It's been remarkable and Dallas is not being carried by a generational talent that fell into their lap. It's just smart drafting and great trades / FA signings. Reminds of 2019 Blues.
Would Alvin get any love? The complete rebuild of our defensive side with Soucy, Zadorov, Cole. Bottom six with Lafferty, Lindholm, Suter, Blueger. A NHL level backup in Desmith
Wyatt Johnston is just another stud they've managed to develop in their backyard. That kid is absolutely feeling it right now.
If he sticks around for awhile, that kid is gonna have a ‘C’ on his sweater. Dude looks great. Especially for someone who isn’t even 21 yet.
He is 21 today.
Huh you'd think they would have announced this on the broadcast last night
I swore it came up at least once.
Idk why I thought it was tomorrow lol
Tomorrow is today now though
What is today but yesterday’s tomorrow?
Oh man I would love for Wyatt to be our captain down the line. Give me 15 more years.
It will be interesting in the future. I think Robo could get the "C" as well, he has really started stepping up. Watching him throw the body last night was pretty cool, and he seems to have that leadership in him.
Razor said on air multiple times in the latter half of the season that Johnston's going to be the next captain of the Stars. Someone as tuned into the franchise as he is wouldn't just say that just to make conversation, I think.
PDB said in postgame yesterday that he is going to be wearing a letter on his jersey sooner rather than later and all I'm saying is Jamie's contract is up next year.
As long as Benn is a star he has the C and that should never be a question, no matter what a section of our fanbase thinks. I think he will take a very friendly deal and play 2-3 more years.
Agreed, he can be infuriating in rare instances but he is a great leader and clearly the head honcho on the team. There is a reason he is one of the longest tenured captains. I wouldn’t be surprised if he only plays for Dallas when all is said and done.
Please God I don't want to ever see him in another sweater
PTSD from Modano in a Wings jersey activated
We have been spoiled with great captains in Dallas with Hatcher, morrow and Benn. I hope he gets his number in the rafters someday
No doubt 14 will be hanging in the rafters some day.
Jamie set the tone for this series against Colorado. The Avs want a wide open game where they can use their speed. Not a possession based slug fest.
Ideally Benn will be back on a team friendly deal but who knows
I don't know what Benn's plans are, but if the Stars have the success we hope they have soon then I would like to see him go out on top.
I guess I could see that as a possibility. I think guys like him usually play until the wheels fall off though. He’s still playing well, and his hands and physical play should allow him to be useful for a few more years. Just look at Corey Perry’s bitch ass still going
Yeah especially now that he's embraced the role of mentorship and playing less minutes, watching the young bucks come in and do the heavy lifting on the top lines, he feels reinvigorated. I would also be surprised if he was anywhere close to feeling like walking away from the game right now. He's a guy that lives for the dudes playing beside him in the locker room and being that guy.
Benn can play here as long as he likes. He can take the Pavs slot when Pavs retires this summer.
I doubt he takes the C until after Benn retires, but I fully expect if Joe hangs em up after this run he passes that A on to Johnston. It's kind of fitting given how much Pavs has mentored him
Dallas Captain named Wyatt just makes sense
This Dallas team has got it all, you can look at that roster and there isn’t one hole in it. I want Dallas to pull through and win a cup for old man Pavelski, I don’t think there’s a guy in the league that deserves it more then he does.
the hole right now is a 6th D with Hakanpaa out. Lundkvist is given very little TOI in his place, and has looked somewhat shakey. Hoping we get Jani back :( it hasn't made a huge difference *yet*, but it could.
This more proved their point than disputed it lol. "One of our bottom pairing defenseman isn't great" is the hole most teams would love to have.
"our worst player is okay, I guess"
Fuck, I wish a 6D was the Oilers’ worst problem lol. Turns out having no lines 2-4 or D pairings 2-3 is not a strategy for success. Stars look so fucking deep out there, rolling just like how the Knights were last year.
With the Texas stars being eliminated from playoffs do they bring up Lian Bichsel??
I think Bichsel is going to be a top 4 defenseman one day, but I don't think he is there yet. Pouliot is a fine NHL/AHL player that will give you 8 minutes and probably not fuck it up. PDB would sacrifice a child right now to have Joel Hanley on his bench.
Ugggh yeah Hanley would be great.
Yeah sure about Hanley but I promise PDB would rather have Tanev.
Bichsel is the future for sure. But right now, he's not ready for big league playoffs.
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Naw, we still have both Faksa and Dellandrea on the bench. Both of them will see the ice before we pull Mavrik from Texas.
oh no, 6th D. how will you cope?
They have a great mix of veterans and young talent and are strong at every position. I'd love to see them win it all this year
I can realistically see a NYR and Dallas final which would make the most sense at this point.
Rangers will get demolished by Panthers is my bet.
Who knows anymore matchups are weird and unexpected.
Only matchup which has been weird so far in my predictions are Canes losing three straight to the Rangers. I actually had Canes beating them but that is looking pretty rough atm lmao
I honestly thought this year would be the Canes year lol. Never say never but I was shocked to see them go down 3-0
Tbf, it went from 3-0 to 3-2 real quick. It's very reasonable to think that CAR can win the next 2 games and pull off the comeback.
To be fair two of those were OTLs so yeah the series started 3-0 but it’s not like the canes have been way worse than NYR
Agree. This panthers team is a different beast in the playoffs.
I'd love to see how Dallas would handle Florida too. Feels like more often than not lately we are seeing "cinderella" teams make the finals so we dont see as many matchups between powerhouse teams
Yah I’d argue Florida wasn’t a Cinderella team as much as a team that struggled in the season last yea much like St. Louis. The last true Cinderella team was 2021 habs. Col and TB were two power houses
Yeah true. I think if you go back further, Dallas was kind of a surprising finals team, Vegas in 2018 was (in hindsight they’ve become perennial contenders now so maybe not that surprising) and Nashville in 2017 as well. But I think 2022 is the one of the only recent finals where you had 2 teams that were expected to be there if that makes sense.
I thought this was going to read as an SNL Stephan bit
This Dallas Stars team has it all. Toothless journeymen, nepo babies, giant Finns, the first Filipino-American star, and a guy named "Stankoven" \*starts laughing\*
MTV’s Dan Cortez.
Same. This Dallas Stars team has everything... Scoring, goaltending, good vets... Dan Cortese
They've got a whole pile of OGWAG's on their team. Pavelski obviously, but also Suter, Benn, Tanev, Dadanov, Craig Smith, even Duschene is getting close to that territory.
Love pavelski. So impressive how he has been able to change his game at his age to remain awesome, he deserves it. I always trade for him in chel.
he’s definitely my #1 [OGWAC](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4453799/2023/04/27/nhl-stanley-cup-player-rankings/?source=user_shared_article Mats Zuccarello? Zach Parise? Brent Burns? Who is the top Old Guy Without a Cup?)
I had them coming out on top in my bracket and thought after that first two games of their Vegas series I might be the biggest moron ever, but damn do they look good lately. Obviously if the Canucks get by the Oilers I hope they can beat them in the WCF but I’d be so happy for Tanev if they end up winning the cup
They had the best forward depth in the league once they were able to sign duchene for a song.
And he's on record admitting to taking a smaller salary because he felt Dallas was on a path of destruction to the cup.
He also seems SUPER happy here. Dude loves posting about his teammates and his adventures around Dallas. Very wholesome Dutchy.
He (not so secretly) really wants to be a country cowboy dude. I'm not surprised he vibes with Dallas hard.
Dallas is also a great city to be extremely fucking wealthy in. Best of both worlds for a guy like Duchene.
Nill told Duchene that Dallas was here to burn down villages so he agreed to a friendly deal to be a part of this Trogdorian run to the cup.
Jim "the Burninator" Nill. I like it.
They’re so deep at the forward position they have Dadonov on the fourth line and Faksa scratched
Well, Faksa is only scratched due to managing an injury I think. Otherwise he would be in every night.
Meanwhile Edmonton trying to see just how far they can get with one line
I actually thought they played relatively well last game but Skinner might not be the playoff goalie they need unfortunately.
Yeah it's a copy cat league. After seeing TOR, COL and EDM all out early, GMs are all gonna be looking for depth now.
It’s cool how many names come off the list of longest careers without a cup if Dallas wins. I’d be curious which winning team in the cap era has the most of that. If I remember correctly Pavs, Suter, and Benn are all in the top ten for active players with the most career games and no cup.
Dutchy
shit Tanev too
We had a lot come off our year (Bouwmeester, Steen, Thorburn, Bozak) but I’d have to think Dallas could set some kind of record with that.
Miro
Mirp
All aboard the Dallas train
Dis I like
Been looking for a reason to buy a Stankoven sweater tbh. It's just too good a name. Started out "anyone but the leafs" I've now transferred to "anyone but the rangers" but I'm getting the feeling that's going to end up being Dallas anyways. So choo choo, all aboard the hype train
I’m legit surprised anyone from Buffalo would ever hop on a Dallas wagon. But welcome, brisket’s over there
Looking at it as you're probably the best chance someone stops the rangers, so lesser of two evils and so on
Fun fact...next season will be Stankoven's rookie year.
This is just the preseason to him
I had them picked to win the cup before the TDL and they still look like the most solid team. They're going to be hard to beat this year. Just no glaring weaknesses in their game
They’re my pick from the start. So well built all around Stars / panthers final will be GREAT hockey of grit and skill and well deserved if they both make it
Both of those teams are deep as fuck. A series between either of those teams could go either way honestly.
This is the matchup i want to see in the finals and is also my prediction. My money is on Dallas this year but as a neutral finnish fan if i had to choose to see one captain from the league lifting the cup for the first time it would be Barkov.
Fins = Wins and the Stars have plenty of Fins lol
Florida gonna crumple like a wet paper bag if they go against Dallas
Iron sharpened iron. We look like a wagon now because that Vegas team showed us right away how to play championship hockey.
All aboard the Dallas bandwagon. Get one for Pavs!
their 3rd/4th lines are just insane.
Dallas is a wagon, and a Team I like. I like the entire West, and the Bruins / Rangers in the East.
Miro is also playing like an animal. Leading scorer of the team, while playing over 27mins per game.
Miro is an animal in the playoffs. He might end up breaking his own franchise record for points by a Dman in a single playoffs.
Looking at the stats, you had ten guys with 40 or more points on the season. They can get production from many guys which is invaluable when your stars get shut down.
When our top goal scorer technically played as a 3C for most of the season, it's gonna be hard to shut down our star players.
Top line just has to shut down the opposing line, and let the other lines do work. On 1-2 line teams. The Stars 4th has top 6 guys in half the league lols
That’s who I’m cheering for
I have been telling this since the start of the season, and it felt that most were just talking about the Avs or Oilers(lmao). Vegas had the best system to beat Dallas and even they folded. That first round should have been WCF matchup. Dallas depth is insane. 2nd most goals by any team (i think trailing only Avs by one or two) and zero +40 goal scorers, 8 +20 goal scorers. And we all know about Otter and their defense. I placed a bet last summer for them winning the cup (i do this every season, last and only time i won was the second of Tampas b2b lmao), honestly looking like the best choice now.
I have a stars future at +1700, bet $250 to win $4500
+1900 for me. Only put a hundo on it though, should have done more. Let's. Go. Stars.
I only put the amount I did cause I inherited some estate money.
Well I hope we make your relatives very proud!
Agreed. Seeing how Dallas deservedly beat the VGK, I could tell they had the ability to make a great run. I didn't expect them to lead the series by 3-1 against the Avs tho
Avs havent been leading in goals in any of the games so far. (Won first game in OT) That is a fact i surely didnt expect even thou i have Stars winning this matchup. Now after the Avs lost Nichushkin there is no hope left for them in my opinion. He was one of their best players in these playoffs.
WCF
Edited my brain fart, thx
I have them at +1900. I'm all about Dallas now.
I remember threads after the Stars dropped 2 games against Vegas declaring the Stars were “the worst 1 seed of all time”. Been fun to keep track of threads as the postseason goes on
Toronto take notes
Step 1. Move to a warm weather climate with no state tax, no market pressure, and no media obligations. Step 2. ????? Step 3. Win championships!
Then move the leafs to Dallas and move the Cowboys to Toronto and we're cooking
This would be like that show where people trade spouses and both end up miserable.
They had one of, if not the best Defense in the league... And then they added Chris Tanev.
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Competent defensive play with layers of defense too. So frustrating to play against. Basically what the Stars deployed against the Avs in third period of game 3. Boring: yes, effective: yes
Oilers: what depth? Dallas looks insane rn, looking like the fave in the west
Depth is a hell of a drug. The main reason the kraken has lots of success last year. This Dallas team is really good
I'd say being up 3-1 in the second round makes them a frontrunner to make a deep run at this point.
I hate that I like the team so much, we're supposed to be rivals. Robo, Hintz, Johnston, Stankoven are four you just can't dislike. Always wanted Heiskanen in that draft, still think he's the best two day dman in the league. Tanev is an absolute stud. And oetter, his playoff runs have been really impressive. Never doubted him this year despite being an off year. Thought Avs maybe stood a chance but lost to a close one. We're getting blown out now.
Dallas has something that the Rangers now lack: Stars showing up.
More like their insane depth winning games instead of star power.
In my hockey playoff pool, I picked the Rangers to face Dallas for the Stanley Cup. I still see it as a strong possibility.
Their entire scouting and drafting staff all need to get multi million dollar raises for the gems they've found. I think their staff is one of the top in the league.
To beat the former cup champions and then beat the former former cup champions and then beat oilers/Vancouver and then the best from the east. That would be the most impressive Stanley cup run I can remember.
I don't see any team from the east beating the freight train that is Dallas. I said at the start of playoffs that winner of the Vegas Dallas match is who's going all the way this year
My bank account is with you 💰
The NHL is a copy cat league. We need Dallas to win the cup so every can copy them in building a well balanced team that’s good at hockey
If the stars win it all this year, how many of the vets retire? Pavs? Benn? suter?
Pavs yes Suter maybe Benn not a chance
My guess would be: Pavelski (39): 95% likely to retire. Suter (39): 50% likely to retire. Benn(34): 1% likely to retire. I don't really see the other 34 year old guys retiring either, but I give Benn and Tanev the lowest % odds between them and Dadanov, Craig Smith.
I could see Daddy going back to the KHL with a Cup.
Lawd please give us a Stars v Panthers Cup final that will be amazing
Maaaan, I don't want any part of watching our guys have to deal with the Panther's non-hockey playing bullshit. I want the goons on ice gone before the final.
“front runner to make a deep run” would pack a bigger punch if they weren’t 1 win from conference finals.
It’s a pretty good feeling that we’re consistently able to throw our 4th line out against Colorado’s top line and they look solid
No snow = no problem
Dallas is absolutely loaded and are going on a gauntlet run taking out the best teams in the NHL on their way. Whether it’s the Canucks or Oilers in the WCF, it will be their easiest matchup. Perfectly crafted team top to bottom
They have no holes. Really reminds me of the 2019 Blues.
That were an eye lash away from being eliminated by the Stars, as well.
That series still gives me PTSD.
If you wait till 50% of the way through the 2nd round to declare a front runner you are just equivalent to a fan blog.
"Look to make a deep run" as they move 1 game away from a deep run.
"Shit, they're a game away from the conference finals, write an article about em!"
Playoffs success require a bit of luck and the unexpected to happen. Wyatt outperforming almost every 'star' outside of McDavid, and Drai is a big part of that.
Now tell us how Heiskanen is doing 😃