Are the Dallas Stars a True Cup Contender?

For a couple years now, this writer has made it clear he believes the Dallas Stars have a very good thing going. 

Stars GM Jim Nill and his management group have assembled an extremely well-balanced mix of young up-and-coming stars and playoff-proven veterans, and this season, Dallas has flourished in the standings. 

As the battle for the top spot in the Central Division comes down to the final few regular-season games of the year, the Stars are right there, duking it out with the white-hot Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild. And while it’s difficult to call a team with 102 standings points a dark horse Stanley Cup contender, there’s no question Dallas has a legitimate shot to win a championship.

The Stars have been consistently competitive for a good long while, putting together a 13-5-1 record in their past 19 games. They beat high-quality teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, Seattle Kraken, and yes, the Avalanche, while taking care of business against lower lights such as the Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers. 

It’s true Dallas lost its most recent game to the Avs, but in their past six victories, the Stars have limited their opponents to two goals or fewer all six times. That’s the sign of a team that’s ready and able to minimize mistakes and play a strong series of post-season games.

That said, Dallas’ offense has also been impressive. In 11 of their past 13 wins, the Stars have scored four goals or more. And their special teams are thriving – they’ve got the NHL’s sixth-best power play (24.4-percent efficiency), and their penalty kill is the league’s third-best (83.5 percent). We all know by now that special teams can be the difference between winning playoff series and being eliminated. At the moment, Dallas coach Peter DeBoer has every reason to feel confident in his special teams.

More impressive, though, is the Stars’ all-around depth. Up front, Dallas has a top-nine group of forwards that can do damage on offense. Seven of their top nine forwards have at least 20 goals, while six have 47 points or more. Trade deadline acquisition Max Domi has added to their forward depth, while youngsters Roope Hintz (35 goals, 70 points in 70 games), Wyatt Johnston (21 goals) and Jason Robertson (45 goals, 103 points) have provided tons of scoring. It has taken the pressure off veteran stars Jamie Benn (32 goals, 74 points), Joe Pavelski (26 goals, 75 points) and Tyler Seguin (20 goals) to carry the team. Few teams have this much firepower.

Finally, the Stars have all kinds of depth on the back end. Star goalie Jake Oettinger (35-11-11, 2.42 goals-against average, .918 save percentage) has done his part. Dallas’ defense also has better-than-average depth, with perennial Norris Trophy candidate Miro Heiskanen and greybeard Ryan Suter leading the charge. 

The Stars’ defense corps has imposing size – all of their current top six are at least 6-foot-1 – and DeBoer uses them wisely, leaning on Suter, Heiskanen and Esa Lindell to do the heavy lifting.

If the Avalanche stay on top of the Central, the Stars are more than likely headed for a first-round playoff showdown against the Minnesota Wild. That’s a matchup that favors Dallas, who went 2-0-2 against Minnesota this season. 

But there’s still the possibility the Stars overtake Colorado for the top spot in the Central – and if that turns out to be the case, Dallas will take on either Seattle, Winnipeg, Calgary or Nashville to start things off. The Stars went 2-0-1 against the Kraken, 1-1-1 against the Jets, 1-2-0 against the Flames and 4-0-0 against the Predators this year. Dallas should be the favorite to beat any of those teams in the first round.

The Stars haven’t won a playoff round in the past two seasons, but three years ago, they came within two victories of a Cup. Essentially, their core has only gotten better from that Western Conference-winning team. They mean business, and they’ve got the talent, smarts and disposition to get back to a Cup final.

Dallas probably won’t be picked by many to win it all this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. To the contrary – they have exactly the kind of chemistry and experience to outlast 15 other playoff teams and earn the second Cup in franchise history.