Chris Jones, USA TODAY Sports
The Answers To These Questions Will Define What The Stars Do In 2024-25
The Dallas Stars are the sexy pick to win this season's Stanley Cup, but there are still many questions about the team to be answered. And these questions will go a long way in deciding how successful the Stars will be this year.
1. How big will Jake Oettinger's bounce-back season be?
Don't get it twisted -- we're not suggesting Oettinger had a terrible performance last season. He posted a .905 save percentage and 2.72 goals-against average in 54 appearances -- numbers that many NHL goaltenders would be happy with. But the 25-year-old's 2023-24 stats were the first time in his NHL career that his SP was worse than .911, and the first time his G.A.A. was higher than 2.53. So it's only natural that many are expecting Oettinger will once again get back to the rarified air he occupied in his first four NHL seasons.
Oettinger's 54 games played was the second-most of his career, and although new Stars backup netminder Casey DeSmith is capable of playing upwards of 30 games, that will mean Oettinger will once again be in the area of 52-55 games played in 2024-25. If Oettinger can ratchet up his individual stats this season, Dallas is going to easily challenge for top spot in the Central Division, Western Conference and the NHL itself.
Oettinger also is in the final season of a contract paying him $4 million per year. Next summer, he'll be an RFA, so the incentive to play well couldn't be clearer. The better he plays, the better the Stars will finish in the standings, and the more money he can ask for in the off-season. That's why we're expecting big things from Oettinger not just this year, but in many years to come.
2. How much does captain Jamie Benn have left in his competitive tank?
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The 35-year-old Benn posted 21 goals and 60 points in 82 games last season -- solid-enough numbers for someone in the back nine of their NHL career. But for someone earning $9.5 million per season, Benn has been in a slide in terms of his offensive production for the better part of the past six seasons.
Two years ago, Benn had an outlier offensive-jump of a season, with 45 assists and 78 points in 82 games. His 60-point year last season is also a postive spike upward, but Father Time waits for no one, and at some point -- and probably soon -- Benn is going to take a permanent dip in his production. He won't be leaned on to carry this Stars team, but he can do his part to keep Dallas at the top of the standings if he can once again score at least 20 goals and amass 30-40 assists.
Stars GM Jim Nill is on record saying Benn will be in Dallas as long as Nill is running things, so Benn doesn't have to worry about being dealt or walked away from at the end of this season. But if he does have a strong year, Benn can keep his salary ask as high as possible and finish his career as a one-team veteran star player. And if he can do more than that, he'll take pressure off the Stars' flourishing youngsters and really make Dallas a top-tier team to reckon with.
3. What moves will Jim Nill make by this year's trade deadline?
With Dallas set at forward and in goal, the area that many think Nill will tinker with is the Stars' defense corps. Of course, injuries and underachieving players could change that, but if Dallas' depth up front and between the pipes holds up, Nill can focus his attention -- and any accumulated salary cap space -- on his defense.
Certainly, acquiring a veteran D-man -- like they did last year when they landed Chris Tanev from Calgary -- would better-prepare the Stars for a long and prosperous post-season run. But considering they have only approximately $693,000 in cap space, the Stars will need to be creative (or lean on monies accrued from the Long-Term Injured Reserve) to bring in a defenseman of consequence by this year's trade deadline.
One of the reasons Dallas is a Cup front-runner is their depth at all positions. And if the Stars can get great seasons from youngsters Thomas Harley and Lian Bichsel, they won't be forced to go out and acquire a blueliner at the deadline. But depth is incredibly crucial to every Cup contender, and Dallas is no different. If Nill has to do any heavy lifting with his roster, it's probably going to be on 'D'. And if he does land an experienced defenseman, it's going to be extremely difficult for any opponent to send the Stars packing for the year.
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