Projecting the Stars: Jamie Benn
The Hockey News breaks down each player's past and future for the Dallas Stars in preparation for the upcoming NHL season.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports - Projecting the Stars: Jamie BennIn advance of the 2024-25 NHL season beginning in early October, The Hockey News is introducing a series of player projections for the Dallas Stars. Today, we're kicking things off with a look at veteran forward Jamie Benn.
The captain of the franchise since September of 2013, Jamie Benn has had a renaissance to his game the past two seasons. Will his game continue to age like a fine wine, or will he recede to the slightly more alarming production rates from prior to his resurgence?
Career: 383 goals, 907 points in 1,112 games
2023-24 Statistics: 21 goals, 60 points in 82 games
Salary Cap Hit: $9.5 million through 2024-25
Summary of 2023-24 Season: Benn started the year slow, making some wonder if the prior season where he emerged next to Wyatt Johnston as a strong depth scorer and key contributor was just a fluke. But as Johnston got going as the season moved on, so did Benn. When Tyler Seguin missed time due to injury, it was Benn's line that took over the duties of becoming the highest producing line in lieu of what Seguin, Duchene and Marchment had been able to do up to that point. Without Benn down the stretch, the Stars would never have finished with as many points as they did, and without Benn in the playoffs, Dallas may not have even gotten out of the first round. Even when the stats weren't there, he was routinely making an impact in other aspects of his game, something that made the entire team better throughout the playoffs.
Projections For 2024-25 Season: It is a contract year for the captain, who is on the last year of his eight-year contract. Since head coach Pete DeBoer took over, Benn has had an uptick in his offensive production. This, coupled with a chance to play his way into a higher contract value, should bode well for Benn and the Stars. He could easily hit 25 goals and 75 points this season despite being on the back end of his career. With DeBoer's commitment to rolling four complete lines, it can be anticipated that Benn will average about 15 minutes of time on ice for the third year in a row, helping him continue to play a hard-nosed style while keeping his body healthy. Benn has not missed a regular season game in the past three seasons, and it would be have to be a serious injury to keep the now 35 year-old out of the lineup. The biggest blow could come from linemate Johnston playing his way onto the top line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson on a permanent basis. Benn and Johnston have had undeniable chemistry for two years now. Logan Stankoven and perhaps even Wyatt Bourque could be two youngsters to pair with the captain to continue that veteran-youth line approach.
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