The Dallas Stars made the playoffs after a whirlwind 46-30-6 season a year ago but were eliminated in seven games by the upstart Calgary Flames. Many people were surprised when the team posted a negative goal differential in the playoffs, becoming the only team to do so.
This reflected a significant problem that had plagued Dallas all season: an inability to score. Though the defense wasn’t as strong as usual, it was still one of the best in the league — and goalie Jake Oettinger shone and showed what he was capable of last year at times.
Regardless, owner Tom Gaglardi and general manager Jim Nill (who was back for 22-23) decided it was time for a change and hired Peter DeBoer to act as head coach, The Dallas Express reported.
DeBoer, a former division champion with both San Jose and Vegas, was brought on by Dallas in May.
He has a reputation for quickly putting together teams; San Jose reached the Cup Final early in his tenure, and Vegas advanced to the conference final before falling to the Stars in 2020.
Dallas’ top priority this offseason was locking up its two young restricted free agents, which was not without drama, and this was reflected in a lack of funds spent on outside free agents elsewhere.
Oettinger signed a three-year, $12 million contract in September, followed by Jason Robertson, who signed a four-year, $31 million contract last week. Both appear to be team-friendly for a team that will be saddled with complicated deals for years to come if they produce at last year’s level.
Dallas added defensemen Colin Miller and Will Butcher to its blue line, but former Florida bottom-six forward Mason Marchment was the most significant addition. Last season, he thrived in Florida’s elite season, scoring 18 goals in just 54 games. He will be able to compete with Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn for a spot on the Stars’ top-scoring lines.
Two franchise icons, John Klingberg and Alexander Radulov have departed. Klingberg, a cornerstone on the blue line for the Stars since he arrived in 2013, wanted a long-term, big-money deal.
Still, with Miro Heiskanen locked up for the foreseeable future, the Stars were unwilling to budge despite several rounds of negotiations. Klingberg never received that long-term contract, instead signing a one-year, $7 million deal with Anaheim.
Alex Radulov and Anton Khudobin, two key contributors to the Stars’ 2020 Stanley Cup Final run, were not re-signed. Both had a difficult season last year and likely have played their final NHL games.
The Stars open the 2022-23 season against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena on Thursday, the first of three meetings this season. On Saturday, the Predators will travel to Dallas for the Stars’ home opener.
The Stars went 3-for-14 on the power play (21.4%) and 12-for-12 on the penalty kill (100.0%) in four games last season, according to the Stars.
Goaltender Oettinger went 1-1-1 with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage in four games against Nashville in 2021-22.
The goaltender, Scott Wedgewood, has never faced Nashville in his career.
In their last seven games against the Predators, the Stars have gone 18-for-18 on the penalty kill, allowing no goals.
The Dallas team has gained at least a point in nine of their last 11 home games, posting a 4-2-5 record.
Forward Robertson led the Stars with three goals and four points (3-1-4) in four games against the Predators in 2021-22. Robertson has six goals in 12 career games against Nashville, the most of any opponent.
Forward Joe Pavelski had two assists (0-2-2) against Nashville last season, contributing to a career-high 41 points (21-20-41). He has the most goals (21) and points (57) in his career against the Stars.
