2016-17 record: 34-37-11 (79 points)
Missed the playoffs
Captain: Jamie Benn
The Dallas Stars once again had issues preventing the other team from scoring. Unlike 2015-16, however, they weren't able to score enough to compensate, and as a result, missed the playoffs. This inconsistency under General Manager Jim Nill's watch led to major changes, none more so than behind the bench, where Lindy Ruff was handed his walking papers and in comes Ken Hitchcock, whose goal is to shorten the goal differential gap. Other changes to the team should also come in handy.
Up front, it still goes through Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, but secondary scoring behind them wasn't nearly as present, as Brett Ritchie was the only other player to score over 15 goals. That was why Alexander Radulov and Martin Hanzal were brought in. Depth remains an issue, as the team is clearly reliant on their superstars up front. On the back end, John Klingberg was great on offense, but allergic to playing defense, and that isn't going to fly in Hitchcock's system. To that end, Marc Methot was picked up in a trade with Vegas to quite possibly paired with him and do for him what he did for Erik Karlsson in Ottawa. Beyond that, it's pretty much a logjam, as Dan Hamhuis will pair with either Esa Lindell or Julius Honka while the third pairing is far from settled. For the second straight year, goaltending was a disaster. Antti Niemi was bought out, and Ben Bishop was signed to a six-year deal to take hold of the starter's job. While it still remains the same system money wise, as Kari Lehtonen is still on the team, it establishes roles, and in Lehtonen's case, he's better suited as a backup at this point in his career. Special teams need to be fixed, and the moves made were designed to that end.
Prediction: 3rd in the Central Division
The Stars still have the pieces in place offensively, and for the first time in a few seasons, roles in net are clearly defined. However, the uncertainty of the blue line past the second pair could provide problems. In theory, the Stars should be better in the standings, but in practice, it may tell a different story.
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