The Dallas Stars are back in action next week, as their 2024-25 season begins on Oct. 10 on the road in Nashville.
While much of training camp has focused on how the Stars will incorporate their offseason additions into the lineup this season, there are 15 returners looking to take steps forward to help the team get over the Western Conference finals hump.
Here is one area of focus for each returner on the Stars’ roster this year:
Jamie Benn
Winning
Stars fans were left with a bitter taste in their mouths when Joe Pavelski retired this offseason without winning a Stanley Cup. Jamie Benn’s career could soon be winding down, and with his current contract expiring next summer, getting his name on the Stanley Cup is the top priority.
Evgenii Dadonov
Health
Dadonov suffered one of the longest-term injuries the Stars had all season. A lower-body fracture kept him out of the lineup for nine weeks. Still, he maintained his half point per game average from the year before and proved to be an important depth piece. Now playing for Pete DeBoer on three different teams, the Stars head coach trusts Dadonov and will count on him for forward depth as long as he’s healthy.
Matt Duchene
Year two jump
The Stars have a recent history of players making noticeable jumps in their second year with the team. Joe Pavelski, Mason Marchment and Wyatt Johnston were just a few to see noticeable improvements in their second season. After an impressive first year in Dallas where he scored 25 goals and recorded 40 assists, there isn’t much room for improvement for Duchene, but with his same linemates, he should be set up for further success.
Thomas Harley
Prioritizing defense
Harley’s offensive ability as a defenseman has never been called into question, but he was kept in the AHL for an extra year to develop his defense. That area of his game took significant steps forward last season. But expected to be paired with defensive-minded Ilya Lyubushkin this year, it could be easy for Harley to stray from those goals. The Stars will need him to equally prioritize offense and defense this year and continue to produce now with $4 million to his name.
Miro Heiskanen
Playing on his dominant side
The left-handed defenseman has played on the right side for most of his career, and while he’s still been elite in doing so, Heiskanen may get the chance to show what he can do on his dominant side. Through camp, he has been paired alongside new right-handed defenseman Matt Dumba and excelled in preseason games. Heiskanen’s games could reach new heights as a result.
Roope Hintz
Take scoring to new level
As Dallas’ top-line center, Hintz has been a consistent producer for the Stars’ for years, scoring 72, 75 and 65 points in the last three seasons. While he may have been a victim of an aging line with Pavelski on his side, Hintz took some steps back in the playoffs, recording just eight points (and two goals) in 15 games. Teams expect a lot of their top-line centers, and to account for the Pavelski loss, Hintz may need to reach 80 points or more this year.
Wyatt Johnston
Producing as a known star
Johnston emerged as the Stars’ leading goal scorer last season before his 21st birthday. He totaled 32 goals as a third-line forward skating alongside Jamie Benn and Logan Stankoven. Johnston will face the challenge of maintaining that production now that he’s been discovered. Doing so will be crucial as he likely takes on a spot on the Stars’ top line.
Esa Lindell
Leadership
Lindell re-signed with Dallas a year early to ensure he stays in the organization for the next five seasons. Beyond steady defensive play on the ice, his leadership is critical, especially after the team lost one of its top leaders in Pavelski. His leadership will be most important in a defensive pairing with young defenseman Nils Lundkvist.
Nils Lundkvist
Consistency
Throughout his three NHL seasons, Lundkvist has had some bright moments but also found himself as a regular healthy scratch. The young defenseman needs to show consistency in his play to build trust with the Dallas coaching staff and maintain a regular spot in the top six.
Mason Marchment
Drawing rather than committing penalties
Marchment spent more time in the penalty box than any other Star last season, taking 24 penalties during the year. However, he’s also the Stars’ leader in penalties drawn at 26. Marchment showed better control last season and improvement in reading the referees. He will need to continue to grow that aspect of his game, as it provides a huge advantage for the Stars.
Jason Robertson
A quick start
Robertson’s best season came after he missed training camp two years ago amid contract negotiations but went on to record 40 points in the first 28 games and set a franchise record for 109 points. Robertson is missing most of camp again after offseason foot surgery, so his recovery and the way he starts this season will be highly anticipated.
Tyler Seguin
Health
Seguin has shown he can be a consistent producer even late into his career, but the biggest obstacle he faces is his health. Late in the season last year he battled injury and missed 13 regular-season games. That’s the point where his line, which was Dallas’ best to start the year, began to slow down in his absence.
Logan Stankoven
Reliable goal scoring
Stankoven got off to a hot start when he was called up from the AHL in February last year, scoring five goals and three assists in his first six NHL games. But the young forward experienced a 21-game slump during the end of the regular season and start of the playoffs. The Stars didn’t need Stankoven to be a consistent goal scorer last season, but he will be called upon more heavily for that this season.
Sam Steel
Elite penalty killing
Steel proved to be a jack-of-all-trades in his first year in Dallas, but his penalty killing may have been his greatest contribution and one reason the team chose to bring him back for another year. Steel played more shorthanded minutes in the regular season than any returning Stars player. With Dallas losing Radek Faksa, Jani Hakanpää and Chris Tanev in the offseason — three of its top penalty killers — Steel will need to lead a unit that has experienced some turnover.
Jake Oettinger
Resilience
The 2023-24 season was a challenging one for Oettinger for many reasons — from offseason ankle surgery to a mid-season groin injury to overall challenges on the ice. But he redeemed himself in the postseason with a 2.24 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. Oettinger has faced all sorts of adversity early in his career, and he’s equipped to bounce back now when it strikes.
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