NHL Preview 2019-20: Dallas Stars

(This year again, I will twin-post with my Collectibles Blog and write about a player who is related to my Preview post here. Today, it's Dallas Stars superstar Alexander Radulov).

GM: Jim Nill (since 2013). 8/10
Coach: Jim Montgomery (since 2018). 8/10

2018-19 record: 43-32-7, 93 points (4th in the Central Division, 6th in the Western Conference).
Playoffs: Lost in seven games to the St. Louis Blues in Round 2.

Departures: Jason Spezza (C), Mats Zuccarello (RW), Valeri Nichushkin (LW), Tyler Pitlick (C), Ben Lovejoy (D), Brett Ritchie (RW).

Arrivals: Joe Pavelski (C), Corey Perry (LW), Andrej Sekera (D).

Top forwards: Tyler Seguin (75-85 points), Alexander Radulov (75-85 points), Jamie Benn (55-70 points), Pavelski (50-65 points), Roope Hintz (50-60 points), Perry (40-45 points), Radek Faksa (25-35 points), Andrew Cogliano (30-40 points), Martin Hanzal (20-30 points), Mattias Janmark (20-35 points), Blake Comeau (20-25 points).

Must-improve forwards: Corey Perry has been on a downward spiral for years now, except now he's also injury-prone. The Stars are hoping a one-year "show-me" deal will be enough motivation for his scoring touch to come back, but this one seems as doomed to fail as when folks still believed in Jonathan Cheechoo a few years ago.

Top defensemen: John Klingberg (50-60 points), Miro Heiskanen (50-60 points), Esa Lindell (20 points), Sekera (20-35 points), Stephen Johns (20-25 points), Julius Honka (15-25 points), Jamie Oleksiak (10-15 points), Roman Polak (10-15 points).

Goalies: Ben Bishop (93/100), Anton Khudobin (81/100).

Top rookies: Ty Dellandria (19, C), Ondrej Vala (21, D), Benjamin Gleason (21, D), Tye Felhaber (21, C), Riley Damiani (19, C).

Analysis:
Expect the Stars to have a slightly better season than last year, as they look to build on what they had, and Benn can't possibly be that ineffective again. However, do not expect any miracles from the grizzled veterans acquired via free agency: Pavelski may have scored 38 goals last year, but he'd scored in the 20s for the two years prior, and he's 35 years old now. The drop-off will be huge when he does start declining - not to mention the fact that he suffered a serious concussion in last year's playoffs.

As stated above, Perry might just be done. Which leaves Sekera as a depth free agent signing who might have an impact in the bottom-three on defense.

Still, the Stars had a comparable roster to the Stanley Cup champion Blues team that eliminated them, with less depth on defense. They hope Sekera solves some of that, and that one of the former prospects like Johns, Honka and Lindell breaks through. They will be Cup contenders this year as well - all they need is to take advantage of one crack, one favourable seed, just a bit of luck to make their way through the West. And as we saw last year, it might not even be the Bolts waiting in the Final.

Prediction: 3rd in the Central Division, 12th overall.

NHL Preview 2017-18: Dallas Stars

GM: Jim Nill (since 2013). 8/10
Coach: Ken Hitchcock (second stint, since 2017). 8.5/10

2016-17 record: 34-37-11, 79 points, 24th overall, out of playoffs.

Departures: Antti Niemi (G), Ales Hemsky (RW), Patrick Sharp (LW), Cody Eakin (C).

Arrivals: Ben Bishop (G), Alexander Radulov (RW), Marc Methot (D), Martin Hanzal (C), Tyler Pitlick (LW), Brian Flynn (C).

Top forwards: Jamie Benn (75-85 points), Tyler Seguin (75-85 points), Jason Spezza (60-70 points), Radulov (50-60 points), Radek Faksa (35-45 points), Devin Shore (35-40 points), Hanzal (30-35 points), Mattias Janmark (30-35 points), Antoine Roussel (35-45 points).

Must-improve forwards: Roussel was gaining traction when he fell to injury; look for him to take another step up this season. Alternatively, Hanzal was an anchor for the Minnesota Wild, and he likely will be for the Stars as well, possibly forcing Hitchcock to play him alongside Radulov to get some kind of production out of the slow, aging Czech.

Top defensemen: John Klingberg (50-60 points), Esa Lindell (25-30 points), Methot (15-20 points), Stephen Johns (20-25 points), Julius Honka (15-25 points).

Goalies: Bishop (90/100), Kari Lehtonen (77/100).

Top rookies: Honka (21 years old, D, 2014 first-round pick), Miro Heiskanen (18, D, 3rd-overall pick at the 2017 draft), Denis Gurianov (20, D, 2015 first-round pick), Jason Dickinson (22, C, 2013 first-round pick), Riley Tufte (19, LW, 2016 first-round pick).

Analysis:
Like last year's Nashville Predators and the 2013-14 New York Rangers, it will take a few months for this Dallas Stars team to gel and start being consistent, but when they do, it'll be a straight road to the Stanley Cup Final for them.

After dressing the worst goaltending tandem in the league last year, the Stars bought Niemi out and added the best goalie on the market, two-time Vezina finalist Bishop. They also added the best forward on the market in Radulov, but also the most overrated one, Hanzal.

The entire team will be better just for knowing that Bishop will be behind them, adding a layer of confidence and fearlessness unseen in Dallas since the days of Ed Belfour.

Ken Hitchcock - who was also at the helm of the 1999 Cup-winning Stars team and has added two Olympic gold medals with Team Canada since then - will ensure everyone plays up to their usual standards.

I smell another Cup for Dallas.

Prediction: 4th in the Central Division. Top Wild Card spot in the West. Stanley Cup winners.