The Dallas Stars begin their long-awaited bye week after playing five games in seven and a half days. This period begins with back-to-back games on the East Coast, ends with an afternoon home game, and includes three overtime games. The Stars are 4-0-1, tied for fifth in the league in points and tied for third in the conference. Unfortunately for them, Central has been shaped as a heavyweight division. They look up to Winnipeg and Colorado, but they're never too far away to conquer.
When the Stars come out of the All-Star break, they will head straight into a grueling schedule filled with road contests and tough opponents. With about a month left until the trade deadline, this is their last chance to acquire the outside resources they need to make the playoffs.
We got a feel for the full unit last week, but let's take a look at how certain players are trending so far this season.
upward trend
thomas hurley
No defenseman combined incredible play with an enigmatic ceiling better than the Stars' best performing defenseman in the first half of the season. Miro Heiskanen will always hold the team's Most Valuable Player title for as long as he is on the team, but Hurley's performance this season has been consistent and on the rise. This arrow especially shined when he had more opportunities to play this month in Heiskanen's absence.
“I think it was just an opportunity,” Hurley said of the recent productivity increase. “I’m a confident guy and I know what I can do outside.”
If that wasn't enough, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer put Hurley in the best position for success by pairing him with Heiskanen upon his return from injury. The result was an even better version of Harley, winning back-to-back games in overtime.
It's time for a break and Harley is happy, but far from satisfied.
“I’m pretty happy,” Hurley said of the current state of his game. “I still make too many mistakes. Defensively, I still have a level to reach and I think that's a good thing. If I'm not playing the way I want, but I'm having success, that's a good thing. ”
I've covered Hurley from the time he was drafted, his early days in the AHL, his first stint in the NHL, and now as a bonafide NHLer who has elevated his game to being a top-pair defenseman. . Harley was always a soft-spoken person, especially in front of the microphone. There's a looser version of him, a guy who playfully picks fights with Wyatt Johnston during practice and warmups, as he did Saturday. But the most impressive thing about Harley has always been his maturity. He handled being sent to the AHL like a pro last season, was all about it when called up, and continues to grow this year.
Hurley is a great player, but he hasn't reached the limit of his greatness yet.
wyatt johnston
Johnston went scoreless all of December, recording just five assists in 14 games. It's not that he didn't play well. He's had some close calls, but Johnston is a reliable player who does all the little things right, even in the worst of situations. However, it was clear that he was not getting along well with Jamie Benn and Evgeni Dadonov. It's time for a change.
Despite some strong performances in early January, DeBoer ultimately pulled the plug, pushing Johnston to the top line. This development affected players across the lineup. Jason Robertson and Lupe Hintz had to get used to their new linemates after years of playing consistently with Joe Pavelski in the third. This was also a change for Pavelski, who was on a less skilled line with Benn and Sam Steele. But at the center of all the changes was Johnston. This was his big graduation ceremony.
The Stars have been very cautious about Johnston's development since he entered the league as a 19-year-old rookie last year. They put him on the line where he could play his natural position as a centerman, had a bodyguard with him on the ice at all times, and ensured that no one could mess with the young, growing kid. In this latest move, Johnston would be primarily a right winger, potentially replacing Hintz at center, which is how DeBoer is building the line. But like Washington's Tom Wilson, who tried to engage Saturday, he no longer had an enforcer in his line to protect him from extracurricular activities.
Johnston had a glowing response every step of the way. He had a goal and an assist on the night the new top line was introduced and has since racked up eight points in seven games. The natural chemistry that was always evident between Robertson, Hintz and Pavelski exists in Johnston's replacement as well. The big luxury of Johnston's ability to fit into that line is that the Stars won't have to pull Tyler Seguin from his line. The best groove of the moment by Mason Marchment and Matt Duchene.
Johnston has been playing well as an individual, and his fit could help the Stars get into the top six and potentially be on the top line for the next five years and beyond.
others
Nils Lundqvist He is another player who benefited from the opportunity during Heiskanen's absence. His arrow is pointing up, but he still needs to show consistency, especially defensively, before coaches consider him a reliable everyday option. He's in a tough position because he's paired with Ryan Suter. He's a solid player, but he has some consistency issues of his own, and the Stars are hiring Heiskanen to help cover that. Heiskanen, despite his all-world talent, was getting the job done in a flash, so it's a tall order to ask Lundqvist, who isn't quite Heiskanen, to do the job. But if the Stars want to keep Heiskanen and Hurley together, they don't have many options. DeBoer started the season with a pairing of Lundqvist and Lindell, but that quickly stalled and led to a healthy scratch outbreak.
Jason Robertson's He's been a little lacking on the score sheet the last few weeks, but he's playing really good hockey right now. Last year's 109-point season set the bar high, but Robertson has been quietly gaining points per game this season, scoring 50 points in 49 games. The best measure of Robertson's play is not how many points he scores, but how efficiently he can get the puck to the net. In three straight games through Saturday, Robertson had a total of 18 shots on goal, tying his season high for the third straight game.
downward trend
jake ettinger
If the Stars are going to have a strong spring, they'll need more from Oettinger. It's been a rocky year for the Stars netminder, with a knee injury last fall, summer surgery that kept him off the ice all offseason, and a groin injury last December. Oettinger has a track record that backs up the trust the team has in him, but it hasn't shown up consistently this season after a strong start. Oettinger started to decline before getting injured in December, and hasn't been at his best since his return. Given the Stars' team success with Scott Wedgwood, not to mention Matt Murray's surprise shutout, it was decided to give Oettinger all the recovery time he needed before returning.
It's not just his .898 save percentage since returning from injury, but also the sub-.900 save percentage in his last four starts. Too many soft goals like the Stars. I'm used to seeing Oettinger get stopped easily. This is a fixable problem, but it needs to be fixed soon, at least by mid-April. The .857 performance may be overshadowed by the team's wins over Anaheim and Washington, but the bottom line will be much tougher in a series showdown with Connor Hellebuyck or Connor McDavid and his ilk. It will be.
jamie ben
With Duchesne's addition strengthening the Stars' top six, Dallas no longer needs a captain to have a season near last season's points-per-game season, a veneration. They would benefit even more if Ben could take them at least a notch or two above where they are now. The pairing with Johnston produced great results for both players last year, but Johnston's promotion to the top line has also produced great results, so it's unlikely Ben will get more NHL time as a sophomore. Playing alongside Pavelski should be a positive thing, as even though they are both older and slower players, Pavelski is still a great player who can improve the players around him. The Stars need to figure out if Benn and Pavelski together on the wing is a long-term prospect, and if so, whether Steele is the answer for them in the midfield. If Steele isn't the answer, then there's no other player who really fits that spot…at least not on an NHL roster.
Ben played in 82 games last year and scored 78 points, including 33 goals. The Stars captain, who has scored just eight goals in 49 games this year, is on track to finish with less than half of his preseason scoring total. Benn's decline in play is a contributing factor to the Stars' power play dropping from the top five last season to 13th at the break.
Jani Hakanpaa
There were positive moments for Hakanpaa, such as a thrilling game winner in Nashville, but they were few and far between. After the team's poor performance, DeBoer often talked about taking care of the puck and being sloppy with the puck on his stick. Hakanpaa is the leader in this matter, and his pairing with Isa Lindell once again leaves a lot to be desired at 5-on-5. Hakanpaa is second on the team behind Markment with 13 penalties, but unlike Marchment, who has taken 17 penalties and drawn 18, Hakanpaa has only drawn five. His minus-8 on penalty kicks is tied for worst on the team, along with Suter.
Hakanpaa certainly brings an element of size and has shown some of that to be a big hit. He leads the Stars in this department by far with 7.32 hits per 60 minutes. Ben has 3.75 hits per 60 minutes and is the next closest regular in the lineup. Still, just being big is not enough. Spending most of his time on the penalty kill is where Hakanpaa brings the most value.
others
suiter The season got off to a decent start, but it has become a distant memory. The best thing the Stars did with Suter was realize they didn't have to utilize him all the time in key situations. They removed Suter from the power play for the second time in training camp and most recently from the top pairing with Heiskanen. Still, the Stars need more from the veteran defenseman while he's on the ice.
Stars needed more people Dadonov An attempt was made to ignite a relationship between Johnston and Ben, but that did not happen. After he was demoted to the fourth line, his expectations changed. Dadonov is a solid energy player, but the Stars could get some production from the fourth line and when playing alongside veterans like Radek Faksa and spark plug players like Craig Smith, Dadonov There's no reason why the company can't provide that.
(Photo of Jamie Benn celebrating with Wyatt Johnston and Evgeni Dadonov: Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
