The Dallas Stars fell to meet the big expectations they had set out for themselves last year: coming off a first place finish in the Western Conference in 2015-16, they wanted to accomplish more… But injuries and defensive and goaltending problems took the Stars down, pushing them to make major changes in the summer.
The Stars got lucky in the National Hockey League draft, picking third overall and getting their hands on young defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
The blue liner is a great skater, with good speed in both directions. He may not be the most offensive defenseman, but he is a good passer who can start a rush and push teammates to score.
Another young defenseman to keep an eye on is Julius Honka, who was drafted in the first round by the Stars in 2014. Honka is an offensive defenseman, who had a chance to show the Stars what he’s capable of. In 16 games with Dallas he recorded a goal and four assists. He also did well in the AHL, registering seven goals and 31 points in 50 games.
Forwards Roope Hintz, Riley Tufte and Denis Guryanov will also be determined to succeed during training camp. They will come to camp looking to impress, and the Stars might find a diamond in the rough to help them throughout the season.
In addition of great prospects looking for their turn, Stars management made several trades and signings to improve the team in the off-season. Ben Bishop, Marc Methot, Alexander Radulov, and Martin Hanzal will add much needed leadership and talent to the lineup.
The Stars may be the NHL’s most improved team heading into the upcoming season…
