1. Avoiding the Fate of the Carolina Hurricanes: Can the Stars Reach the Stanley Cup Final?

The Dallas Stars have established themselves as one of the NHL’s top teams over the past two seasons, consistently finishing at or near the top of the Central Division and advancing to the Western Conference Final in consecutive years. However, like the Carolina Hurricanes, they’ve stumbled just short of the ultimate goal, falling in six games in the conference final both times.

Despite these near-misses, Dallas is not content with being a perennial contender that falls short. This offseason, the Stars made several significant moves, partly driven by salary cap constraints, including parting ways with veteran defensemen Chris Tanev, Ryan Suter, and Jani Hakanpaa. The retirement of star forward Joe Pavelski also leaves a significant void in the lineup.

But does this signal a step back for the Stars? Not necessarily. Dallas boasts a core of young talent—Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, Jake Oettinger, Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven, and Thomas Harley—who are poised to make major contributions in 2024-25 and beyond. With continued internal development, the Stars have the potential to elevate their game and could be a popular pick to win it all this season.

Dallas’ strong draft and development team, led by elite GM Jim Nill, has provided the franchise with an extended window to capture the second championship in team history. While the stars (pun intended) need to align for them, as they do for any Cup-winning team, the Stars have the necessary pieces to be serious contenders if they can stay healthy when it counts the most.

2. Replacing Joe Pavelski’s Production: Who Steps Up?

Joe Pavelski’s retirement leaves a big hole in Dallas’ lineup, particularly as he was their second-leading scorer last season with 27 goals and 67 points. Replicating those numbers in 2024-25 won’t be easy, but Wyatt Johnston seems poised to step into Pavelski’s role on the top line.

Johnston, who notched a career-best 32 goals and 65 points last season at just 21 years old, is entering a contract year. As a restricted free agent (RFA) next summer, Johnston will be motivated to produce at a high level, especially if he aims to secure a lucrative extension similar to the one Seattle Kraken’s Matty Beniers received this offseason.

In addition to Johnston, the Stars will look to youngsters like Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque for increased offensive contributions. While losing Pavelski’s veteran presence is undoubtedly a setback, Dallas’ deep pool of young talent should mitigate the impact and keep the team’s offense firing on all cylinders.

3. Is This Logan Stankoven’s Breakout Year?

Logan Stankoven, 21, spent most of last season in the American Hockey League (AHL), where he impressed with 24 goals and 57 points in 47 games, demonstrating that he’s ready for the NHL. In his first 24 NHL games last year, Stankoven tallied six goals and 14 points, and he added three goals and eight points in 19 playoff games.

While Stankoven’s potential is undeniable, expecting him to dominate the league in 2024-25 might be premature. It wouldn’t be surprising if he experiences a lateral move or even a slight regression this season, as many young players do. However, if Stankoven can deliver 15 to 20 goals and 40 to 50 points, those would be excellent numbers for a player still adapting to the NHL.

Stankoven is also a strong candidate for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie. Fortunately, he doesn’t need to carry the team’s offense on his shoulders, which should alleviate some of the pressure as he continues to develop. The Stars are confident in his future, and so are we, but expecting him to be a superstar right out of the gate might be asking too much.