Central Division Preview: 3 burning questions for the Dallas Stars

The Dallas Stars are the sexy pick to win the Stanley Cup this season. They have lost in the Western Conference Finals three years in a row and made a coaching change to get them to the next step. They will have star forward Mikko Rantanen for a full season, to go along with a talented and deep roster. With some possible roster changes coming next summer, it could be now or never for the Stars to win it all with this group.

Dallas Stars Vitals

2024-25 Record: 50-25-6, 106 points (2nd in Central Division, lost in WCF to Edmonton)
Goals Leader: Jason Robertson (35)
Assists Leader: Matt Duchene (52)
Points Leader: Matt Duchene (82)

Additions

Radek Faksa, C
Nathan Bastian, RW
Vladislav Kolyachonok, D

Departures

Mikael Granlund, C (Anaheim)
Mason Marchment, LW (Seattle)
Evgenii Dadonov, RW (Devils)
Cody Ceci, D (Kings)
Matt Dumba, D (Penguins)
Matej Blumel, RW (Bruins)
Brendan Smith, D (UFA)

We’re going to take a deeper dive into all things Stars with Brian Sweet, the site expert for Blackout Dallas.

Is Glen Gulutzan the right guy to get the Stars to the Stanley Cup Final? How is he different from Pete DeBoer?

A lot of people were kind of bummed the Stars re-hired Glen Gulutzan. After what Neil Graham was able to develop players like Thomas Harley and Logan Stankoven, people wanted a bold new coaching hire. I will go on record as saying I was one of those people that was on the Graham bandwagon this summer. However, once it was announced that Gulutzan was taking over Dallas, it took me a bit to warm up to the fact he was going to be the next head coach.

I went back to when the Stars first hired him to be the head coach of the Stars, and it was during the bankruptcy era when no general manager wanted to spend money. Now that the Stars have a roster that can flat out destroy their opponents, Gulutzan might be the passionate coach that gets them over the hump and into the Stanley Cup Finals. He’s a very passionate coach who wants the best for the team while allowing the players to have free rein with the offense, while DeBoer’s offense was more limited. He knows he has a ton of scoring talent and doesn’t want to restrict it.

What are the realistic expectations for Mikko Rantanen in his first full season with the Stars?

There are a lot of expectations for Rantanen going into his first full season with the Stars. One of those things is being a consistent scorer day in and day out. You could tell he was trying to settle down in Dallas after the trade deadline last season.

Now that he has roots in the city, he’s ready to go to the first game of the season on the road against the Winnipeg Jets. Another thing Rantanen might have to do to start the season is step in and serve as an assistant captain until Jamie Benn returns from the collapsed lung he suffered last week. He has experience as an assistant captain. Don’t be surprised if he’s asked to be a leader at the beginning of the season while Tyler Seguin becomes the temporary captain of the team. Everyone in Dallas is super excited to see what the young moose has up his sleeve this season, since he’s settled down in Dallas.

Will Jason Robertson be a Star beyond this season?

This is probably the toughest question that you have asked me. I would love to keep Robertson in a victory green sweater for the next decade; however, I’m not willing to pay him what Rantanen is making the next eight seasons.

I know Jim Nill is going to do his best to convince Robertson to take less money until the salary cap increases over the next three years, and while they finish off Tyler Seguin’s massive contract, which will free up a lot more money for him. However, Nill might be forced to deal him to another team.

Mavrik Bourque is starting to warm up and look like the player who dominated the AHL with the Texas Stars this preseason. If Nils Lundkvist finds his game, that’s another young player you need to pay to keep in Dallas. You also have to pay Thomas Harley, who is one of the up-and-coming rising defensemen in the league. There’s only so much money the Stars have to pay all this talent. If Jim Nill can make everybody happy, deliver his General Manager of the Year Award to his office at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. It’s one of those 50-50 questions that’s tough to answer at the moment while general managers across the league wait for the market to settle.