Projecting the Dallas Stars' Opening Night Roster

We're now less than two weeks from the start of the NHL season. Teams are finalizing their rosters and signing their RFAs, and players are beginning their training camps and gearing up for pre-season action. In the case of the Dallas Stars, they were brought back to Earth last season after a playoff run that saw them facing off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals. To be fair, a bout of Covid that ran through the team can absolutely shoulder some blame for the underwhelming year the Stars had in 2021. Their season was condensed from the outset and it made for a rough year for the team. Even then, there was a bright spot in the emergence of Jason Robertson, who received a Calder nomination for his efforts. It just wasn't in the cards for Dallas last year, but there is little reason to believe it will go the same way in '21-'22. The return of Ben Bishop is imminent, and Tyler Seguin is healthy again. There's lots to look forward to for Stars' fans. With that said, let's take a look at how the team's roster is shaking out, starting at forward:

Roope Hintz - Tyler Seguin - Alex Radulov

Jason Robertson - Jamie Benn - Joe Pavelski

Joel Kiviranta - Radek Faksa - Denis Gurianov

Michael Raffl - Luke Glendening - Blake Comeau

Jacob Peterson

Tanner Kero

Mavrik Bourque

The Stars moving Jamie Benn to centre last season yielded positive results, and there's a good chance they'll start the year with that change still in place, although he has lined up alongside his old linemate Tyler Seguin a couple times in preseason. For now, it's safe to assume that Faksa and Glendening will play as the 3 and 4Cs, but with both Jacob Peterson and Mavrik Bourque impressing in camp there's a chance one of them will land a bottom-six spot and push Faksa or Glendening to the wing. That would likely leave Blake Comeau as the odd man out. He's struggled in all three of his seasons in Dallas, and the team may be ready to move on from the player. 

On defence, the Stars added a new name to their blueline with a ton of experience:

Esa Lindell - Miro Heiskanen

Ryan Suter - John Klingberg

Joel Hanley - Andrei Sekera

Jani Hakanpaa

Alex Petrovic

Andreas Borgman

The biggest change here is the injection of Ryan Suter into the mix, ostensibly in the stead of Jamie Oleksiak although Suter brings a much higher defensive pedigree, despite his age. Three newcomers also join them, all battling for the 7th D spot. Of the three, Hakanpaa has the best shot of sticking with the team, even if it's just to hang out in the press box. Look for Heiskanen to have another stellar year, and if anyone is paying attention he'll be getting votes for the Norris come next summer.

In net, a Stanley Cup winner joins the Stars' in a potentially temporary role:

Anton Khudobin

Braden Holtby

Jake Oettinger

Ben Bishop

The tandem to start the season will likely be Khudobin and Holtby, with Oettinger available should an injury occur. However, Ben Bishop has stated he intends to return to play this season. That leaves the Stars with a crowded crease, and one of these keepers will likely need to be shipped out when that time comes. The obvious choice is Khudobin. His trade value is still high - higher than Holtby's at the moment - and Oettinger is the "goalie of the future" in Dallas. If Bishop is truly able to return full-time, Holtby's one year contract probably won't be renewed next summer, and Oettinger will take over the job.

What do you think of this Stars' roster, and what would you change?

Photo credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports