Stars Improbable 2019-20 Predictions

The Dallas Stars are coming off of a second round playoff loss, but expectations are pretty high for this team. The Stars were one of the better defensive teams last season, but that was mainly due to Ben Bishop having a great season in goal. There were depth additions in the offseason that made the team even better. The Stars landed some big name free agents, and locked up its own restricted free agents this past summer. 

The management of this organization knew this team needed some top nine talent on this roster and they landed some big name players. Joe Pavelski left the San Jose Sharks and decided to join the Stars in free agency. Corey Perry was bought out by the Anaheim Ducks and brought in on a very cheap one year deal. The Stars locked up young defenseman Esa Lindell for the next six years after he rounded out his game in the postseason. Roope Hintz really shone in the postseason last year, while Miro Heiskanen was impressive in his rookie season.

Here are five improbable predictions for the Stars upcoming season.

1) Roope Hintz Breaks Out in a Big Way

In 58 games played last season, Hintz had nine goals, 13 assists and 22 points. Of his nine goals, three were on the power play and three were game winning goals. Hintz really found his game during the course of the playoffs last season. Yes, he contributed during the regular season, but he was a difference maker for the Stars in the postseason. In 13 postseason, Hintz scored five goals, three assists and had eight points. 

The one part of Hintz’s game that was evident all season was the speed at which he plays the game. He brings speed to whichever line he is on and that is going to be a big factor in him really breaking out this season. He will score 25 goals, have 30 assists and total 55 points. He may be able to produce more than 55 points depending on which line he is on this season. If he is in the top six then there is a definite possibility of him scoring more than 55 points, since there are players with a ton of skill on those two lines. If Hintz uses his speed and makes smart decisions with the puck, he will rack up the points this season.

2) Joe Pavelski is Stars’ Leading Scorer

These are my improbable predictions so I figured go big or go home with some of them including this one. Pavelski came to the Stars in free agency after 13 seasons with the San Jose Sharks. The forward is another veteran leader, who should fit into this lineup well. He can score and setup his teammates so he will be another weapon for the Stars in addition to Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov.

There are some big name players who can rack up points on the Stars’ roster including Seguin, Benn, Radulov and Klingberg among others. Pavelski will likely see top six minutes along with power play time, which will help him get some points. The forward could also see some time with the likes of Benn, Seguin or Radulov during the course of a game especially if the trio is struggling throughout a game. Another potential reason he could produce is his ability to play any forward position allowing him to be moved around in the lineup depending on injuries and individual players’ struggles.

3) Miro Heiskanen Hits 25 Goals

Heiskanen shined in his first season in the NHL and finished fourth in the Calder Trophy voting. The defenseman showed off his skating skills and his ability to move the puck. Sure, he made some mistakes last season, but he was only 19 years old. In 82 games, he had 12 goals, 21 assists and 33 points last season. Heiskanen struggled with production a bit in his first postseason as he had just two goals, two assists and four points in 13 games. 

The defenseman can really move the puck, whether he makes the exit pass or skates it out of the defensive zone. He doesn’t let the pressure get to him too often in games and makes the right play. The two things that could hold him back are passing up his shot and not getting his shot through to the net. If he can manage to avoid these two things and get pucks on net then he has a really good shot at getting to 25 goals or more. 

4) Esa Lindell is a Norris Trophy Finalist

Yes, I realize there is a defenseman named John Klingberg on the Stars roster, but this is another prediction where I decided to go big or go home. Lindell really came into his own last season and turned himself into a dependable two-way defenseman. He earned a new six-year contract worth $34.8 million this offseason. Lindell played mostly with Klingberg last season so that helped him evolve his all around game. 

Lindell will be even better in his own end this season because he will have another year of NHL experience under his belt. He owns a big shot from the blue line so that will help him to get some points throughout the season especially if he can get the shot through with traffic in front of the net. In 82 games last season he had 11 goals, 21 assists and 32 points, which were all career highs. If he can be a little bit more consistent in games and from game-to-game, he will be a Norris Trophy Finalist next season.

5) Corey Perry Get 20 Goals

Perry is out indefinitely with a broken foot, but he shouldn’t miss too much time. He could be back on the ice by the second or third week in October. Perry was bought out by the Ducks in the offseason so he will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. If Perry can manage to find a way to get to the front of the net for deflections then he should get to the 20 goal mark. The Stars have some defensemen who can get the shot through to the net. 

Perry is on the decline and getting older, but there is nothing like a player who is trying to play for his next contract. The veteran forward knows that this could be his last shot at sticking around in the NHL. I wouldn’t be surprised if he scored a majority of his goals this season in front of the net by getting rebounds or deflections. Perry should be playing with some other skilled players so this will make it easier for him to get to 20 goals or more throughout the sesaon, if he can stay healthy.