NHL mock draft: How all-time greats fit 2018 needs

The Dallas Stars, despite their high draft pick, are in pretty decent shape. They’ve got Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov leading their offense. If it wasn’t for a late season collapse, defenseman John Klingberg likely would have been a Norris Trophy finalist. Their goaltending, while not great, is good enough to contend.

However, the Stars have a glaring issue. Seguin is great. But after him, the Stars center depth drops off considerably. Seguin led all their centers with 79 points. Their next best center (Radek Faksa) had 33 points. Old age hit Jason Spezza like a ton of bricks, as he had just 26 points. The Stars need to add a reliable center. Let’s go with Boston Bruins legend Phil Esposito.

His run of dominance from 1968 to 1975 is one of the most impressive in NHL history. Esposito put up triple-digit points in all but one year (and he had 99 points that year). He led the NHL in points five times, including four consecutive times from 1970 to 1974. Esposito led the league in goals six consecutive times from 1969 to 1975.

He’s one of the more unappreciated players of all-time, likely because he wasn’t able to duplicate his success with the Bruins with other teams. But still, few players were better than Esposito in his prime. He’d be a great addition to the Stars.