Each NHL team’s biggest burning question in 2018

Dallas Stars: Is there enough depth?

Some puck lovers make the unfortunate mistake of forgetting that the Dallas stars are actually a very good hockey team.

While the club failed to make an appearance in the most recent edition of the Stanley Cup playoffs, it would be a fallacy to dispel the idea that the organization has some of the hockey world’s most dangerous weapons at its disposal. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin often appear side-by-side in “Top 20” — and sometimes even “Top 10” — countdowns from around the league and Alexander Radulov has proven to be one of the franchise’s most fundamentally sound acquisitions. This, coupled with the fact that a wealth of talent occupies the blue line through valuable assets in the form of Miro Heiskanen, Marc Methot, Esa Lindell and potential Norris candidate John Klingberg make the Stars a particularly intimidating opponent on any given night — especially with regard to special teams units. And don’t forget: Ben Bishop is more than capable of piloting a playoff run, as he remains one of the sport’s better goaltenders.

Nevertheless, there is a key footnote underlining the basis of Dallas’ campaign — and it’s one that will continue to case a shadow upon discussions of Jim Montgomery’s men until a degree of measurable progress is made. Are the Stars too top-heavy for their own good?

While it’s unclear as of yet if Dallas’ bottom-pairing pieces will manage to drown out the cries of many a critic, we do know this: an injury to one of Benn, Seguin, Radulov or Klingberg late in the season could potentially usher forth devastating consequences. The four men are the undeniable catalysts of the Stars’ lineup and serve — more often than not — as the driving forces behind two-way prowess.

Yet there are signs of hope. Radek Faksa is one of the league’s most underrated players — old news, indeed, for anyone who keeps up with the Stars, but a talented center to watch for those who are unfamiliar with the makeup of the team. Jason Spezza shall also be relied upon to turn things around. Coming off a rough 2017-18 season — during which he amassed a mere 26 points — one can bet that he will have something to prove as the end of his contracts nears. And men like Connor Carrick — acquired from Toronto for a seventh-rounder — shall look to embrace the inherent promise of new beginnings.

As the Stars veer the edges of contention for hockey’s most esteemed prize, expect the question of depth to lie at the forefront of headlines around the league. Until a reasonable amount of pressure is alleviated from the club’s top four, the matter will continue to act as a subject of rumination.