Benjamin Franklin once famously wrote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and Tyler’s bold predictions for the Dallas Stars’ upcoming season.” Not that the predictions themselves are certain to come true, mind you — just that I’ll make some.
I’ve been doing this for seven years, getting right on a technicality in Year 2, a slam dunk in Year 3, and then it was down hill ever since. To be honest, I thought I had peaked… until Mikko Rantanen saved the day:
Prediction #4: Dallas Trades Two First Round Picks
…Nill will trade not just one, but two first round picks this year in an effort to push all of his chips in and capitalize on this Stars’ window. Will it be for two different rentals as the Stars load up on star power, pushing their cap space to practically nil (pun intended)? Or maybe it’s to rope in a single big fish like pending RFA Noah Dobson, whom I sincerely believe will wear Victory Green if I just continue to will it into existence every day as I have for the past year?
Your guess is as good as mine. Which, if history is any indication, is not very good!
No really, go click the “I’ve” hyperlink if you don’t believe me. Heck, if anything I wasn’t bold enough, since the Mikael Granlund trade meant Jim Nill actually traded three first rounders. Just, uhh, ignore the part where I tried to will a Dobson trade into existence — some dreams will never come true…
Anyways, will I hit another home run again this year? Probably not, but that’s what makes it so fun! Let’s review the ground rules:
- These aren’t just bold predictions — they’re bold predictions. Predicting that Dallas wins the Stanley Cup? Tired. Predicting that Dallas wins the Stanley Cup led by leading scorer and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Radek Faksa? Wired.
- Each prediction is independent of one another, but I won’t make any contradictory picks (e.g. Wyatt Johnston wins the Art Ross and Johnston doesn’t score a single point). Combinations that are unlikely yet technically possible, however, are fair game (e.g. Johnston wins the Art Ross and Johnston doesn’t score a single goal).
- As with every year, each prediction will also have an accompanying SUPER BOLD prediction. These are usually (even more) silly and serve only as a reminder that this piece isn’t 100% serious. But if I manage to get one right, the Utah Mammoth have to change their name again this offseason. Just think of the potential merchandise revenue!
Enough dilly-dallying — let’s get started from (roughly) bold to boldest:
Prediction #1: Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen Combine for 100+ Goals, 200+ Points
Fun fact: did you know that Mikko Rantanen has only broken the 50 goal barrier once before in his career? It was in the 2022-23 season, where he potted 55 en route to his first 100+ point NHL season (105), which was good enough to earn him 6th place in Hart Trophy voting, right behind linemate and famous Mikko Rantanen merchant Nathan MacKinnon.
Of course, both of them fell behind Jason Robertson, who hit a career high 46 goals and 109 points to earn a 4th place finish. The difference is Rantanen followed it up with a 42 goal, 104 point season whereas Robertson went back to his (roughly) point-per-game mark with just 29 goals, 80 points. Thus began a very annoying Robertson discourse among fans and armchair GMs that carries on to this day.
Well, with players both in important contract years (Robertson in the last of his bridge deal, and Rantanen in the first of his payday), the two wingers are going to party like it’s 2022-23 and take the NHL by storm. The duo will combine for at last 100 goals and 200 points, whether that be at least 50/100 each or some other combination. This will lead to many level-headed rational takes about both players, dispelling all issues or worries about them until the end of time (fingers crossed!).
SUPER BOLD BONUS: Neither is the Stars’ leading scorer, as Roope Hintz reaps the rewards of all of those assists.
Prediction #2: Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley Both Finish Top-5 in Norris Trophy Voting
Another fun fact: did you know that Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley are both tied for their highest Norris Trophy finish at 7th place? It’s crazy to think Heiskanen has never been voted higher, but that’s what happens when you aren’t a top point producer, like Harley was last year after stepping up when Heiskanen missed a large chunk of time due to injury.
…I’m sorry, what is that? Heiskanen had 23 more points his 7th-place finish year than Harley did in his? That’s… huh…
Uhh, anyways, that ends this year! Let’s continue with the dynamic duo predictions, as both Heiskanen and Harley finish in the Top 5 of the Norris Trophy voting. That feels like it should be nearly impossible, but that’s what makes it bold. As for which defenseman finishes higher…
SUPER BOLD BONUS: They actually tie, with Heiskanen earning the tiebreaker despite No. 1 Power Play specialist Thomas Harley scoring more points.
Prediction #3: Dallas Leads the NHL in Most Olympic Medal Points Among Players
For the first time in Bold Predictions history, I am going to reuse an old prediction. Why, you might ask? Because the last time I made a prediction about the Olympics, the NHL ended up not participating in them again despite expectations, so the prediction ended up going to waste. Or, well, technically it still came true, just on the most technical of technicalities.
Anyways, while the Stars aren’t officially competing in the Olympics themselves (Team Finland might as well count), they still have several potential players who are projected to go: Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Esa Lindell, Mikko Rantanen, and Jake Oettinger are essentially locks, whereas Jason Robertson, Thomas Harley, and Radek Faksa might earn an invite as well. Sorry, Wyatt Johnston — it’s not your fault Team Canada is stacked!
Now, it’d be unfair to measure the Stars’ individual player success in Italy based on points scored, since something tells me the likes of Lindell, (potentially) Faksa, and Oettinger aren’t exactly going to be lighting up the scoresheet compared to *checks rosters* literally just Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl combined. But Dallas players will beat out the other 31 teams when it comes to “points” for medals earned (e.g. Gold = 3, Silver = 2, and Bronze = 1).
Is this really just a prediction that Finland wins the Gold? It might just be a prediction that Finland wins the Gold.
SUPER BOLD BONUS: Finland doesn’t win the Gold or Silver, as Team USA does the heavy lifting with just Robertson and Oettinger.
Prediction #4: Dallas Does Not Make a Trade at the Deadline
Last year’s home run was a trade prediction for No. 4, so let’s try and repeat the magic here. Once again, the Dallas Stars are firmly in “Stanley Cup Contender” mode, sitting about as close to “Cup or Bust” as you can be without a dire, scary future looming in the near future.
That’s not to say they don’t have holes in their roster, however — once again, the Top 4 could use a serious upgrade, which has essentially been the company line since the dawn of time, and the Bottom 6 could always use a boost since the Stars’ had to divert cap space towards their top players. Luckily, the Stars are in a great position to make a deadline splash, with a prospect and pick cupboard full of… umm… two second round picks?
That’s right: thanks in large part due to the Rantanen (and Mikael Granlund) trade(s) last year, the Stars’ don’t have much ammo for more moves, not to mention the expected RHD market looks to be pretty underwhelming outside of Rasmus Andersson (who will probably cost an arm and both legs). So after a year of indulging his wild side, I say that Jim Nill returns to “I like where we’re at” and takes it to the extreme, making no trades in the month leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline. No depth players, no pick swaps, no Pokémon trading cards — nothing.
SUPER BOLD BONUS: It’s not just the month before the deadline — Nill doesn’t make any trades the entire season. He four-peats as General Manager of the Year anyways.
Before we wrap things up, what are your predictions for the year, bold or otherwise? Will Mavrik Bourque have a breakout season? Will Glen Gulutzan solve the Stars’ Power Play woes for good? Will Tyler actually manage to write an Afterwords for a non-playoff game? Leave your answers in the comments below!
Now then, it’s time for our annual tradition here: the fifth and final prediction, which is always so unrealistic, so bold, that we all acknowledge that it’s never going to happen and is just there as punchline to finish the piece off with.
Prediction #5: Dallas Wins the Western Conference Final
SUPER BOLD BONUS: It’s against the Edmonton Oilers.