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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Judging Jamie Benn’s Importance

To help get us through the offseason, ESPN has been naming the most important player on each team, the one “you can’t afford to lose.” With the Stars finally on deck, who gets top billing from Katie Strang? None other than captain Jamie Benn.

Benn’s size and skill make him the team’s most dynamic offensive weapon, and the Stars have come to count on his leadership as captain.

The native of Victoria, British Columbia actually underwent surgery on both hips this offseason, though he is expected to be at full strength by the time training camp rolls around. So, working on the premise that he managed to capture the scoring trophy with two bum hips, imagine what he might do if he’s fully healthy?

Seguin’s injury last season was a tough loss — the team was 4-5-2 while he was sidelined — but losing Benn for any significant time would be absolutely debilitating. If he can recapture his scoring touch this season, and stay healthy, the Stars figure to be one of the most explosive offensive teams in the NHL.

Pointing out the team’s record while Seguin was out prompts the question of what those 11 games would have looked like if Benn was sidelined instead. Would the Stars have done even worse? You can check out the full argument—and read up on the go-to guys for other teams—over at ESPN. [ESPN]

Mark Stepneski offered a peek into The Hockey News’ ranking of the league’s top 50 players for their 2015-16 Yearbook. The Stars’ usual suspects earned some recognition.

Are the Stars close to winning another Stanley Cup? Over at The Hockey Writers, Matt Pryor investigates. The article also features this nice video of the 1999 win, so I’ll just leave it here to brighten your Wednesday morning. [THW]

For more Stars love at THW, you can also take a look at a list of the league’s top 5 shooters, which features Tyler Seguin in the No. 3 slot. [THW]

Are ads coming soon to jerseys near you? Beating out Under Armour and Bauer Hockey, Adidas won the contract to make uniforms for all NHL teams starting in the 2017-18 season, which means we might be seeing them soon. [TSN]

Danny Briere announced his retirement on Monday, prompting a barrage of articles about how he paved the way for smaller players and his reputation as a clutch performer. [Puck Daddy]

Step right up and take a virtual tour of the new arena headed to Sin City. [Toronto Sun]

Not to be outdone, the Flames announced their plans to build a new $900 million arena to replace the Saddledome. [Sportsnet]

The Ducks inked forward Mike Santorelli to a one-year, $875,000 contract. [NHL]

It’s no surprise hockey players eat a lot, a fact that’s prompted the Bruins to argue that they should be able to deduct the cost of feeding players on road trips. [Boston Globe]

Canucks fans can rest easy knowing that the Sedin twins won’t be swapping ice for hardwood any time soon.

Although he remains unsigned, defenseman Christian Ehrhoff still has an offer on the table from the Blue Jackets. [The Columbus Dispatch]

SportLogiq, a video software company, is looking to revolutionize hockey analytics. [The Province]

Relive a new batch of traumatizing losses for teams around the league. [SI]

Stephen Walkom, the VP and director of officiating in the NHL, is leading the charge to convince more former players to don the zebra stripes. [Boston Globe]

And finally, Tyler Seguin is all grown up.

2010 day 2 @biosteelsports vs 2015 camp. Day 2 ✔️ #drinkthepink

A photo posted by Tyler Seguin (@tseguin92) on

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