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Dallas Stars Daily Links: The Full-Time Job Of Expectations Management

Posted on by Kathleen Tibbetts

The offseason is great in its own way. It’s full of hopes and dreams and rosy outlooks, and everyone still has a perfect record. For the Dallas Stars — for this offseason in particular — it’s also time to shoulder the weight of expectations, with a clear vision of what it will take to live up to them.

For instance, just how wide is that Stanley Cup window? The Stars insiders sat down to talk about it, and FOX Sports Southwest host Brien Rea says it opened four years ago, and the clock is ticking:

The window has been open going back to the 2015-16 team with the best record in the Western Conference. After Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg, Jim Nill built up the core adding Alexander Radulov, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell and Ben Bishop. Now, can Nill finish off the puzzle with the secondary ingredients to elevate this team. After last year’s playoff run, hopefully Pavelski, Perry and Sekera are the final pieces.

On paper, the Stars are a contender. The question is whether they take that next step on the ice and not suffer a setback, like they did in the years following that 2015-16 campaign.

As for which offseason signing could have the greatest impact, Bruce LeVine has something to say about Corey Perry:

NEVER judge a player by how fans or opponents feel about him, go by what his teammates say and how he is in the room. Perry was loved by his fellow Ducks and respected by all who played there. Perry also brings a history of on-ice excellence to the room as he has won a Memorial Cup, World Junior Championship. Stanley Cup and Two Olympic Gold Medals.

Perry may not be the 50-goal scorer he was a few years ago but he still knows how to go to the net and make things happen. Considering his bargain-basement contract, if Perry adds some fire to the power play and a few even-strength goals the signing will be well worth it. If he gets anywhere near 20 goals, Jim Nill will have pulled off the steal of the offseason.

There’s much more at the official site. [Dallas Stars]

Stars Stuff

Seen the national TV schedule? The Stars have six games on the NBC networks, only one of which (November 26 at the Chicago Blackhawks) happens before the 2020 Winter Classic.

Sean Shapiro with the TL;DR version:

Is that Stars prospect Riley Tufte getting some reps in with Da Beauty League…?

Aaaaaaand leaving this here:

Former Texas Stars goalie (and ongoing fan favorite) Mike McKenna has a new podcast, and he wasted no time in scheduling Marty Turco. Make a party of it.

Around The League(s)

Dan Rosen’s latest mailbag has some key #MurderDeathKill content, with Minnesota’s unscheduled GM search and coaches feeling the heat in Nashville and Winnipeg.

Now that this summer’s arbitration hearings are history, here’s how all 40 cases were resolved. [NHL]

Joe Pavelski is already an impact player in Stars fantasy hockey with his projected usage on the Victory Green power play.

As Buffalo Sabres forward Jason Pominville weighs his options, is the league seeing a possible trend toward a “second wave” of older but still viable UFAs?

From the Young Man’s Game department: Dylan Larkin considers the possibility that he will take over for Henrik Zetterberg as the Detroit Red Wings’ leader in the locker room. [NHL]

Ales Hemsky must be in the water up in Canuckistan. No. 83 has owned Canadian Twitter more than once in the past couple of weeks — including this Twitter Moment brought on by a former Edmonton Oilers teammate.

Finally

Would you believe…the Stars have come up with another Sweet Victory for the Spongebob fans. Enjoy.

Talking Points