The buzzword in Big D these days is “anxiety.” As much fun as it is to read about another Jim Nill Super Party Offseason (™), it isn’t 2013 any longer. Yes, Dallas came away with the offseason’s big fish, and yes, the roster appears primed to erase the aftertaste of the 2015-2016 season. Thing is, Stars fans have been there before. They’re anxious, they’re wary, and until they see certain things it’s unlikely they’ll even begin to relax.
The true list is surely longer, but these are five of the biggest wait-and-see items on the Dallas fanbase’s collective list.
1 – John Klingberg’s first goal
Dallas’ all-star defender waited until November 3rd, 2016 to score his first goal of the season. He actually got two that night, in a 6-2 win against the St. Louis Blues. It was an omen, but not the sort the Stars hoped for. His next goal would come December 27th. Brutal. A strong finishing kick would see the slick Swede notch 13 goals on the season (a career high), but neither Klingberg nor the Stars could shake the bad start.
Last year the offense struggled, the power play regressed, and the Stars plummeted to the bottom of their Conference (a team with legitimate playoff aspirations should not count finishing above Vancouver, Arizona, and Colorado at this point). It isn’t exactly fair to blame Klingberg, but it isn’t unfair either. Hockey is not an egalitarian pursuit. Vintage Klingberg will fix a lot of what ailed last year’s Stars.
An early tally will go a long way to assuring fans the backline is back on track.
2 – Jamie Benn’s first “Beast Mode” game
And while we’re piling on, the Stars’ captain saw his production drop 20 full points last season (69 points). Despite a start that saw Benn notch 3 points in his first two games (1 G, 2 A), he closed October on a 9-game goalless run. Despite suiting up for 77 games, Benn dodged injury rumors all year. Health throughout the roster had a lot to do with it, but his personal journey was a microcosm for an offense that could never quite figure things out.
The Stars need their captain, and Benn needs to be a top 5 player, not a top 25 player. Fans need to see Benn wear a pair of defenseman and look completely oblivious to the pressure, or a shot that’s in before you can tell his wrists actually moved. They need some poor, unfortunate opponent to get caught on the railroad tracks and belted into Arlington.
This will be season 9 of Benn in Dallas; Stars fans know what “dialed in” Jamie Benn looks like. Seeing that player in October will go a long way to settling nerves.
3 – Ben Bishop’s first “steady” victory
Steady is the key word. To be the team fans think they are, Dallas is (hopefully) unlikely to present their new Number 1 with too many opportunities to steal 50+ save victories. Even if Bishop rattles off an all-time stretch of play, it might tell fans more about the sad-sack state of the defense than the pedigree of their latest answer in net. At this point, even a shutout, depending on its circumstances, might do more harm than good.
Dallas’ goaltending problems were never about the breakaways or the mad scrambles. They were about the backbreakers and the head-scratchers. To truly feel like a corner is being turned, Stars fans need to see a 4-2 win with 24 shots against. They need bad-angle shots to stay out and rebounds to find their way into corners. They need predictability, and frankly, a little less excitement.
If Ben Bishop can eliminate the “how did that go in?” from Dallas’ collective vocabulary, fans might finally start to believe in life after Marty Turco.
4 – Dallas’ first 4+ goal game
The Stars were 16th in goals for last season, and 20th on the power play. They struggled, got hurt, and struggled some more, so this offseason, Jim Nill went out and did something about it. Martin Hanzal and Alexander Radulov should bolster the offense in a big way. Meanwhile, Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza, and Mattias Janmark should all start the season at something at least approximating full health (fingers crossed). Things should get better, right?
Right?
Yes, the acquisitions of Marc Methot and Bishop, along with the hiring of Ken Hitchcock should make Big D less reliant on Big O, but where’s the fun in that? This team’s beating heart is still Klingberg, Spezza, Seguin, and Benn. Fans will know they’re all the way back when they see a couple of power play tallies, relentless attacking pressure, and probably an empty netter.
5 – Dallas’ first loss
At this point, the Dallas Stars have more questions than answers. A dramatically retooled defense, significant new pieces on offense, and a brand new coach tend to do that. Will they fold? Will they rebound? Will it be a grinding, stifling, “how did they not score” catastrophe, or will they get skated out of the building? Will Ben Bishop make “that save?” How about the power play? More importantly, what will happen next?
Even in the absolute best case scenario, Dallas is going to get kicked in the teeth next season. When it comes, and how the many new pieces react will be a big indicator of whether or not this team is truly ready for bigger things.
Notable Exclusion: Depth Defensemen
There are literally no more words with which one can discuss Dallas’ odd, unsustainable backline situation.