Benn hopes comeback season paves way to Stanley Cup Playoff run for Stars

Jamie Benn figured it was time to make some changes.

The Stars captain has watched youth and speed come to dominate the NHL in recent seasons. With that in mind, he and team strength coach Brad Jellis came up with a plan "to try and get faster, a little lighter."
"I'm not getting any younger, so you have to adapt a little bit," the 33-year-old forward said. "It's paying off this year."
It certainly is. Benn had 78 points (33 goals, 45 assists) in 80 games this season, his best production since he had 79 points (36 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games in 2017-18. His resurgence is a big reason why Dallas finished second in the Central Division and will face the Minnesota Wild in the Stanley Cup First Round with Game 1 at American Airlines Center on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2, SN360, TVAS2).
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Benn was the Stars' second-leading scorer behind forward Jason Robertson (109 points; 46 goals, 63 assists). His 13 power-play goals tied Robertson and forward Joe Pavelski for the Dallas lead, and his 30 power-play points was third behind Robertson (41) and defenseman Miro Heiskanen (34).
Benn also finished strong this season, with 25 points (nine goals, 16 assists) in his last 21 games.

"We wouldn't be in the position we're in in the standings without him and his leadership," Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said.
"The work he put in, how he came to camp, how accepting he was of new coaching and new linemates and new role, almost, there was zero pushback on anything we were trying to sell. He did his part and came in in great shape with a great attitude and he's getting rewarded for that."
Jellis said it was a joint decision between he and Benn to change Benn's offseason routine. The biggest difference involved weight training.
"In the past, we focused more on his pure strength, and I think as an older athlete, he has his strength base, solid, from years of training," he said. "So I think a lot of his lifts, we've kind of changed tempos of it, changed the weights with it and just worked on a lot more explosive stuff.
"Instead of him squatting 285 pounds or 350 pounds or whatever, we're keeping him lighter, and then at a more explosive tempo. A lot of the time, you're doing a controlled three-second down, then take two seconds to come up with heavier weight. With him, we wanted to keep everything lighter so it's more explosive."
Revamping his offseason workout was key, but there are other reasons Benn is thriving. One is finding instant chemistry with rookie center Wyatt Johnston, with whom he's played all season. The 19-year-old has 41 points (24 goals, 17 assists) in 82 games.
"He keeps me young. He keeps a lot of us old guys young," Benn said with a laugh. "He's a great kid and he's a sponge. He wants to learn. He does a lot of little things out there that go unnoticed and very smart at the same time."

Jellis said the rapport between Benn and Johnston reminds him of Benn and another teammate.
"For me, watching them play, depending on who else he's paired with, it's almost him and [center Tyler] Seguin back in the day," he said. "Wyatt's youth brings it out in him a little bit. He knows he needs to keep up with a young guy.
"You watch him play this year, it seems like he's having a lot more fun. Not that he's not taking it seriously, but he's having more fun with it than he seemed to have the past couple of years. It's probably playing with Wyatt that's brought it out."
Benn has also benefited from DeBoer's system, which puts more emphasis on offense. He's also logging less ice time, which helps him stay fresher. This season Benn averaged 15:47 of ice time per game, compared to 16:45 last season and 17:47 in 2020-21.
"[Pete] plays four lines all the time, so [Benn's] ice time came down a little bit," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "It's more quality minutes instead of quantity.
"He's on the first power play, that's been very successful and that's helped too. But the ice time coming down a little bit, at his age, has probably helped a little bit, more energy for him. It's a combination of all those things."
Though the preparation has changed, the goal hasn't: It's all about the Stanley Cup that has eluded Benn in his career. He came close when Dallas advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019-20, but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. Benn is feeling good about his game, and the Stars' game, and hopes this is the season that ends with a Cup.
"I think time flies in this league, 14 years in and still missing that trophy here," he said. "That's obviously what drives you. I want to win and to have an opportunity like we do here with a great team, I think we have all the pieces. Want to take advantage of it."