Breaking it down: What will Stars' lineup look like for 2020-21?

At the heart of most fans is the desire to set their own lineup, so what can we do with the 2020-21 edition of the Stars?
Let's break things down as we get ready for the Jan. 14 season opener and see what coach Rick Bowness and his staff are dealing with:

Forwards

This is an intriguing group, because it has tons of potential but also has had some issues in recent seasons.
The Stars last season ranked 26th in scoring at 2.58 goals per game, and that was a continuation of the problems the year before when they ranked 28th at 2.55. They bumped that up to 2.85 in the playoffs and had seven games with five goals or more, so they definitely were more dangerous when Bowness allowed his defensemen to activate more.
A lot of their increased scoring came from defensemen, but Jamie Benn (eight goals, 11 assists) and Joe Pavelski (13 goals, six assists) each had 19 points in the playoffs and Denis Gurianov added 17 (nine goals, eight assists).
Tyler Seguin had hip surgery in the offseason and won't be back until March. While the Stars will miss Seguin's presence, it really is a great opportunity to get more minutes for players like Pavelski, Roope Hintz, Radek Faksa and Jason Dickinson. Hintz played 14:45 last season, and he could definitely use more ice time. In fact, if the Stars really wanted to get daring, they could put together a line with Hintz centering Gurianov and Joel Kiviranta and let them get top minutes a few of the early games. They have speed, and they could really take advantage of what looked to be strong chemistry that was developing in the playoffs.
If the coaching staff doesn't want that to be the top line, they could look at Benn and Alexander Radulov flanking Pavelski. It's not as quick as some lines, but Pavelski is a smart two-way center, and he can pretty much play any style of game.
While the standard thinking is to put Andrew Cogliano and Blake Comeau back with Faksa on a checking line, I do wonder if putting Benn in Cogliano's place might be worth an experiment. Benn has good chemistry with Comeau and seems to respond well to the energy of that line. You could put Jason Dickinson on a wing with Pavelski -- adding defense and a nose for the puck -- and then drop Cogliano to the fourth line.
The Stars have some depth at center and that could create an interesting fourth line. If Dickinson isn't on one of the top three lines, he could center the fourth. If he is moved up, Justin Dowling and Ty Dellandrea are candidates. Also in the mix for the fourth line could be Jason Robertson, Nick Caamano, Rhett Gardner and Joel L'Esperance.
The injury to Seguin and the loss of Corey Perry (signed with Montreal) and Mattias Janmark (signed with Chicago) in free agency puts a bit of a dent in the Stars' forward depth, but the organization is hopeful younger players are ready to step up.

Defense

After the blueline performance in the playoffs last season, the Stars' group of defensemen might be considered one of the best in the NHL.
Miro Heiskanen finished third in playoff scoring with 26 points in 27 games, while John Klingberg was seventh with 21 points in 26 games. Esa Lindell and Jamie Oleksiak have developed into strong defensive defensemen, and Andrej Sekera, Taylor Fedun and Joel Hanley really stepped up to provide solid NHL depth.
General manager Jim Nill added Mark Pysyk on a one-year deal at $750,000, and he might be a perfect fit. Pysyk is right-handed, and the Stars are mostly left-handed on defense. He is 28 and is a dependable puck mover. He really could be a great complement to Sekera or Thomas Harley, if the rookie makes the NHL this season.
Harley's availability could depend a good deal on if the OHL plays or not. If it does, the Stars have good depth and might want Harley to log big minutes in Mississauga. If not, he could stay with the Stars, especially since they will have a taxi squad this season and can get him NHL coaching and time with the NHL players. If the OHL doesn't play, Harley also could play in the AHL this season.
Harley will definitely get a chance to start with the Stars, because the OHL hasn't made a decision yet and the AHL won't begin until Feb. 5. If he gets in the lineup and excels, he might answer a lot of questions the front office might have on whether the 19-year-old is ready.
Whatever happens with the talented prospect, the Stars seem to be pretty set on defense right now. Stephen Johns, who has missed a great deal of time with post-traumatic headaches, is not participating in training camp, but Dallas seems to have the ability to overcome his loss.

Goaltending

Ben Bishop had knee surgery in the offseason and will be out until March. Anton Khudobin, who took over in the playoffs and was outstanding, will be the No. 1 goalie for much of the season. However, with a cramped schedule and Khudobin's history as a backup, he's going to need some help.
Khudobin, 34, played 30 games last season and 41 the year before, so he has split the load before. However, he has not had to carry the load during the regular season. Now, he did play 25 of 27 games in the playoffs and went 14-10. He had a 2.69 goals against average and .917 save percentage, which was basically middle of the pack in both categories.
Still, he won big games and came through in big moments, and he seemed to become a much better player because of that. He earned a three-year contract extension and the respect of his teammates and opponents, and he definitely has a chance to build on all of that.
Jake Oettinger is 22. He played in two playoff games and stopped all eight shots he faced. He will get a chance to play a lot of games this season, and he seems ready for the challenge. Oettinger went 15-16-4 with the Texas Stars last season, posting a 2.54 goals against average and .917 save percentage.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.