Hey Heika: Power play solutions, deadline possibilities and more

You can tell it’s time for a Hey Heika when the fans feel so strongly about something.

Clearly, many of you are concerned about the power play, and after looking at your case, you seem to be onto something. I’m generally a patient person, and I have been worn down by the NHL’s division-centric playoff system, so my philosophy has been just make the playoffs and be trending up when you get there. And I actually do believe that is a valid response to a lot of this stuff.

One, the Stars didn’t get a very good path in the playoffs after finishing first in the West last season. And two, home ice in the playoffs doesn’t seem to be that much of an advantage, particularly for this team.

That said, I get where you’re coming from. The Stars have not been good on the power play, and it stretches much further than the 18 games this season. When you look back at what happened against Edmonton, a lot of that can be laid at the feet of the power play. Get just one big goal here or there, and that series is completely different. Put just a little bit of doubt into the mind of Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner, and he might be a lot closer to the .881 save percentage he’s having this season.

That’s how important the power play can be in a key playoff series – and if the Stars can’t solve their problems during the regular season, then that’s definitely a bad sign.

So let’s study what’s going on so far – and remember, these are not excuses, simply explanations.

One, Dallas lost Joe Pavelski. The veteran forward was a driving force throughout the team, but especially on the man advantage. He might be the best puck tipper in the history of the league, and the opportunity to use that skill was biggest on the power play. The thought might be to get a guy like Jamie Benn or Tyler Seguin or Roope Hintz to fill that role in front of the net. Each has shown they can tip pucks. Each has watched Pavelski in practice and even mimicked some of the drills. But it’s not the same.

Bottom line, you’re probably not going to find another guy like Joe Pavelski, so you have to look for a different way to do things.

The best option, it seems, is to rely on some of your new talent and let them do what they do best. That means players like Wyatt Johnston, Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque should be getting more opportunities. They are, so you have to be patient in the learning curve for those players.

Also in the “patience” basket is the fact that Johnston, Bourque and Jason Robertson missed a lot of training camp, and even some summer workouts, because they were sidelines by injuries or operations. That’s real, so they need time to get to where they want to be.

Just as it is with the regular lines and the 5-on-5 deployment, the Stars have a lot of good choices on the power play. They can mix and match all sorts of left and right shots, all sorts of players with big shots or sneaky shots or puck retrieval, and they are in the process of doing that.

But, as we have seen with line juggling and defensive pairs, it takes time.

I have learned over the years that every team is unique. I sort of dismissed that a few years back, because I’m a fan too and I see the storylines continue, and I have embraced the coaching tenet of “you are who you are.” But who you are and how you interact with your teammates really does change every season, and so players and coaches have to adjust to that.

Because of what the Stars went through last season, I have hesitatingly accepted the fact you don’t have to be the best team in the league to have ultimate success. I have always wanted a team to keep the bar high and do everything it can to finish as high as possible in the standings. Bob Gainey said the Presidents’ Trophy was a great honor, because it meant you were the best team for six months. That is an accomplishment.

But when I look at the playoff scenario right now, I see that Winnipeg could get Edmonton or Colorado in the first round while Dallas could get Minnesota. That tells you that you really need to be peaking at the right time. And I think that’s something the Stars understand from the management to the coaching staff to the players. They all want to win the Stanley Cup, and they have learned a lot in the past two seasons.

They especially understand the value of the power play in that situation.

As for changing out assistant coach Steve Spott, that’s just not how the NHL operates. I think people get the idea from watching football that you can just change out an offensive coordinator, and that addresses the problem. Spott has been on Pete DeBoer’s staff for the past 10 seasons and the two have made the conference finals six times over the span - including one Stanley Cup Final appearance. Now, they also have been fired twice, so I understand that there are always things that can be fixed.

I offered up the stat that the Stars are sixth on the power play since 2023, and you guys astutely pointed out that they aren’t sixth in the past 40 or 50 games. You’re right, it is an immediate area of concern for this team, and I think they know that. Will they be able to fix it? It’s a challenge with some moving parts, but that’s their job. The problem is, the real answer won’t come until May or June.

Alright, on to your questions:

@boomlawyered99: What are the chances we get a reunion with Jim Montgomery to come and run our PP? A man can dream, right?

HEIKA: It’s my guess that Jim Montgomery will have a head coaching job fairly soon. I’m not sure he’s in the market right now to become an assistant coach.

@michael5297018: Who do you think the stars will target at the trade deadline? Granlund looks good.

HEIKA: I hesitate to talk about specific individuals, especially this early in the year, but I do tend to think the Stars might need to look at forward help. My guess is they could use a right-handed shot on an expiring contract, and (as stated above) some history of power play success might be a good thing.

@joe_depaola4: Last night the preds got called for a penalty to start the game for “incorrect starting lineup” when are starting lineups due and have you ever seen this before?

HEIKA: I actually have seen a Stars opponent be penalized, but it is rare. I know rules are rules, but it does seem a little silly. An incorrect lineup is always a human error, and there is no real advantage to it, so it seems like the refs could just point it out, and the coach could make a change before the game starts. I understand how it is more of a problem in baseball, but in hockey (where changes are made quickly to the lineup), there just doesn’t seem to be a need for a penalty.

@cbarnard82: Perhaps a little premature, but Jim Nill hasn’t made a significant hockey trade since Spezza, or perhaps Johns/Sharp. Wouldn’t you agree? Is this likely this year?

HEIKA: I would argue this point. His deadline deals for players like Mats Zuccarello and Chris Tanev were significant, and seemed like the exact right player at the exact right time. Plus, the additions of free agents Joe Pavelski and Matt Duchene were even better than major trades. When Nill came to the Stars, there needed to be significant changes, thus the need for trades like Seguin and Jason Spezza. But as he has built the team through the draft and through free agency, there just isn’t a real need to make a blockbuster. When you look at the Stars roster and where it sits in terms of age and contracts, the big additions will continue to be made near the trade deadline. Those players will typically be on expiring contracts, so we could just see a repeat of some of the recent past moves. I just don’t see them shaking things up right now. Jim Nill has built a team that should be able to age with patience.

@ryguy_98: What are the chances the Stars try to upgrade their blue line at the trade deadline?

HEIKA: I think they want to see what happens with the moves made in the summer, and also see what happens with Lian Bichsel in the AHL. They have some solid veteran depth in the system, and they believe they can weather injuries on the blue line. Plus, if Bichsel is what they hope he is, he would be as good as any player they could acquire in trade. And while it still is early, the signs point to their one acquisition might be a skilled forward at the trade deadline, so we’ll see on that.

@starsChicanery: Who has been the most surprising player this year in terms of exceeding expectations. Also have their been any mid season extension talks for you know whom?

HEIKA: I think it’s a tie between Ilya Lyubushkin and Casey DeSmith. Both had good reputations coming in as free agents, but both also were available for a reason. Lyubushkin has been very solid and recently has been playing beside Miro Heiskanen. DeSmith has a 2.22 GAA in a tough role. Both look like good deals right now. Jim Nill keeps his contract talks close to the vest, so I just report them when they tell me to.

@hearts4wyjo: What has been your favorite game to watch so far from this season? And do you get more excited for certain teams to come into town because you know it’s gonna be a good match up?

HEIKA: I liked the 2-1 win in Minnesota, because that’s pretty much a textbook Stars game. They controlled the puck, they played smart, they got two big goals from Mason Marchment, and they didn’t fall apart when Kirill Kaprizov made the game close in the third. Plus, I get the feeling they will meet this team in the first round of the playoffs, so this was a nice reminder of how they have played against the Wild.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @MikeHeika.