Hey Heika: Johnston, win now, and new line possibilities

Howdy folks. It’s been a long, hot summer, but it’s time to get back to hockey.

You all were nice enough to provide some questions, so I will try to provide some answers. I’m a little shaky on the Victory+ stuff, so I have sent those to broadcast experts and will try to get answers on X. Stay tuned there.

Let’s get going.

@mark r chappy: Do you think the Stars are still in "win now" mode this season, or do you think they are trying to put out a good effort while young guys get experience and we wait out some contracts before making a bigger push?

HEIKA: I actually think they will stay in “win now” mode for some time to come. While they lost solid veterans in Joe Pavelski, Ryan Suter and Radek Faksa, I believe the younger players have the chance to be even better. Wyatt Johnston already might be the best player on the team, and Logan Stankoven, Mavrik Bourque and Lian Bichsel have the potential to be very good very quickly. So I think they’re ready to go.

@KitchenKC: Are the Stars better on Sept 17, 2024 than they were on Sept 17, 2023?

HEIKA: I believe they are. While Pavelski was second on the team in scoring, I believe Stankoven and Bourque can pick up that slack and might get the chance to do it on the top line. On defense, you can make the argument that Matt Dumba is better than Suter, Ilya Lyubushkin is better than Jani Hakanpää and Brendan Smith is better than Joel Hanley. Now, you have to find your Chris Tanev replacement by the trade deadline, but it’s a long season. So, yes, I think this training camp version of the Stars is better than the one from last year.

@adam05711: Seguin's role? 1st line RW or with departure of PK options more of a 2nd - 3rd line RW/C with lots of PK time, D-Zone draws, and 2 PP unit?

HEIKA: It will probably be all over the place. Not only is Tyler Seguin a candidate to take Pavelski’s place on the top line right wing, but so are Johnston, Stankoven and Bourque. If Johnston goes to the top line, Seguin could be a candidate to play center with Jamie Benn, so there are a lot of moving parts. If I had to draw it up today, I would leave Seguin on the right wing with Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment. That line had chemistry, and having that kind of scoring depth is huge in what Pete DeBoer wants to accomplish. With the departure of Faksa and Ty Dellandrea, I do think Seguin will get more PK time, but I don’t think it changes his role. He still is a candidate to play on the top PP, as well.

If lines stay similar, they could look like this:

Robertson-Hintz-Johnston

Marchment-Duchene-Seguin

Benn-Bourque-Stankoven

Dadonov-Steel-Blackwell

That said, it’s a long season, and DeBoer does like to experiment, so be ready for anything.

@alutz9797: I feel that we may have lost some skill at D, but became more physical with the additions. Now teams will think twice before taking runs at the kids (Robo, WyJo, Stank, etc.) and that’ll make them more comfortable on the ice. You agree?

HEIKA: That’s fair, but I actually think Dumba is quicker and more skilled than Suter and you could argue that Smith has more skill than Joel Hanley. We’ll see. Now, both Dumba and Lyubushkin have the reputation of being “nasty” players, so that could help give the Stars more of an edge in the physical game. Dumba has five fights in the past two seasons and Lyubushkin has one, so they won’t really intimidate in that manner, but if they can stand up for their teammates with some shoving or intimidation, that might help.

@Craigtx80: Future captain, WyJo netted 32 goals last season. He'll be on the top PP unit and likely the top line along side Robo and Hintz this season. Is 50 goals even a hot take for this kid?

HEIKA: Dallas has not had a 50-goal scorer since Mike Modano in 1993-94, so I’m going to say the odds are against 50. I also think Jason Robertson might be the best candidate to one day hit that number. That said, Johnston should get better scoring opportunities this year. He had three power play goals among 10 power play points while getting 1:46 in man advantage time on ice per game. Robertson led the Stars with 28 power play points (9 goals) in 2:46 per game. I do believe Johnston is pushing the boundaries of being one of the league’s top players. He will likely be one of the Stars’ leading scorers and might even find himself in the discussions for Team Canada at the Four Nations. He has the chance to really take another huge step this year.

@EYeezus69: With young defensemen taking a longer time to transition into the NHL, what would be your best approximate timeline for Bichsel and Kyrou?

HEIKA: They are two completely different players, so they are likely on different paths. Lian Bichsel is huge at 6-6, 235, and that should help him get to the NHL pretty quick. Christian Kyrou is small even by today’s standards at 5-11, 166, so he’s battling a lot. If I’m guessing, the Stars would love for Bichsel to try the Thomas Harley plan, staying in the AHL for most of this season and then becoming a potential call-up in March or April. The coaches seem hesitant to play young defensemen (see Nils Lundkvist) and they have two veterans available in Smith and Alex Petrovic, so I think the any young defenseman is going to have to bust through the door.

@librarymonkey11: What is the feeling on the goaltending pair this year? Will Otter be able to stay healthy and dialed in and what is the early take on his partner?

HEIKA: A lot like last season. Casey DeSmith is a veteran just like Scott Wedgewood, and he knows he is the backup behind Jake Oettinger, just like Wedgewood did. Also, like Wedgewood, DeSmith has stepped in for stretches of several weeks when the No. 1 goalie has been hurt, so he’s capable of doing that. You would love for Oettinger to stay healthy, but the Stars have to ready for anything.

@makaroland: Who do you think will be the extra forward, Arttu, Bäck, Blümel, or other?

HEIKA: It’s a great battle. Arttu Hyry is 23 and looked good in Traverse City after signing as a free agent from Finland, so he jumps right into the mix. Matěj Blümel seems to have a leg up after scoring 62 points (31 goals, 31 assists) last season in the AHL, and players like Oskar Bäck, Antonio Stranges, Chase Wheatcroft could definitely be fighting for that last spot. It’s exciting, because there is a real opportunity for these players to do something special.

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.