How the Stars will improve upon a record-breaking year

On paper, the Stars might have one of their best rosters in years.

After all, they have added to a team that finished third in goals against, third on the penalty kill, fifth on the power play and seventh in scoring. Dallas was second only to Boston in goal differential, and likely would have been much better in the standings had they not gone 4-11 in overtime.

But with great expectations, comes a certain amount of caution.

Sure, the table is set for something big, but that doesn’t guarantee anything.

“To win the Stanley Cup is a process,” Stars GM Jim Nill said on Wednesday with training camp set to begin on Thursday in Cedar Park. “I think we have the team to do that, but we’ve got to go do it. That’s the message this training camp: We’ve got to be ready to go, and nothing is given. The next step is the biggest step.”

Dallas made some huge strides last season. In addition to assembling a new coaching staff led by Pete DeBoer, the team saw players like Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz and Jake Oettinger set career bests while still in their mid-20s. Robertson had the best scoring season since the team moved to Texas with 109 points (46 goals, 63 assists). Heiskanen saw his point production jump from 36 points to 73 points, (seventh among defensemen) while Oettinger posted a 37-11-11 record (third most wins in the NHL) and was fifth in save percentage (.919) and seventh in goals against average (2.37).

“You look at the big picture of what was accomplished, both individually and as a team and how we played, there was a lot to be proud of,” DeBoer said.

DeBoer said the goal is to improve on that. Dallas finished 47-21-14, good for 108 points. It went on to defeat Minnesota and Seattle in the playoffs before losing to Vegas in six games. The Golden Knights would go on to win the Stanley Cup. The Stars lost to Tampa Bay in the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, and that means the organization has gained solid experience, while developing some scarred tissue in recent seasons. Dallas has just one player who has won a Stanley Cup in Tyler Seguin (with Boston in 2011), so there is real hunger throughout the lineup. For players like Joe Pavelski, 39, and Ryan Suter, 38, the immediacy is obvious.

Dallas lost Game 6 to Vegas, 6-0, at home, and that’s a tough memory to build on. Still, DeBoer said the coaching staff was able to take a step back and look at all the positives of the season.

“I think when you lose, especially the way Game 6 went, I think you have to walk away from it for a little bit and take a 10,000-foot view,” DeBoer said. “When you do that, you realize there were a lot of things we did really well to get to that point. There are always areas to improve, but let’s be honest, it’s not going to be easy to replicate two special teams in the top five in the league. That’s not an easy feat, so we’re going to have to work to not fall off in those areas.”

There is a balancing act between appreciating the good and working to repair the areas needed.

“You always appreciate how hard it is and how many things have to go right,” DeBoer said. “It’s the toughest trophy in pro sports to win, the Stanley Cup. To go through that gauntlet, the margins are razor thin and you need a lot of things to go right.”

Dallas is hoping to use camp as a springboard to get off to another fast start (the Stars were 12-5-4 to start last season). They also added some veteran players in Matt Duchene, Sam Steel and Craig Smith. Duchene had 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) in 71 games with Nashville last season. His addition helps create forward depth that could help the Stars create three scoring lines.

“We’re adding elite skill,” DeBoer said of Duchene. “I think he’s a great person. It’s a quality person that we’re adding to the organization, and a really, really good hockey player that’s going to hopefully create those mismatches in the depth of the lineup that determines games.”

And that makes camp even more exciting. The Stars have seven preseason games to get ready for the season opener Oct. 12, and then 82 regular season games to not only make the playoffs but prepare to make a long run.

“I think there is a different feeling,” Nill said when asked about the buzz surrounding the team this season. “It’s expectations and how do we hold up to them. That’s the challenge. I’ve been with some great teams they didn’t win the Cup. It’s hard to win . . . can we take that next step?”

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 Twitter @MikeHeika.