The Pros and Cons of a More Physical Dallas Stars Team
Almost two months into the 2026 NHL season, something is different about the Dallas Stars.
A new (and old) head coach behind the bench had a message for his team over the summer. Twenty-five games into the season, it’s clear that a message sank in.
The Stars have been more physical collectively. They’re no longer at the bottom of the totem pole in team hits. One defenseman from Switzerland is leading the Stars in hits. But everybody is getting in on the fun, too.
Stand Up for One Another
After Darnell Nurse broke the foot of Roope Hintz while everybody in the green jersey just stood around, we knew something had to change this year. Taylor Hall of the Carolina Hurricanes had a high hit on Hintz in a tilt from Saturday, October 25th, and Wyatt Johnston went over to him and got a little punchy. This isn’t the same team as before.
Yes. Jamie Benn is still on the team (recently came back from a collapsed lung in the preseason), and the captain. You need to have the whole team that’ll stand up for a fallen player.
Also, every NHL team needs roughly two or three straight-up enforcers. The Stars have that in not only the captain, but also in Lian Bichsel and recently signed Nathan Bastian.
The Suspension
Playing on the edge can be a double-edged sword sometimes. This past week, Mikko Rantanen served an automatione-gameme suspension. His first hit wasn’t as bad as it looked, given that he was pushed from behind by an opposing player. But on Saturday November 22nd at the Calgary Flames, Mikko stepped out of bounds.
No player in the NHL hasn’t taken a cheap shot or landed a dirty play on another player. It’s also worth mentioning that the Stars did just fine when Mikko served his suspension. Let’s just hope the Stars don’t have anymore suspension problems as Dallas hopes to get some guys off of the injury report.
Earning Respect
When you throw more hits and have guys answering other guys who take shots at your team, you naturally earn respect. The Florida Panthers have been the best example of this.
Over the last couple of seasons (though currently struggling), they’ve led the NHL in hits, have a heavyweight in Jonah Gadjovich, and won the last two Stanley Cups.
Dallas has always been a team that warrants respect for its skill, speed, and depth.
But when the chips are down, and things get chippy when the hardware is on the line in the second season, you have no chance unless you can get mean in a war of attrition.
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Categorized:Stars