Stars Using Depth to Excel Through Season
NHL teams are expecting their star players to perform well every game.
Unlike most sports, top players in the NHL only play 25-30% or less in every game.
Depth players of 25-man rosters provide critical assistance when the top players leave the ice. They have certain roles to fill when playing for a team. The Dallas Stars are excelling in the depth department.
The Stars players are a threat on the ice, as evidenced by their recent 15-game franchise-record-tying point streak.
This is a complete Stars team with a high potential to reach the Stanley Cup Final.
Top Line
Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, and Roope Hintz are the top line for the Stars. Rantanen and Hintz are currently injured. Injuries are another area where depth players need to step in. Despite 2/3 of the top line missing, the Stars extended their point streak by nine games with them missing. The top D-men are Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen, skating in front of starting goaltender Jake Oettinger.
These starting six players provide exceptional prowess on the ice. You want your starters to perform well up to a point before requiring depth.
In the 2021-2022 season, Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, and Joe Pavelski provided 99/238 Stars goals that season, 41.60% of all offensive production. That number translated to a 42.86% goal production in the series against the Flames, losing Game 7 in overtime. That top line had little or no help during that series, or the whole season for that matter. This season is much different.
Defining Depth
Depth is a double-edged sword. Teams obviously want their top players to perform well regularly, but they can’t skate for 100% of the game or provide 100% of the scoring. The bottom-six forwards of the Stars are providing an exceptional presence on the ice. Justin Hyrckowian and Lian Bichsel are examples of such. They deliver quality hits alongside being a nuisance to opponents. Hyrckowian introduced himself to the Edmonton Oilers as a fly in the ointment, not afraid of going after superstar Connor McDavid. You want these guys to get in the face of opponents, the Steve Ott and Antoine Roussel type of players. Hyrckowian can score, already putting up 10 goals this season.
On the blue line, you need players other than your top-2 defensive pairing to help out. One excellent example of this is Thomas Harley.
Thomas Harley secured the bag, most notably last season when he filled the open position that Miro Heiskanen’s injury left behind. Top defensemen regularly play 25-30 minutes in a 60-minute regulation-ending playoff game. Other defensemen need to display a presence should the top line need it. Lian Bichsel is another heavy hitter on the blue line. Backstopping the Stars is Jake Oettinger. In 2004, Marty Turco played 73 games, logging 4,359 minutes. In the modern NHL, starting goaltenders will seldom reach those numbers. Teams need a reliable #2 in net, and the Stars are striking gold with Casey DeSmith. DeSmith is 14-5-5, boasting a 2.45 GAA and a .907 save percentage. DeSmith is a great goaltender, ready to step in for Oettinger, especially in games on back-to-back days.
15 games remain with the Presidents’ Trophy still in play. The Stars are three points back, with two games against each of the Avalanche and Wild. This hotly contested race to the finish will culminate in one team taking the President’s Trophy.
Depth scoring will get the Stars where they want to go. The ultimate objective is getting to the Stanley Cup Final. It’s been 27 years since the last title.
This Stars team borders on the best regular seasons in franchise history.
This team is the complete package, with a long way to go this year.
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Categorized:Stars