The Dallas Stars came of so close to a return to the Promised Land in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. They lost in the Western Conference Final to the Vegas Golden Knights. 
By all accounts, the Stars are loaded throughout the roster. Their core group is focused on Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Jason Robertson, Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz, and Miro Heiskanen. To that group, Dallas added Matt Duchene in the off season on a one-year deal for just about $3.5 million.
“I think playing offense is fun and it’s an offensive league now,” Duchene said after signing with Dallas. “At the start of my career, guys didn’t get 80 points. Now there are guys getting 120. It’s changed a lot.
Maybe holding Duchene to a one-year deal and hoping he plays for pay is the answer the Stars are banking on to get them back to the Stanley Cup Final.
The back half of the Dallas forwards was bolstered through free agency in the signing of Craig Smith and Sam Steel,
“It just seemed like a good fit and obviously winning is huge and this team has a great chance,” Steel said. “They made a good run this year and have a lot of strong pieces and it’s just an exciting group to potentially be a part of.”
Dallas’ defense will get younger this season because they did not re-sign Colin Miller. Instead, Dallas will look to a youth movement on the blue line with the possible icing of Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist with the defensive corps.
“Thomas Harley didn’t start the year for us, he’s now a big part of it and we’re expecting growth from him and growth from Nils Lundqvist,” general manager Jim Nill said. “If those guys grow as they should, we’re in a good position.”
Extending the youth discussion, the Dallas prospects pool is slated to add three players coming out of lower leagues. Forwards Mavrik Bourque, Logan Stankoven, and Harley, are expected to make the Dallas roster this season.
Stankoven was with Kamloops of the WHL, and Bourque and Harley iced for the Texas Stars of the AHL in Cedar Park.
“He (Bourque) was one of our best players in the playoffs and in the second half of the season in Texas,” Peverley said. “Outstanding hockey IQ and vision and hockey sense. I think he’s a guy who’ll get a good opportunity at some point. That could be right away or that could be later in the season. It’s up to him to come in and take a spot, try to earn it.”
One advantage for the Stars is the brilliant performance from Wyatt Johnston last season. Johnson, 20, collected 24 goals and 41 points on the campaign. His sophomore season needs to be an equal or better t push the Stars over the hump.
“I’m not worried about what he’s going to do. He’s going to be a good player for us for a long time.”
Meshing the youth movement into an aging forward corps will be an important step this coming season for the Stars. They nearly jumped the hurdle last year but the Golden Knights were on mission, a stronger mission than Dallas, apparently. 
The question also is whether Duchene is the answer to the puzzle being finished around the edges, or is it another year of waiting.
Dallas seemed to be in the “if ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mode this off season.
It certainly was broken, and they certainly did, to some extend, improve the bench.
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