Top 3 Dallas Stars storylines ahead of 2024-25 training camp

The 2024-25 Dallas Stars season is here. Well, almost here.

As we sit, looking at what is potentially to come and which stories will be the hottest to follow for this team, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Will Jamie Benn get a new contract? Can newcomer Casey DeSmith replicate the effectiveness on and off the ice that departed with Scott Wedgewood? What is this club’s true ceiling?

We could go on and on.

So instead of trying to process this all at once, we are going to take it just one bite at a time. First, let’s dissect the top three storylines heading into 2024-25 Stars training camp.

#1 Can the Stars replace Joe Pavelski?

No. That was easy.

Joe Pavelski deserves to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 40-year-old racked up 476 goals and 1,068 points in 1,332 career NHL games. He added 74 goals and 143 points in 201 playoff games. He scored big goals in bigger moments.

During his time in Dallas, Pavelski quickly shifted from a slow transitional period to the most consistent player on the team. He recorded a career-high 81 points (27 goals, 54 assists) in 2021-22 and backed that up with 77 and 67-point campaigns to finish out a tremendous career.

Stats aside, Pavelski was also one of the smartest and most creative players in the game. He is second to none around the opponent’s crease, and if there is a puck anywhere within his reach, he’s probably going to deflect it home.

On the ice, there is no replacement. Off the ice, he may have had an even bigger impact.

The former San Jose Sharks captain wasted no time providing once-in-a-lifetime leadership and guidance to the Dallas dressing room. Not only did he house and mentor a young Wyatt Johnston for two seasons, plus Logan Stankoven for part of one, but he also extended his knowledge to many veteran teammates like Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, who spoke highly about his everyday impact.

Joe did it all. There’s a reason every player in that room wanted to win a Cup for the guy. And there’s a good chance we’ll be seeing him around the American Airlines Center not too far down the road.

So how will Dallas try to replace him?

The options are there. The process will simply be about finding the right fit while not taking away from other effective lines. That second part is most important.

Sure, Seguin has played well on the top line with Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson in the past. But Seguin was also a huge part of the success of Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment, an effective trio from last season.

What about Johnston? He has proven more than capable, but who takes his spot between Benn and Stankoven? That line was one of the best during the regular season and into the Stars’ deep playoff run.

If one of those two is chosen to slide up to the top line, their replacements will have to find similar chemistry on lines two and three. Could young Mavrik Bourque grab a roster spot and fill in down the middle with Benn and Stankoven? Is it time to split up Hintz and Robertson? Maybe Evgenii Dadonov fits the mold?

With coach Pete DeBoer’s love of rolling four lines, all options will be on the table.

#2 – What will the blue line look like?

This feels like the story of training camp. Maybe of the entire season.

Dallas lost veteran blueliner Chris Tanev to free agency. That left a mark. They brought back Nils Lundkvist, kept their core of Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Thomas Harley (restricted free agent awaiting a new contract), and added right-handers Ilya Lyubushkin and Matt Dumba, along with veteran Brendan Smith.

Heiskanen is their best defenseman. Harley is likely second, with Lindell filling out the top three. But who comes after that?

Are the Stars hoping that Dumba can fit in the top four? Is Lundkvist going to finally step up, get himself out of the dog house and grab a full-time role? Can Alexander Petrovic replicate his solid play from the Stanley Cup Playoffs? And of course, what about 20-year-old Lian Bichsel? If he is NHL-ready, or even if not, Dallas has some serious decisions to make on the backend.

It is a deep group. But is there enough talent there?

#3 – Which youngsters will crack the lineup? When?

We all remember the ‘Will Wyatt Johnston make the NHL after his nine-game tryout’ debate from two seasons ago. We saw Stankoven take some time tearing up the American Hockey League before exploding onto the NHL scene, never to return again. Is he a full-time NHLer now?

What about 2024-25? Which youngsters will crack the lineup for Dallas? Bourque and Bichsel are the clear top prospects to keep an eye on.

Bourque dominated the AHL, winning the Les Cunningham Award as league MVP last season. His 77 points (26 goals, 51 assists) paced the AHL, and the 22-year-old also made his NHL and Stanley Cup Playoff debuts for Dallas. Stars general manager Jim Nill, along with most members of the media, believes he is ready.

Bichsel is more of a question mark. He may be ready, but after seeing the success of Bourque and Stankoven in the AHL, as well as the development paths of superstars like Robertson and Jake Oettinger, Dallas may opt to give him a little more time down in Cedar Park. Even if he doesn’t crack the opening-night roster, expect to see the 6-foot-6 defender in the NHL at some point this season.

Other prospects that have the chance to garner some attention include Matej Blumel and Oskar Back.

Training camp begins Sept. 18 from Comerica Center in Frisco. You’ve got the top three and there will be plenty more storylines to come. So get out there in person, support your team and enjoy the buildup to another awesome Dallas Stars season.

See you there.