The Dallas Stars finished third…again.

Yes, they fell short of the ultimate goal, or even getting to the final round for the third consecutive season. Yes, they lost to the same Edmonton Oilers team as last spring, this time in one fewer game, and have now lost six of the past seven playoff matchups with Connor McDavid and Co.

It is seen as a failure and a disappointment.

“One of the best, if not the best Stars team I’ve ever been a part of,” Tyler Seguin said. “I think that’s what’s the most frustrating part of being in this position now. I mean, obviously, great run, and being one of the last three, four teams is incredible. But still trying to get over that hump.”

But also yes, they have been one of the most consistently solid teams since 2022 under coach Pete DeBoer. Many would happily take on their “failure and disappointment” in place of their own pain.

Before we dive fully into the offseason and the many talking points it brings, let’s wrap up the lessons learned from the end of the 2024-25 Stars season and the exit interviews that followed.

Roope Hintz did not “flop”

A big talking point in the Western Conference Final was the Darnell Nurse slash to the boot of Roope Hintz in Game 2. Nurse was assessed a major penalty that was then reversed to a minor with no subsequent consequences.

Hintz tried to go in Game 3, but couldn’t. He did play Game 4 and 5.

We learned directly from Hintz (reported by Robert Tiffin) that his foot was “fractured” or “cracked” on the play. Hintz said it was hard to push and gain any power from the injured left foot, either from weakness or pain that carried a mental toll. He had an impact on the two games and looked okay, but clearly was not the same player.

“So, there was a fracture, or a crack, however you call it,” Hintz said. “So it was pretty painful. I tried to go in Game 3, but I couldn’t. Then we find a way that I was able to play in Game 4.”

I want to tie a bow on all of this by saying a few things.

1- I do not think this was a super dirty play or one that needed a major or suspension. I think it was a slash, but also something seen in playoff hockey quite often. It’s unfortunate there was an injury, but this is an instance of two players battling with crosschecks from Hintz and a whack to the boot from Nurse.

2- I did not like the lack of response from Dallas. I knew their philosophy was mostly to do damage or get revenge on the power play and scoreboard, rather than physically. But I hoped that seeing their top center go down like that, miss a game, and then get hacked in the same foot by Evan Bouchard in Game 4 would’ve been enough to set someone’s pants on fire. I think of Mathew Tkachuk stalking Sebastian Aho all around the ice after he laid a dangerous hit in the previous game. We didn’t see any of that from Jamie Benn, Mason Marchment, Lian Bichsel, Colin Blackwell, or any Dallas skaters. I believe Benn tried to throw a hit on Bouchard later in Game 4, but that’s about it.

3- I believe the Stars need to fix this physicality issue. They have been a great regular-season team, but when the games mean the most, they have been pushed around and knocked out. And not just for the past couple years only. General manager Jim Nill has to look at this and figure out why it keeps happening. They need to make a change.

4- I have had about enough of this nonsense about Dallas purposely injuring Edmonton skaters. Marchment completely missed on a pretty clean hit, and Zach Hyman unluckily injured his wrist on the play. Alexander Petrovic nailed Connor Brown with a clean body check that led to his injury. I just think the heat of the battle got to fans in this one, and I think it was overplayed on both sides.

Jamie Benn wants to return

At training camp, Benn said he wanted to focus on winning and talk contracts later. Nill said the same thing, and both parties seemed certain they would get a deal done at that later date. We have now arrived at the later date.

Benn wants to return, that is obvious.

“I don’t see myself going anywhere else,” Benn said. “This is all I know, so hopefully we can get something figured out.” 

And the team has stuck to their guns on wanting him back. At least up to this point.

The question now becomes what numbers the two sides can agree on. Benn had a down season, one that saw him switch to a fourth-line role. He was pretty quiet in the playoffs, both on the offensive side and in his normal physicality and shenanigans. I am not so sure there is another offensive ‘Bennaisance’ around the corner. But this is still the captain and unquestioned leader of the Stars.

His teammate’s words only solidified that further.

“So many amazing things to say about him, and his growth, and the leader he’s become,” Tyler Seguin said. “One of those guys that, I think about him on this journey in the last couple weeks and getting so close (to a Stanley Cup), trying to get this job done for a guy like that.”

“I think it would be a crime if he’s not a Dallas Star for life,” Matt Duchene said. “I’d be shocked.”

Now we wait and see.

Matt Duchene’s future is murky

Speaking of Duchene, he is in a similar boat. No, he is not the team captain, nor does he have nearly as many years with this organization as Benn. But he is a big part of the leadership group and enters this summer without a contract.

Looking at Duchene’s success with Dallas is tricky. The veteran forward racked up 30 goals and 82 points this regular season, second only to Mikko Rantanen. Last year, he finished with 25 goals and 65 points. That’s some good production, especially knowing he is now 34 years old and what he did to bring Marchment and Seguin out offensively.

But in the playoffs, he went quiet.

After being bought out by the Nashville Predators before last season, Duchene admitted to having a tough time mentally and physically in the 2024 playoffs. He was dealing with an injury and never really got off the ground other than his double-overtime Game 6 series winner against the Colorado Avalanche. He finished with only two goals and six points in 19 playoff games.

This spring, it was more of the same. Duchene scored a big goal in a wild Game 1 comeback against Edmonton. But that was it. He added five assists to finish with the same six points in one fewer game.

While that doesn’t completely rule him out as someone who can still contribute, it does raise some questions. Dallas has admitted to being too much of a rush team. It works in the regular season, leading to great records and solid playoff seeding. But when the playoffs come around, the Stars struggle to adapt to the necessary new style, and they never really play their best hockey.

DeBoer said they need to become more of a hybrid during the regular season, so they can continue to play the same style when it matters most. No flipping of the switch necessary. If they want to adjust their style and their sole focus is on winning in the playoffs, does Duchene still have a place here?

Duchene has been a great player and leader for two seasons. He is an awesome guy to talk to, and you can quickly see how much he has taught and guided the younger players. But is it time for those younger players to now take the reigns? Is Wyatt Johnston this team’s second-line center?

And outside of maybe a one-year deal, does Dallas want to take the risk and spend the money on Duchene coming back? Especially when his view of contracts has shifted a bit…

One thing is certain: if Duchene returns to Dallas, it will either be on a heavily discounted AAV or a one-year deal, which he does not prefer. The Stars have too many players to re-sign and potentially other moves to make the team better. They cannot be too risky with older veterans.

This is where Duchene and Benn are in similar boats.

I’m not sure where the Oettinger / DeBoer saga goes

We all know what happened. DeBoer pulled Jake Oettinger just over seven minutes into the first period of Game 5 against Edmonton. Oettinger allowed two goals on two shots (both wide-open players in front of the crease).

The move can be debated, and it will be all summer because many believe Oettinger finds a way to win that game if he stays in. But it’s not about the actual move to me. It’s about how DeBoer made the move and all that he said afterward.

Here is the clip of DeBoer frustratingly yelling for Oettinger to get out of the game after a timeout:

Here’s what he said after the game, using “he” when talking about losing seven of the past eight to Edmonton. It’s not “he” it’s “we.”

And then to triple down, DeBoer talked about why he made the move and how he nearly sat Oettinger for Game 4 as well.

To me, this is not just smoke.

This is a coach who has proven to be hard on his goalies and wear thin on his teams in the past. This is a coach who is frustrated in a tough situation, but instead of leaning on his team or sticking with who got him here, he lost his cool and pulled his franchise goalie in an unprofessional way. Then he called him out for not playing well enough.

Look, I am not arguing Oettinger needed to be better to win that series. He did. But he was also THE reason Dallas was even in the conference final again.

He played more hockey and saw more shots than any other goalie this season. He had to stand on his head for long stretches in the first two rounds. He looked a bit tired in this round, and you can say Stuart Skinner outplayed him numbers-wise. But the Stars didn’t score goals. They tallied just two total in a three-game losing streak that put them in an elimination Game 5.

When you score one or zero goals, that game is not on your goaltender, I don’t care if he lets one in he normally stops.

But I also know that Oettinger deserved better. He got this team to this point. He is the franchise goalie. He had earned and deserved a chance to get his team a win. If DeBoer called that timeout, then Oettinger allowed a soft goal, alright, pull him. But when you do pull him, do it in a professional way that doesn’t embarrass Oettinger in front of the team, fans, and TV viewers. And don’t do it after your team allowed a wide-open Corey Perry on the power play and Matias Janmark on a breakaway to put you in that hole.

And finally, I did not like that DeBoer told us Saturday he had not yet had time to talk to Oettinger after the game. This was two days after Game 5. The fact that he didn’t make a point to have that tough conversation and at least try to clear the air right away blows my mind.

Oettinger said all the right things at his exit interview, talking about using it as motivation and getting better, and that there are no hard feelings between him and DeBoer. But there is no way to sugarcoat it, he was treated poorly by the coach whom he likely trusted and who should have had full trust in him. That’s an ugly finish to the season.

And that’s what could lead to the most drama this summer and heading into next season.