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The Dallas Stars made the biggest move of the NHL trade deadline. They sent promising forward Logan Stankoven and two first-round picks to the Carolina Hurricanes for Mikko Rantanen. Once they added the former 50-goal scorer, many saw them as a Stanley Cup contender. With Rantanen in tow, the Stars are the most balanced team in the Western Conference and will win the Stanley Cup.
For the past half-decade, the Eastern Conference has run through the state of Florida. Three straight Cup Final appearances from the Tampa Bay Lightning were immediately followed by consecutive runs by the Panthers. That has ended in three Cups between the two teams. They both have elite goalies, dominating defense, and Hall-of-Fame offense. The Stars have created that balance with the Rantanen trade.
After a tough start to the season, Jason Robertson has turned it up in recent months. His natural hat trick on Wednesday night against the Edmonton Oilers moved him to 32 goals and 71 points on the season. With the young center ascending late in the season and a new elite winger on his side, the Stars are in good shape.
In net, the Stars just gave Jack Oettinger a massive extension to be their Stanley Cup goalie. His save percentage has been over .900 with a goals-against average below 3.00 in all five of his NHL seasons. Oettinger was on Team USA in the 4 Nations, allowing just two goals in a 2-1 loss to Sweden. Despite Connor Hellebuyck's dominance, Oettinger is considered one of the best goalies in the world.
The Stars need Miro Heiskanen back for the playoffs
Even with the offense and goaltending in place, the Stars need great defense to win the Stanley Cup. That is how the Vegas Golden Knights won in 2023 and will be their strategy again. But a key injury could be getting in the way.
There is no shortage of great defenseman in the Western Conference. Cale Makar, Alex Pietrangelo, Quinn Hughes, and Josh Morrissey are all consistent Norris Trophy contenders. The Stars have one of their own in Miro Heiskanen, but he has been hurt since before the 4 Nations tournament.
A recent report indicated that Heiskanen could miss the first round of the playoffs. That is a massive loss for Dallas, who could face the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. The Stars have one of Colorado's historic scorers on their team in Rantanen, but if they can't stop Nathan MacKinnon, it won't be a long series.
Without Heiskanen, the Stars still have a solid defensive core. Their left side is elite, with Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell, but the right side leaves a lot to be desired. Ilya Lyubushkin, Cody Ceci, and Matt Dumba have all struggled at points this season. Those players could be asked to stop the high-flying Avs without their best player.
If they do get Heiskanen back, the Stars can compete with the Avalanche. And if they pulled out the victory, they would likely face the Winnipeg Jets and Hellebuyck. Fresh off what should be his third Vezina Trophy season, Hellebuyck is looking to bury the playoff demons. This is where the Stars' balance can come into play. Oettinger can go toe-to-toe with Hellebucyk and have Dallas' offensive stars take over.
The Stars made the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 but lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since then, a different Western Conference team has made the Final every year. There was no West team in 2021, the Avs won in '22, Vegas in '23, and the Oilers last year. It could be Dallas' turn to get back to the Final this year.
