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Dallas Stars 2023-24 opening night roster prediction: Which forwards will make the cut?
As crazy as it seems, we are only a few months away from the start of NHL training camps. With the offseason, comes change. And with that change, comes a new-look lineup for the Dallas Stars.
Dallas shouldn't need a ton of change after reaching the Western Conference Final for the second time in four seasons and only falling to the eventual champs, the Vegas Golden Knights.
So as we slide into the summer, let's do an early prediction of the Dallas Stars 2023-24 opening night forward lineup.
For a look at which players will return next season, check out our Dallas Stars free agency articles.
Dallas Stars 2023-24 forward opening night lineup sees a lot of familiar faces
Forwards
- Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
- Stankoven-Seguin-Dadonov
- Benn-Johnston-Dellandrea
- Marchment-Faksa-Glendening
Let's tackle this line by line.
At the top, there are no surprises, as the dynamic trio of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Joe Pavelski return for another season. All three players signed extensions last season, with Pavelski returning for one year and Robertson (4 years) and Hintz (8 years) getting locked up for the future. When healthy, this is the best line in hockey. Period.
The second and third lines are a bit more blurry.
Tyler Seguin showed flashes of his old self last season, especially when filling in for Hintz and Pavelski on the top line. But the 31-year-old center has also slowed a bit since undergoing multiple surgeries in recent years. Is he still capable of top-six minutes? And if so, is there a better role for him like Dallas found for Jamie Benn?
I believe he will get the chance to start the season but may have a shorter leash in terms of ice time.
With Seguin will be either Evgenii Dadonov or Ty Dellandrea. Both players skated with Seguin last season. This decision will depend on the chemistry of both the second and third lines. If Dadonov works well with Benn over Seguin, Dellandrea will slide up.
On the left wing, and at center as needed, will be Logan Stankoven. The 20-year-old top prospect missed out on the 2022-23 roster and was instead sent back to Kamloops, where he had another dominant season in the WHL.
The captain of the Kamloops Blazers scored 34 goals and racked up 97 points in only 48 games. The Kamloops native added 10 goals and 30 points in 14 playoff games. Stankoven should be an NHL regular next season.
The third line should see the return of Benn with Wyatt Johnston, a duo that had tremendous success last season. Benn had a comeback season, scoring 33 goals, while Johnston finished near the top of rookie scoring with 24 goals and 41 points.
On the fourth line, it will be a blend of veterans and youngsters. To start, Mason Marchment will drop down to bottom-line minutes, as his 2022-23 season was a bit of a disappointment in terms of production. Luke Glendening and Radek Faksa will also return to their traditional spots.
But with the plethora of young players in the Dallas Stars system, these veterans will likely be healthy scratches at times next season. The Stars will need to make room for guys like Mavrik Bourque, Matej Blumel, Oskar Back, and Riley Damiani to get their chance.
The Dallas Stars' defense and goaltending will be addressed in separate articles soon.
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