Dobber's offseason fantasy hockey grades – Dallas Stars

For the last 18 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber has reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 19th annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what I take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

Gone – Stephen Johns, Jason Dickinson, Julius Honka, Sami Vatanen, Andrew Cogliano, Jamie Oleksiak

Incoming – Braden Holtby, Luke Glendening, Ryan Suter, Michael Raffl, Jani Hakanpaa

Impact of changes – The Stars are banking on some improvement just based on the health of the team as opposed to upgrading the team through external additions. There were a few changes though, with biggest splash made on defence as the team brought in Ryan Suter on a four-year deal. The length of the contract may not be team-friendly, but in the short term his addition should really help them on the ice. Jani Hakanpaa will also help stabilize the bottom pairing after the departures of Oleksiak, Johns, and Vatanen could have thrown the lineup into a bit of disarray.

The revamped blue line bodes well for the performance of the goaltenders, but as a fantasy owner, best of luck sorting out who will see the most starts. The going theory is that Ben Bishop isn't back to game shape in his return from a hip injury, which is why the team brought in Braden Holtby to tandem with Anton Khudobin. However, the best goalie in the system is Jake Oettinger, and he may have to start the year in the AHL due to the crowded crease. Of the two healthy veterans, Khudobin should be the favourite to see more starts, and put up numbers at least as good as last year's. However, this may be a team to shy away from unless you have a very deep bench and can stash all the handcuffs.

On forward, the bottom-six received a makeover, with a few players of similar skillsets being exchanged. Not much fantasy value to be found in Luke Glendening or Michael Raffl though.

Ready for Full Time –

Ty Dellandrea – There are already seven forwards on the roster that Dallas could slot into the top-six, however Dellandrea would also fit there, and in past the Stars have looked to lengthen the lineup. The former first-round pick has nothing left to prove outside the NHL. His upside isn't quite as high offensively as some other top-prospects, however his two-way game is already more well-rounded which works in his favour for securing a spot in the lineup.

Riley Damiani – Second on the list of forwards with a chance of making the forward ranks, Damiani was one of the most prolific scorers in the AHL last season. If the Stars want to run with three scoring lines this season, then Damiani could be an ace up their sleeve. He's a bit of a longer shot to make the lineup right out of camp, but should be one of the top options as soon as an injury strikes.

Thomas Harley – The top skater prospect in the Stars' system is ready for the NHL, and would be an excellent addition for the team. However, with the blue line additions mentioned above on top of the big-three, there isn't a lot of room for meaningful minutes in the NHL this year. With John Klingberg's contract only having one year left, there have been rumours that he is being shopped. If he is moved before the season, then there is a spot for Harley. However, if not, then he may not have an easy road to any ice time.

Jake Oettinger – It goes without saying that Oettinger is ready to be an NHL starter after last season's success. However, with the logjam in front of him it appears that Oettinger would need an injury or two to be able to make an impact.

Fantasy Outlook:

Overall the team looks very similar to the one that finished last year just outside of the playoff picture, especially at the top-end of the roster. With the key faces such as Jaime Benn, Tyler Seguin, and (a potentially healthy) Alexander Radulov a year older, there are some questions about how efficient this team can be from a fantasy standpoint.

Luckily for them, the emergence of Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson as star contributors will keep the engine chugging along. On the back end, it appears Miro Heiskanen is still just getting started, and has more upside than Klingberg will this year. The Stars are a team transitioning from an older group to a younger core, however, there are only a handful of real key fantasy assets to be found here.

Grade – B (last year was B-)