Dallas Stars Offseason Preview: Top 9 Forwards

In this installment of the Dallas Stars offseason preview, we’ll take a look at the top 9 forwards in the organization. Here’s the depth chart including their contract status for the offseason:

Pro:

1 – Nikita Kucherov (3 years @7.5m)

2 – Kirill Kaprizov (1 year @ 9m)

3 – Jack Eichel (4 years @ 10m)

4 – William Nylander (4 years @ 8m)

5 – Joe Pavelski (1 year @ 6m)

6 – Jeff Skinner (2 years @ 2.75m)

7 – Jesper Bratt (RFA)

8 – Brandon Tanev (2 years @ 2m)

9 – Kyle Okposo (1 year @ 1m)

Going into the 2022-23 season, the Dallas Stars had one of the most lethal top 6 and top 9 groups in the entire RHL. In addition to the guys listed above, they had goal scoring fiend Alex DeBrincat meaning guys like Jesper Bratt and Jeff Skinner were limited to third line minutes and no power play time. That’s what made the team’s season so confounding. They struggled to score, despite numerous strategic and personnel changes by Coach Gerard Gallant, which is what led to them shipping out DeBrincat for defenseman Mackenzie Weegar at the trade deadline.

That inability to find a winning formula is the biggest challenge for the team this year, but the positive thing is they still have the right guys for the job. The second biggest challenge will be finding the right way to bring back restricted free agent Jesper Bratt. He finally looks like he’s broken out as a second line player and will be looking to be compensated as such. But with the Stars facing a tight cap situation and Bratt’s minutes possibly being limited again, there are whispers around town that he’s not guaranteed to return. The team could opt to sign him to a bridge deal if they can’t find common ground on a long term pact.

After an up and down season last year coming back from a major hip injury, the team expects captain Nikita Kucherov to return to MVP form and lead the team’s offense again. He may see more time with sniper Kirill Kaprizov next year, as the team typically kept the two offensive dynamos apart to mixed results during this trying season. It remains to be seen if Kaprizov can keep up the offense he provided, where he led the team in points, goals and assists, or if he has another gear in his game.

Jack Eichel had an even more frustrating season than Kucherov due to lingering issues with his neck surgery. He put up just 30 points, less than his 43 in 2021-22, despite playing over 18 minutes per game. The team needs him to play like the $10m player he is and provide the point per game offense at center that they expected when they signed him to the massive deal. Otherwise, the team will once again look to alternate captain Joe Pavelski to center their top line.

Wingers William Nylander and Jeff Skinner are talented players who are likely fighting with Bratt for ice time in the team’s top 6. The loser of that battle will still be expected to provide a scoring punch on the third line and enable the team to roll out a deep offense. They’re likely to join gritty veterans Kyle Okposo and Brandon Tanev on that line, two players who are no offensive slouches themselves. The team traded a second round pick at the deadline for Tanev and expect him to provide a strong physical presence, strong penalty kill capability, along with some secondary scoring.