Jake Oettinger was the story of the Stars’ playoff series vs. the Flames, and rightfully so. He kept them in every game they played and had one of the best Game 7s in Stanley Cup history.
Miro Heiskanen’s contributions flew under the radar because of this, but his two-way contributions throughout the season and development have earned him a spot at No. 10 in NHL Network’s Top 20 Defensemen rankings.
A complete package, Heiskanen signed an 8-year, $67.5 million extension with the Stars in 2021 after the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020, where he posted 26 points in 27 games. He might’ve won the Conn Smythe if the Stars had won the Cup.
Heiskanen had 5 goals and 31 assists for 36 points this past year, although he missed time after contracting mononucleosis.
In the 2022 playoffs, Heiskanen was relied on heavily by the Stars through all seven games. He led them in minutes throughout the series and in the first six games, the Flames failed to score while he was on the ice.
Jason Robertson, no. 15 winger
Robertson’s rookie season was fantastic, but his sophomore season turned out to be historic, and it landed him at No. 15 in NHL Network’s Top 20 Wings rankings.
He scored 41 goals, becoming the fourth player in Stars history to score 40 goals in a season, and had back-to-back hat tricks, becoming the first player in Stars history to do so.
Despite this, he struggled in the playoffs, going ice cold for the first four games before finding a semblance of his groove with 1 goal and 2 assists in Games 5, 6 and 7. With his newfound experience, Robertson hopes to improve in year 3. and find the goals he left on the ice last season.
Nevertheless, if Dallas hopes to retain their top goal scorer from last season, they will have to pay a pretty penny.
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