The 2016-17 Dallas Stars, on paper, don’t look much different than the team that came within a game of going to the Western Conference Finals in last spring’s NHL playoffs.
That's good, because last year's Stars were an exceptional hockey club. It's also bad, because the fatal weakness of that team—goaltending—remains unaddressed.
That problem area could be an even greater challenge this year than it was last season. Veterans Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers are gone, and while Dan Hamhuis was brought in via free agency, the Stars’ defensive corps is going to be younger than it was in 2015-16. In all likelihood, it will also be more in need of a strong safety net.
The Stars still have a few choices, both in terms of who they might acquire and when they might do it.
Free agency isn’t really one of those options. Karri Ramo is the only goalie of any particular note still looking for a contract, and he isn’t noticeably better than Antti Niemi or Kari Lehtonen. He falls into much the same 1A/1B goaltender category as the two incumbents.
If Dall ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis
The Dallas Stars Are a Legit Goalie Away from Contending: What Are the Options?
September 13th, 2016 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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