The Reality of the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final | Where do they go from here??

The Reality of the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final | Where do they go from here??

Ryan Chambers joins the show to put a bow on the Western Conference final. We’ll talk about some individual performances. We’ll take a look at what the Dallas Stars have upcoming in the off season and plenty more on today’s episode of Locked On Stars. Your Locked On Stars, your daily podcast on the Dallas Stars, part of the Locked On Network. Your team every day. Howdy Stars fans. I’m Joey Ericson, former producer 105 through the fan. Please be sure to subscribe. We are free and available wherever you get your podcast and on YouTube. And as always, thank you so much for making us a part of your day and making us your first listen today. Ryan Chambers of Sarcastic Remarks was kind enough to join us. We’re about 24 hours um from the despair of last night. It’s still fresh on our minds. So, I figured it was a great time to get Ryan on and hear his thoughts on the series and the Stars getting knocked out of the Western Conference Final for the third straight season. We have a ton to get to today. We’re going to try to cover as much ground as possible. I want to thank you for joining us on Locked On Star, Locked on Podcast Network, your team every single day. Be sure to hit that subscribe button. Drop a like. Uh drop a comment as well about how you’re feeling here on this uh Friday evening. Ryan, well, I I guess we’ll start with this since I I think this is going to take up uh a lot of the conversation in the next few weeks and Pete Dbor’s decision to pull Jakeer when he did last night in game five. And I I for one did not hate the decision to to pull Otter. I thought maybe he overreacted and I I I hated his comments afterward. Uh don’t get me wrong, completely hated the comments he made where he basically just threw Jake under the bus, but I understood why he pulled Otter in the moment. And I don’t believe it was an indictment on Jake’s play, but obviously it it sort of was after what we heard from Pete Dbor. But let me know your thoughts on the matter and what went down. I I will say this. I think Pete Dbor maybe if we hear from him in a few days may admit that it was a bit of an overreaction. And I I think he got caught up in the emotion of what was going on and made a hasty decision. But I understood it because the team in front of him didn’t show up and that’s also not a good reflection on himself. Anyways, that’s a long-winded version for me. Let me know your thoughts on on the Otter poll. Well, well, first off, we’re going to find out what he thinks uh tomorrow because Stars have uh end of season media availability at 10:00 a.m. in Fris. So, I’m actually going to be going to that. It’s the first time for me doing something like this. So, uh, if someone doesn’t ask the question, which I’m sure that will be the first question that comes from anybody’s mouth, uh, then I’ll make sure to ask that. Um, I am still unsure about how I feel about this if I be completely honest. Um, I’m still trying to make up my mind. Uh the the initial gut reaction emotionally was obviously that that Dbor needs to go like that. That’s I mean that’s really that that’s really what what I was you know feeling at that point. I’m with you on a lot of the stuff that you said. I agree with a lot of the stuff that you said. It it made a lot of sense as to why he made that decision and cuz he he was just like I don’t know what to do. We’re down two nothing early. 7 minutes in. There have been two shots. They have scored two goals and we’re already down two nothing in the hole. And we’ve talked about for the last three games that we have to be the ones that scored the first goal. And the Stars never did in the Western Conference final. By the way, they never scored the first goal. Um, so I understood why he did it. Would I have done the same thing? I I don’t know because I I’m I will never be in that situation. I I would not have I made that point, too. I would not have the balls to do that. So, I do give him some credit there. He had he had the absolute balls to do it. Like, and you know, hats off to him for pulling off that move and being willing to try something. Now, that being said, the comments still ring large for for me. And and now here’s the other thing about all of this though is yes, Otter was not the better goalie in the Western Conference final. Again, for the second time against the same goalie who, you know, 90% of people would say before the series is the better goalie. He he wasn’t. He he he was not in in the Western Conference final. He had a really good game four in my opinion. I thought he played great in game four. He gave the Stars a chance to win, but the the the things that Pete Dbor said in front of the media was correct. It it was it he didn’t state anything that wasn’t true. It he you know, Otter had lost six of the last seven against against him and the status quo wasn’t working. But it really felt like he was making Otter be the fall guy. And and I’m sure that’s going to come out tomorrow during media availability. And he’s going to try to reiterate the fact that no, that’s not what I meant at all. Everyone is just focusing on that one clip. And if you if you I mean at the very beginning of the clip, he even says I’m not blaming Otter. Yeah. But he kind of did against him. And it’s like that is the absolute wrong time with you saying that, dude. And and and and the other thing was is that you could you could tell that he was hesitant to say something about that. And I think his better judgment got the better of him there. And that’s that that that was not the right time or place to say those comments. Were they correct? Yes, absolutely. But now here’s the thing. the damage is already done between him and Otter’s relationship and as good as it’s probably been over the three years and as much confidence as you know Pete Dbor has shown in Jay Cottoner over the last you know three four years however long he’s been the coach here I would say I don’t think it all came crashing down last night but a good chunk of it did I mean there’s going to be some toxicity between those two guys regardless of what they say and and and they’re they’re professionals and they’ll probably figure it out and if if Dbor is around, which I suspect he still will be next year, they’re going to figure it out and it’s going to be fine, but it’s still going to be there. I mean, imagine this happens again next year. The Stars are in the same exact situation, maybe against a different team or Edmonton. And he basically just said he basically just said he doesn’t have an answer for for the Oilers. his franchise goalender. And what does that do for your franchise goaliey’s confidence when your coach said that and it’s a year later and it’s the same exact thing? How do you think he’s going to respond to that? Yeah. That anybody would not be you would have to be the the strongest mental person in the world to be able to get over that hurdle. I can and I could I felt bad for uh Darren Pang because he was just kind of you know sitting right there right in the tunnel right next to Ray Ferraro Ray Ferraro need Yeah I know and and he and he’s he’s trying not to you know talk about him but obviously you know Otter knows what he’s doing and but the the thing about all of this more important to me than anything he made that decision on an emotional on at an emotional time in the game and that has not been his style ever and it it kind of screwed him over. Pete screwed Pete Dbor over. And then the other thing that really frustrated me more than anything and it really really concerns me. If that is what Pete Dbor does, one of the most veteran coaches in the NHL, has been to the Western Conference Final six out of the last seven years, has never been able to get to a Stanley Cup final. If that’s his answer in a in a game five at home is to take out your your number one goalie, then he doesn’t have the answers to get over the hump. He he he didn’t he doesn’t have the answers to to get to the next level. And that is what worries me more than anything is is yes, everyone’s talking about the relationship between Otter and Dbor and everything, but if that is your decision down two nothing in a conference final in an elimination game and you don’t know what to do except to do this and hope it works, you don’t have the answers and you don’t need to be the coach of a team that is has aspirations to go to the Stanley Cup final. Yeah. And that’s sorry. Sorry. And that’s why I’m I’m on this whole he he doesn’t need to be back. He He doesn’t got it. Like I I we make so much fun of the Toronto Maple Leafs. They They did it nine years in a row running back with the basically the same group of guys, right? And different coaches, right? I don’t want to turn into that. Yeah. We we we we’ve run back the same group of guys three times in a row and this coach has has not been able to make it back to the Stanley Cup final since he was with the New Jersey Devils, his first NHL gig. And he’s had six to opportunities to get over that with different teams and he couldn’t get his team over that. That that’s that that’s not unluckiness in every single one of those series. There’s a pattern there. I if if you are Jim Nil, if you are Tom Galardi, and I know Tom Galardi has already come out and said that he’s back he’s he’s backing Pete Dbor. But if you’re serious about winning a Stanley Cup, then this is not the answer in my opinion. And that may be a hot take for me, but it makes a lot of sense. It it’s extremely logical that this is it. He doesn’t have the answers. He’s had his opportunity and he keeps failing at it. Yeah. Yeah, and that’s why I I made the point right off the hop. I I I think maybe the emotions got got the best of him. And that’s why I’m curious to see what he says tomorrow at the end of uh the year availability if he maybe regrets the the decision. Just the emotions got the best of him for what you said and what we hear throughout the season about how calm he really is behind the bench. And last night, you could tell it it got to him. And that happens to to individuals. It happens to all of us where we get overwhelmed, over stimulated, and we make decisions that we usually would not make um in those particular situations and maybe got the best of them. And I I agree with you too. What he said was not wrong. It just was a weird weird time to bring it up and sort of point that out about your your franchise goalender for the next eight years to kind of throw him out to the Wolves when in reality is your team wasn’t ready to play off the hop and they got outscored 13 to5 at five on five in this series and we give Dbor a lot of credit for his offensive genius right his his offensive game and for the third straight season the offense goes really really cold. And in reality, once again, you can look at the overall numbers throughout the postseason. The Stars scored 2.5 goals per game. That was 13th out of the 16 playoff teams. And the Stars gave up 3.33 goals against. That was fifth in the NHL among the 16 teams. And Otter, does he deserve some responsibility for that? Some accountability? Sure. But it it it certainly does not all fall on 29. He was one of the reasons and maybe the main reason he got to that point in the season, but at the same time, Steuart Skinner outplayed him. And I know I’ve had some Stars fans come after me about that. I I I don’t know how else to explain to you that the goalender that won in five games outplayed the the goalender that lost. Um, but it wasn’t Jake’s fault. That wasn’t the big reason why. And I do want to jump into some of the the reasons why here um after after this because um I I I made this point following the the game yesterday and I kind of want to hammer it home because I think it’s going to get lost in the shuffle out of out of a few of these things. So I’m going to do that get Ryan’s thoughts on that and we’ll do that in just a moment. Today’s episode of Locked on Stars is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA playoffs are in full swing and every night delivers highlightw worthy performances, major momentum shifts, and can’t miss moments. Whether it’s the game-winning shot or a breakout player, there’s never been a better time to get in on the action. 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So, this is something I brought up a bit, but I I I do want to expand on it since um I I think it really does need to be highlighted because I I do think it was a major major role in how this series uh played out. And it it falls on and and it comes to this, the way both of these teams went about revamping their their back end. specifically the the blue line. And I I think it’s funny because a lot of my concerns and you can probably go back I really encourage people to go back to my July 1st episode right after Dallas went out and signed Dumba Labouchkin um and Brendan Smith. I feel like a lot of the concerns I made then ended up sort of coming to coming to life um at this point in the season. And the reality is Labushkin and Dumba, guys you overpaid for in the summer, were in the press box for the final what, three or four games. Dumba, of course, didn’t make a appearance, but Labouchkin wasn’t in the in the lineup because they went out and they wanted to to get tougher, right? And look, I think physicality did play a role in in in Dallas’s downfall in this series, but at the end of the day, look at the moves that Edmonton went out and made. They went and took a chance on Clingberg and they went out and got Jake Wman at the deadline. And every matchup in this series, the Oilers won from lines one through four from pairings, you know, all you know, their from their number one defenseman all the way down to the bottom the, you know, the bottom pair were were just better. They were they were clearly the better team and they had puck moving defenseman that can move. Yes, they can play physical but guys that could, you know, make passes, get out of their own zone and get the offense rolling. And that’s something Dallas just didn’t have in in the series. Look at the the third goal Dallas give up. It’s Petra Vic and Bishel who I give a lot of credit to to to those two. They played rather well this postseason, but they couldn’t get out of their own zone and then Skinner is able to to pop one home. Dallas’s just inability to move the puck out of their zone and and and create off the rush. Look at the the five on five goal last night with with Robertson. I mean, we didn’t see that much at all in the series. Rantin drives, he pulled up and made that pass across and then Robo was able to slide one through the five-fold, but there there was really none of that in the series and I think a lot of things reverted back. I I think there was a lot of regression with Dallas um in this series specifically. They were so good on special teams on both sides of it in the first two rounds and they got phenomenal goalending which carried them and then a lot of the the issues we saw the final month of the season and Debor sort of mentioned this started to creep in. the wideopen uh the wideopen uh chances in front of aer like like Perry a couple times in this series and it all started to come back to life and I I think it reverts back to to Dallas going out and just getting they just got bodies to fill to fill holes, right? Um they just needed guys to chew up minutes and that’s just not good enough at this time of year. It’s not good enough in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Um, and Cody, Cece, and Lindell, I mean, they were outscored in this series at five on five. Lindell three to seven. Um, and CeCe out outsc scored seven to two when they were on the ice. Like, it’s just it’s not good enough to just get guys that can chew up minutes. Um, and in particular when you had guys that you could just maybe in-house bring up that that that could chew up some minutes, but you overpaid for some of these guys and now you’re in an interesting position. But I think that’s a point that maybe is going to get lost in the a lot of the conversation. But the way the Oilers went about revamping their defense, um it was just a really a tactical nightmare for Dallas in a lot of ways. And Edmonton exposed Dallas in really every facet um of of the game and in this series and a big reason why they won in five games. It was never close if we’re honest. So, we if we look back, the Stars were never close to winning this series. Mhm. And I hate to say it this way too, but game one was a fluke as well. The the Edmonson Oilers were not ready to play that third period and they they didn’t expect Dallas to score in every single one of the power plays they got and they were able to do so. So that then that’s unfortunate, but I I like how you pointed that out because but at the same time, here’s here’s here’s the here’s it’s an extenduating circumstance with the defense this year too, Joey, in the fact that, you know, nobody knew that Niels Lungquist was going to be as good as he was, but you were you were hoping one of these four guys between Lungquist, um, you Labouchkin, uh, Dumba, and Smith, one of those four guys would step up. And nobody really expected it to be Lungquist, but he was the best out of the four. And to point to the point where even though he wasn’t scoring any points or anything, we were talking about how great a season he was having. Like he was making he was making offensive plays. He was moving the puck up the ice. He was making the defensive uh plays that he wasn’t doing the last two years. It seemed like he had finally figured it out. And then what happened? He gets hurt. Okay. Well, that’s okay. Well, let’s let’s go get uh let’s let’s go get another guy. Let’s get CC. Okay. Well, then Mro Hastening gets hurt and you’re asking Harley to play 28 minutes a night. So, it it’s it’s not right to blame it on injuries per se for this, but injuries did play a part in in what happened this year for the Stars on the Dor. I think the decor could have been good enough to to win a Stanley Cup, but the fact is is Miro Miro was hurt for a good chunk of the time and then you were asking Cody Cece to play a top four role, which yeah, he he shouldn’t have been doing. Um, same thing with Leouchkin. Labouchkin was playing a top four role. And you know what, to be totally honest with you, I will jump on the bandwagon that’s going the opposite way and say Leouchkin had a great year. Generally speaking, I thought he had a very good year. Yeah, I I would agree. I I I really would. And and I think the other reason why he was being held out of the lineup over CC is because we we saw how much ice time CC was getting. And we knew that it was going to be Labouchkin that came out if it wasn’t Petravvic. So, it was either Labouchkin or Petravic once Mero started making his way back and they were going 11 and seven and stuff like that. But I also think Labouchkin was fighting something as well. And I’m I’m sure that will come to light. I’m I’m 95% positive that he was dealing with something that was a nagging injury and that’s why he was out because, you know, a CC that is, you know, 90% or 85% is a lot better than a Lushkin that’s at like 50 to 55%. I think that was the the reasoning by the coaching staff and we were never told about Labouchkin having an injury because he had to play. Uh but that is a very good point though Joey is that just the the defense even though it wasn’t necessarily the problem at times. Yeah. Yeah. And I I it was a factor like everything about the and that’s what this is why it was so embarrassing in game time. Yeah. Like I had never been so embarrassed in my life. And there were Oiler fans that were, you know, sending me DMs and saying, “We are so sorry. Like this is absolutely ridiculous seeing how your team is responding and we’re not going to like cat call you or anything cuz we know it it would just make it feel worse.” So the the fact is is everything about the team just crumbled. Yeah. It wasn’t it wasn’t just the the the uh you know the offense or the defense or the goalending. It was everything every little aspect about the Stars game in game five came crumbling down like the walls of Jericho. like it everything was and this and I’ll I’ll go back to the first comment that I made once they they went up three to nothing and I said this team is 100% mentally gone checked out and they are weak and and I hated saying it that way but that’s that’s the case that’s my belief and yeah sorry I know I went on a completely different but but like that defensive part of what you were talking about is is just a part of a bigger problem. It’s a symptom rather than the the disease itself, if that makes any sense. And just trying to treat that one disease is is not going to fix the problem that this team is facing of getting over the hump and getting to the Stanley Cup final like they should with some of the players they have. Mhm. I It’s something about the culture of the team or the way they’re playing or something and that’s going to be something that they’re going to have to figure out. And I I I I said this yesterday on our after game review with me and Chris. I This is why today is the reason why Jim No gets paid millions of dollars. Yeah. Yeah. Because he has the absolute toughest job in the world. even even tougher than than the Anaheim Ducks who have not made the playoffs in a while or the Detroit Red Wings who have not made the playoffs in a while because it’s it’s easier to get from to make the playoffs and get to those next couple of rounds. The hardest hardest thing to do is to get over that hump from the conference final into the final. And I and I give all marks in the world to the Florida Panthers and and because here’s what they did. They they won the freaking President’s Trophy as the best team in the in the the regular season and they won a round and then they were out in the second round and they were like, “Okay, well that was a successful season. That was fantastic. It was great, right?” But they realized they had a problem and they completely changed everything with that trade that they made for Matthew Kachchuck. They realized that the play the way they were playing was not playoff style hockey and it wasn’t going to work if they wanted that actual Stanley Cup. So they went out and they traded that must have been the hardest thing to ever do. They traded Jonathan Hubedo and Mackenzie Wager along with some other stuff for Matthew Kachchuck. And Matthew Kachchuck is not the only reason why the the Florida Panthers are the Florida Panthers. That right there was the decision that the Florida Panthers made to completely change their the way they play the game, the style that they play. They got out went out and got Paul Maurice as well. And then two year the last two years they’ve been the epitome of the NHL and the staple of what everyone is trying to be. And it’s because they made that decision even though they were at the top of their game. You could argue they made that decision because they realized there was something wrong and they did it within a year and the Stars have done it now three years and they still have not been able to figure it out. Yeah. Yeah. No, they’re going to have to take a big swing, right? Um and and we saw that with with Ranton in a bit that that was a big swing at a deadline, but it may come uh it may come to to getting rid of of Dbor. Um, and look, I I’m not on the the fire debor train by any means, but I think Jim Nil should take a serious look at it to see what’s out there. I I think um in order to do his job, probably he has to look at it. Um, but I’m not going to be on that train. Um, until there’s a replacement uh you give me that I I think is suitable. I I think it it depends on what’s out there and all that good stuff. Um, but I think he should take a look at it uh because um as you mentioned uh the the the Florida Panthers did and it it came back and and maybe worked for them and of course there’s a lot of other moves and um everything but um it certainly worked and and I I I don’t to bring this back to my original point about you know Dumbo Labouchkin and stuff it’s not all I’m not blaming um them for for what happened um in this uh series uh necessarily But when Dallas goes up against this Edmonton team that’s just so dynamic offensively on the power play and yeah, they have they have McDavid and Dry Cidle, but they were just so dynamic off the rush and their ability to just attack. Um the Stars just they got exposed. Um and CC and Lindell that pairing um next season you’re going to need to see there’s it’s got to be L I mean if you don’t go out and get somebody it’s got to be Lindell and Miro. you need Lindell. Um, you need Lindell. Lindell needs a partner that can move the puck a bit. Um, and and and Lindell’s a really really strong defenseman, but over the last few years, like he’s been uh he’s been forced to kind of anchor down with Hockenpaw and some others. Um, and and what look at what him and Tanv did, they were extremely good. Uh, because Tanv was physical and he could move the puck. Um, that’s one of Lindell’s weaknesses. He’s not um a great facilitator out of his own zone. Um he’s decent at it, but that’s not his strength, right? Um and if you can pair him with a guy like Nero, it will I think it um it’ll bring out the best in Essendell, but with him and CC, the pairing just kind of got torched a bit. Um whether that was five on five, whether that was the PK. Um and Dallas is certainly going to have to to make some some tough decisions here um in the future. So, let’s get to some of those. I’m sure we all have thoughts and Jamie Ben his return, Matt Duchain even, and a lot of others and some of the interesting um topics of conversation um upcoming this offseason. So, we’ll do that in just a moment. All righty. We’ll move on to some of the the summer conversations. I think we did a decent enough job of just kind of putting a bow on everything that that took place in the the Western Conference final. Uh stars bounced out um in five games and as as Ryan said just wasn’t uh very very close at all unfortunately. Um I guess we’ll begin here since um it’s obviously on everybody’s mind the captain Jamie Ben. I was I was on him a lot this postseason and um I I think uh there was a lot of defenders through the first two rounds and then it happened here uh against the Oilers. Um I’m just curious where where do you land on on Ben? I think in my opinion veteran minimum maybe for a year if he takes that he takes that. Um that that’s sort of where I land on the Jaime Ben conversation, but um it just felt like it’s maybe time in a lot of ways. So So with Jamie Ben, he it’s been now two years in a row where the stars have watched two veteran guys kind of flame out straight Fantastic Four style into into the playoffs. Last year it was Joe Pavvelski. This year it was him. And it’s he hasn’t been a factor. He hasn’t been a factor. and and and the only thing that, you know, leads me to believe that maybe there’s there’s more to this that we just don’t know is we are not in the locker room on a daily basis. That’s that’s the only thing where the the players don’t talk about it. The the coaches don’t really talk about it other than the fact of where they say, “Oh, well, he’s a big, you know, big guy in the in the locker room and talks to the guys and stuff like that.” And he he’s that he’s not that kind of leader. And it a lot of people right now are questioning whether he should be that leader moving forward. And some are like, well, just give him a contract. He can come back and, you know, give the seed to Miro. No, that’s no. that that that that again it’s the same uh toxicity like if you you know you keep Pete Dbor and Jay Gotener together like this without talking about it before the season starts is he is still going to be Jamie Ben and he’s still got that legacy attached to him as long as he is a Dallas star. Yeah. and and people and it’s going to be very hard for the players to just switch their focus from, oh well, he’s not really the captain anymore. It’s actually this guy over here, whether that’s Mero or Ry Johnson or whoever, right? And that is that is a radical change. And that’s why I I think that the stars need a radical change like this. If if if you really want to win a Stanley Cup, I don’t think that he is the one that can get you there. I I hope I am I hope I am 100% wrong in saying that. I I want to be wrong in saying this. Like I every fiber of my being wants to be wrong about saying that, but he has had three chances now. And as the leader of this organization to get it done and he hasn’t it it’s the same conversation as Pete Dbor. He’s had his opportunities and they haven’t been able to to take care of it. they they just haven’t shown up and there’s got to be a change to this leadership group in my opinion and that that I don’t think there’s going to be because that is not the way that Jim Null runs his ship. He is a very conservative GM for the most part although the last couple of years he has made some considerable trades. You know, trading out a first round pick for Neil Lungquist. That was a that was huge not so at the time. And then he does what he does this year and he gets out Mikar Ransin and trades like, you know, the entire future Dallas Allistar’s, you know, prospect pool away. And but I I don’t know if he’s got it in him if that’s what Galardi wants to, you know, change the leadership group to make all of these changes and when I think there’s you can make an argument where there needs to be some change there. So for Jamie Ben, I I don’t have an answer. I I I I don’t know if you bring him back or if or whatever. Like even two weeks ago, I would have said, “Yeah, of course you bring back.” But the way you were embarrassed in that game five, that one game alone completely changes everything. It changes all the storylines about, you know, the offseason moving forward. So I I don’t know. Yeah, it feels like a end of an era in a lot of ways. I I would be shocked if he doesn’t come back though. I I I really would. And Jim Nil mentioned it really really early in the season. I know that’s a long time ago and he could certainly go back on his word, but as long as he’s here, Jamie Ben’s going to be part of the Dallas Stars. So, I would be shocked if he did not return, but it I I should say that too. I I I would be shocked too if he was not a member of the Dallas Stars again because that’s what that’s literally what Jim Nil has said. He said, “As long as I’m the GM, he is a Dallas.” But it feels like it’s over. It just it just feels like it’s over for whatever reason. Um just just I guess based off vibes if if you want to um if you want to characterize it that way. Um well, speaking of another another veteran that just wasn’t much of a factor, uh Matt Duchain for the second straight season just just nada really in the postseason. zero even strike points. Um, and yeah, that blows my mind alone. Yeah, it was it was nice. I I it’s nice to get him on a one-year $3 million contract, but Dallas has to get faster. They have to get a bit tougher. Um, and I I don’t know if the $3 million or whatever it may be to bring back Duchaine is is worth it. Um, I’m not going to hate it if he is. I mean, look, I was a point per game this season, but as I’ve stated a lot of times, this goes with Pav and Duchain over the last few years. I don’t care what you give me in the regular season. I need five to 10 goals during the postseason. Um, like that. That’s what I need out of you. Um and and we just didn’t get it again. So, um are are you out on on Duchy too? Um are you in a similar or maybe you’re a similar boat with Jamie Ben with with Jamie Ben? I I I don’t know how I feel about that with Duchain. I am 100% out. I’m sorry. Yeah. And and like you know people who did haven’t watched the Stars or you know just look at the stats. They look at the stats in the regular season and they’re like, “This guy scored 30 goals in in the regular season. He had over 82 points and blah blah blah blah blah and and he’s been a perfect fit, you know, chemistry-wise with him and Duchain and Sean. He’s been perfect. He’s literally been perfect in the regular season. What have you done for us when the time is most important?” And I gave him a little bit of a pass last year because at the age of I think he’s 33 now, maybe 34. Uh let me see real quick. He’s Yeah, 34. 34 now. 34. So at at the age of 33 last year, he had never been that deep in the playoffs before. The the the only experience that he had had was in the bubble run when the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Toronto Maple Leafs. And that that was like his crowning achievement up to that point. So, I gave him a pass for it because he had never been in a deep playoff run like that before. And I was just like, “Okay, great. Now that he’s there.” And and he even scored the game-winning goal against uh the Avalanche last year. And I was like, “That goal alone cements you getting $3 million for your next contract or whatever.” We were talking about even giving him more and he came back on the $3 million deal. zero points, even strength in 18, 19 games, however many games the Stars played in in the the postseason this year. You can’t have a guy who is just a passenger like that, no matter how many points he scored at the the contract level he was at. Right. Yeah. Again, I I’ll I’ll state this again. If your goal is just to be a good regular season team and then maybe hope your way into the Stanley Cup final and maybe hopefully win the Stanley Cup, then sign Duchain back. Great. Go ahead. Because he he will he’ll do the same thing again. He he’ll be really good in the regular season and then he’s going to disappear in the playoffs again. And yeah, that that’s that team doesn’t need that right now. like like literally as great as he has been and he led the stars in points and I’m saying all these fantastic things about him, what what did you do in the playoffs when it mattered most? He he he did nothing. He did absolutely nothing. and and even on top of that, he was very defensively irresponsible with the puck in in just about every single one of the series that I I’ve got, you know, visions popping up in my head of of specific instances, especially in the Oilers series where he got completely obliterated in in in certain plays. And on one side, that’s why I don’t want him back. But on the other side is I want to talk about Wyatt Johnson for a second if if it’s okay. Please do. I I think I think this goes hand in hand. All everybody is talking about right now, Joey, is the the stat that Wyatt Johnston has. Unfortunately, the historic stat he’s he’s his plus minus he’s minus 18 in in a single postseason. That’s the lowest of anybody. I I’m not sure if it’s NHL history or or recent NHL history or whatever. It doesn’t matter. It was really bad, right? Like that it’s objectively a bad stat anyways. But when it’s that bad, you know there’s something there. But look at who he was asked to play against. He was asked to as the third line center to go up against Nathan McKinnon in the first round and then the depth of the Winnipeg Jets with Shiffley and with Kyle Connor and a lot of people overrate or underrate Kyle Connor. He’s one of the best players in the NHL in my opinion and and then you ask him to go against two giant superstars in Conor McDavid and Leandry. I think with where Wyatt is at right now, he he is a he is a top level player. He is absolutely one of the better players in the NHL. He is not that elite level talent, if that makes any sense. And and maybe I’m wrong. Maybe eventually he’ll get up into that category. But when I think of Conor McDavid and Leandry Idol, I think of Sydney Crosby. I think of Nathan McKinnon. I think of other, you know, Kale Mar players. he’s not in that same tier and the players that he was asked to play with this year are not of the same caliber he is at even. So if he’s in that second tier, he’s playing with caliber players that are in the third and fourth tiers. And that’s a lot to ask a young guy, especially at the age of 22, 23. And and a lot of people forget he’s still that young to to go and and do that. So, I think with where Duchain is at, I think you’ve got to you’ve got to while getting rid of Duchine for the obvious uh you know, offseason stuff and or offseason postseason, you know, deficiencies and not putting up points or anything. I think it’s also hampering Wyatt Johnson at a certain on at a certain aspect too because he’s being asked to play a full 200 foot game instead of being like, “Hey, go make plays happen because we know you can do it.” I mean, we’ve seen it in the regular season when he when he he makes these glorious little little uh stick handling plays and he deposits it in the back of the net by himself when he goes oneon-ree or one on four. He doesn’t do it as much as Conor McDavid does, but he can do it and we’ve seen it. Yeah. And I think he was hampered this postseason because of the role he was being asked to play as that third line center. Yeah. Yeah, it’ll be it’ll be interesting because if Duchain doesn’t come back, it it does it does give Johnston uh an ability to sort of elevate into that 2C role if if that’s where you envision him. And and maybe you go out and try to add a 2C um in free agency, but I I think at this point I think the Stars would be pretty comfortable with Wyatt being your your number two center heading in into next season. Um, I I don’t have a a really strong opinion on on on Dutchy in a lot of ways. Um, funny enough, I remember last season I was I was I was saying get I was saying I was out on him right away with Dutchy after what we watched in the postseason. And look, I I’m glad he he came back. He was he was great for for Dallas this season. And with all the injuries and stuff, they they needed that. They they really did. Um, but I don’t have a ton of strong opinion, but I’ll I’ll say this. I I think if if you’re Dallas, I would make uh I would make it a priority to try to get Granlin back over Duchaine or Ben. Um I I would I would love to to try to to bring Granlin back. Um do all you can to try to get Bort, too. And I know we didn’t see the the results, the big jump from from Maverick Bort that we wanted to this season, but he’s got a full year under his belt. And I still really like his game in a lot of ways. And I think he can continue to grow. And I think if if you you should try all you can to bring out to bring back Bourke um and Granlin. And then you’re going to have to add some some speed and and I think some size around those guys um as well because Dallas needs to get a little bit younger too. And that’s why I’m okay if you let Duchaine Walk or or let Ben. You need to get a bit younger. Get some guys with some speed that you can play around a Wyatt Johnston, right? where he’s not trying to carry Jamie Ben and Donov and Donov I think maybe he was possibly hurt too because it just it was a bit weird to me since Dbor really trusts him and he said that multiple times um and he seems to be the guy that Dbor’s going to go to and he wasn’t in the lineup the last couple games that was a bit odd so maybe he was injured u we’ll have to see about that in the next um couple of days but we’re Johnson isn’t forced as you say to to try to carry his line offensively by himself self and yeah, he did have opportunities to play with Ranton and and Robo towards the end. They were trying to to shuffle lines, but there was really no consistency there and I think it it it certainly it certainly hurt him. But if I’m looking at an all-encompassing off season for for Dallas, I think do your best to bring back Granlin. You uh it would be nice to get Maverick Bork. I know he’s a potential for an offer sheet candidate. I know that’s been throwing out there. Um, a player I think you could look out for too is a guy like Marco Rossi. Um, that’s a guy that’s potential uh potentially on the trade block for Minnesota. Um, he’s sort of uh I I would say he’s probably kind of a bit maverick Bort type. Like he’s 5’9. Um, but he’s proven the last few years like he is viable. He’s a good two-way forward. Um, and he’s got some he’s got some explosiveness in his game, too. Um, I think that’s a guy stars could be interested in. And um I I guess this will lead me into potential trade candidates and stuff like that. Um Mason Marchment, he’s a a really hot topic, too. Um I’ve always been a Mason Marchment defender. Um I I He was awful this postseason, don’t get me wrong. I I would not give up on him. I I really wouldn’t. I I know it’s the final year of of the contract. I I would keep him around another year. Um, and I and I know the the reaction emotionally right after this postseason is awful for him. I I I completely understand that, but I love his game and I think Dallas needs some of that and I am always willing to to put up with some of the antics. I I get it. Um, so but Marchman, where do you sort of land on that the final year of his deal? I know some Stars fans are ready to get rid of him, see if they can uh find other ways to to retool, I guess, so to speak, this lineup. curious just where do you stand on on on Mush and in and heading into his final year of a contract? Uh before I talk about Marchment, I I do think Granland I would like to see him resigned over Duchain and I’m I I think a lot of Starf fans would agree with us in in that aspect. Like if you had to pick one I mean who was the one that had the hattick in the playoffs? It it was Male Granland who had a hat-tick. He and just one goal, like just one goal would have been better than Matt Duchain. And so that’s unfortunate there. What what’s funny is that as strongly as I feel about Duchain, I I don’t feel anything towards Mason Marchman. And I I I don’t have anything for you why. Uh, I I agree with you that he he was he was bad and but like again there there was not a Dallas star other than I would argue Jason Robertson in the last three games who did anything of consequence. I told I I’ll throw Tyler Sean in there too. Okay. It’s coming off a hip surgery. Yes. Um I I just I like Sean’s I like Sean’s play and and to be fair, he was what it well Robo and and Sean the only guys that score five on five goals in this series. And we had so many questions about Robo, but Robo again out of all the guys that that seems to show up in the Western Conference Final, it’s Robo. He may not do a whole lot the first two series here and there, but boy does he show up at at this point um of the year. And he did it again in this series. There there was some stat I saw on X. I’m sure you probably saw it too. I think out of the last three years, he scored like 12 goals, I think, in the Western Conference Final. And he accounts for 32.5% of the goals scored by the Dallas Stars in the last three years. And that includes all of the players that have come in those three years. All of that depth, right? The Stars have. Yeah. And 32 and a half% are relying upon Jason Robertson who It is. It’s so remarkable though, like yeah, the offense just gone. It just goes away. It just goes away. Goes away at this point in time. W- Which leads me back to And and I I I won’t Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Like he didn’t have his team ready and he didn’t make adjustments. like or maybe he tried to make adjustments and they weren’t the right ones and he kept trying to do the same thing and then it led him to the emotional decision that he did in game five that like he he doesn’t have the answers for that. But anyway, back to Marchment like I I I don’t feel anything against him or for him or anything. And the the other thing that I keep seeing that I’m thinking a lot about is like if you’re going to make changes, don’t make changes just for the sake of it. like like make changes with a specific idea in mind. And the some of the solutions I’ve seen out there from other other people out in stars in the stars, you know, I don’t know, internet landscape, whatever you want to call it. Yeah. They’re trying to go out and get all of these smaller guys. Like I I I like for example, like I I’ve seen and and it’s no offense to Nick Robertson. I love I would that that would be so cool to have him and Jason on the same team, but he he doesn’t have any experience in the playoffs and his experience that he has in the playoffs is very toxic and and he didn’t even get that chance to play much in the playoffs this year for the Maple Leafs. He’s on the smaller side. Uh you know, no again, no offense to Blackwell, but he’s on the smaller side, too. And I love Blackwell. I do. He’s a great player and I think he he he’s fantastic. But is is I don’t I I look at the other teams on the other side and who have they got over there? They they’ve got these tree guys who have tree stumps as legs. So they’re Perry, Connor Brown, Heyman, like they’re big guys. They’re big. Exactly. And and and like the guys that kind of came out in the playoffs for the Stars were the were some of the bigger ones, right? Miko Rantin, he’s huge. 6’4, 235 or 225 or something like that. Um, Bishel really kind of, you know, blossomed a little bit in the playoffs as well with his physical play. Those are the types of players that the Stars need more of. and and we could go into a whole another segment about the physicality of the stars and stuff like that, but to to not go down that rabbit hole, the long story short there, they need to go out and get more physical guys, the bigger guys, more more man flesh, more meat flesh, and to to be able to go against these guys. And I mean I mean look at the look at the Panthers. Carter Viggy, he’s like he’s over six foot. Um, and then you’ve got guys like like Sam Bennett and and Matthew Kachchuck and like the just monstrosity human beings and and that’s what and and you know what’s even funnier about all of this? Jim Nil even knew this. He went out and got Mico Rantin. That was the big deal that he made. Yes, he he’s fantastic in in the points that he does, but he’s also a big physical presence in the playoffs and and he didn’t show it a whole lot towards the end, but we saw it there. And that’s when Miko Ransin is at his best is in the playoffs. You need more guys like him who don’t make the same price tag. Yeah. And so, and some people are like, “Oh, we’ll go out and get uh I forget who from the Panthers. Is it Sam Reinhardt?” Sam Bennett. probably he’s not going to be in our in in the price point. But I I see your point like those are the guys you’re you’re trying to get where Sam Bennett um here just let’s just run this experiment because like Sam Bennett isn’t a world beater in the uh in in the regular season. But I mean what the past couple seasons like 10 plus goals in the postseason and he’s just an absolute menace. But let’s uh let’s just look at his point totals in the regular season. So this year 51 points in 76 games. He’s got 16 points in 10 goals in 17 playoff games this year. Let’s see. 23-24. 41 points in 69 games. That’s, you know, nothing uh nothing to jump up and down about, but he had 14 points in seven goals in 19 playoff games. Those are the type of people you’re getting. And that’s why Bennett um yeah, maybe his regular season totals, there’s people out there that don’t believe he can get 10 plus million dollars, but I bet there’s somebody out there that’s just going to give him what he wants because of what he can do in the postseason for you. And those guys are really hard to find. And that’s where that’s the challenge really for Jim Nil to. And look, the Panthers in a lot of way they’re an anomaly to the rest of the NHL. Like um if everybody could do that or be built that way, they would do that. And it’s just it’s it’s just really hard to do that. Um and they’re the standard. um and and other teams are going to try to model it, but the players like Sam Bennett, they’re hard to find. Um but that’s that’s where the challenge is and and that’s what’s going to be interesting to to see where Jim Nil goes to and see how he tries to fill some voids on this roster. It’s going to be a fascinating fascinating off season. Um and look, I I’m not here right now. It’s still so fresh after the season ended. I don’t know who’s available and all the free agents. Um or we’re going to have a lot of free agent Fridays um this summer. Um I’m sure me and Ryan are going to reconnect multiple times to to go over some things because it will be fascinating. Um I’m still almost just processing um another Western Conference final loss uh for for the Stars. But um it’ll be it’ll be really interesting. Um and Dallas is going to I think Ryan, you put it perfectly. Like you’re going to have to make a drastic change to some degree. Do you want to keep running it back with the same sort of core? Are we going to make a change? Um and and whether it, you know, goes bad or or not is, you know, it’s up in the air, right? But you can’t just keep doing the same thing. Okay. So, and then well, here here’s the only thing that I will say to this is don’t just have it one way or the other, right? Like if you’re dim nail, you either you either go, you know, you you dig your heels even further down into the into the ground and you say, “No, these guys can get it done.” And then you you keep the band together. So you you keep you keep Duchain, you keep uh Jamie Ben, you keep all of these guys and you say, “We’re going to roll back with the same guys.” I just think and and if he goes that direction then then I I will I will disagree with him but I will not fault him for it. But I do not believe that is the right decision. I think the decision if again if if the Stanley Cup is truly the only thing that matters rather than you know being the nice guy or talking about legacies with certain players and stuff like that like Jaime Ben has with the Stars and all of that. If if the Stanley Cup is truly the goal and is the supreme goal, then you have to make that drastic change. That that’s the only thing that logically makes sense to me without all the knowledge that Jimn does know about this organization and going forward and all of that stuff. So he he’s please don’t just you know kind of you know stay on the the fence like like pick a side go one way or the other and if this if you keep the band together and then they go to the Stanley Cup final and they win the whole dang thing next year then I will be the first one the most excited person in the world to say that I was wrong. Mhm. But just based off of what I’ve seen from other teams, the Maple Leafs of current, the the 2010 Sharks who never were able to get it done, I I I I pray to God to to the and to the hockey gods that this group of players is not added to that to that to that pile. I I don’t want them to see that. Absolutely. Absolutely. Oh, just uh another sad ending to the season, but in a lot of ways it was a remarkable year for for Dallas. And um it it was a roller coaster ride. It really was. And it was fun at times there, man, there was some there was some high highs, but boy, there was a lot of like just massive lows, especially the end of that regular season. Um and in a lot of ways, I think Dallas was was uh fortunate to get where they were. Um, and it’s it’s always an achievement to be the the final one of the final four teams left. Don’t get it wrong, but it it was a bust. Um, in a lot of like it’s a bust of a season. Like this this roster um expects to to win a Stanley Cup. And I think it’s I think both things can be true. It was a good year, but it’s a bust. Well, and and then and here’s the other thing about all of this, Joey, is that you if you’re Jim Mill, you could even, you know, talk yourself into the fact that this team can do it because like like, let’s be honest, did we ever see the best of the Dallas Stars in the playoffs? My personal opinion is probably not. Yeah, they didn’t put ever they just didn’t put it all together. No, they not once did they fully put it all together and we say like, “Oh my gosh, that was a dominant ridiculous performance.” We we constantly said they found a way to win. And that’s a mark of a good team. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. But so so then you could say, “Okay, well the guys can do it, but then the coach can’t because the coach didn’t see.” And and again, that’s why I’m not I I don’t want Jim Nil’s job. As much money as as it pays, I I I I don’t want it. Yeah. So, but like there the it’s going to be one of the most fascinating off seasons for for the Dallas Stars just just because of the the outcome of the last little bit and what the expectation is moving forward because what is the expectation of this team? like like like truly honestly like are we happy with the second round exit next year? I I I don’t know yet and we won’t know until the until training camp. Oh well, we’ll be here all uh all summer long here at Locked On Stars. Um Ryan, I’m sure is going to hop on every once in a while. I sometimes um enlist his services to to come help me out and we uh we we chop it up for an hour about everything. And uh yeah, we’re going to have another long summer of just discussing uh everything that went wrong and all the moves Jim Nil and company makes the rest of the way. But uh Ryan, man, again, thank you so much for hopping on today. I I appreciate you. Uh by the way, you uh you and your brother Ryan and all your other brothers just u or not Ryan, sorry, Chris. Uh man, you’re a lot of fun to to to listen to and sarcastic remarks is phenomenal. I love the hot takes you guys throw out there, man. you guys are getting after it and um it look um it’s it’s great conversation as always. So I appreciate you hopping on and um yeah once again man it was a fun season and uh just sucks it has to end this way again. I that’s why I I I want to see a drastic change because as a fan like that it just makes too much sense and as a a member of the pseudo media I’m I I put on my my media member hat every once in a while. it it again it just it just makes too much sense when when I look at the the other franchises. So yeah. All righty, man. Well, um I appreciate all those that that stuck around to this point. Um we went for about an hour, which is uh good, and I’m sure we’re going to go multiple hours um in the summer, but thank you for joining us on Locked On Stars, part of Locked On Network. I know there’s a lot of options out there, and I I appreciate um all of you that come back to hear and share love to to Ryan, of course, on Starcasted Remarks. um they’re going to be going strong at points during the summer. Uh Monday, I think I’m going to have a bit of a fun episode. Uh we’re going to go over my season predictions. I got my my notebook right here with all my season predict uh predictions on it. So, we’re going to see which ones I got right where I was completely off in some of that. So, that will be um some fun on Monday. And then uh yeah, man, the offseason will be in full swing. Uh Ryan, thanks again. Stars fans out there. I know it’s tough. We’re all processing it. It’s emotional. We got the weekend now to recover. Uh we’ll be back on uh Monday. Appreciate uh all your love and support. Be sure like, comment, hit the subscribe button as well. We’re over 4,000 subscribers now, which is awesome. Let’s continue to grow. Have a great weekend, Stars fans. Uh we’ll see you on the next episode.

On today’s episode of Locked On Stars, Ryan Chambers joins the show to put a bow on the Dallas Stars elimination from the Western Conference Final. We discuss the controversial decision of Pete DeBoer pulling Jake Oettinger and how that could affect DeBoers status for next season and maybe more importantly their relationship. We also discuss some of the realities with the Stars including Defenseman Cody Ceci, Ilya Lyubushkin and Matt Dumba and how the Stars blue line played a role in the loss and the offense sputtering again. In the final segment, Joey and Ryan give their thoughts on the potential returns of Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene and Mikael Granlund.

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