The Dallas Stars, led by a star-studded core of players, including Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen, look like Stanley Cup contenders. Along with their high-end performers, the Stars’ depth is one of the most feared in the NHL, being able to go toe-to-toe with almost any other team. Given their unique depth, some players can often be forgotten or overlooked. Here are the three most underrated players on the Stars this season.
#1: Wyatt Johnston
Wyatt Johnston burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old rookie last season and has not looked back, putting up a respectable 24 goals and 41 points while playing all 82 games. In that same rookie season, Johnston scored the series-clinching goal in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series vs the Seattle Kraken to put the Stars in the Western Conference Final.
Now, as a second-year player, Johnston has stepped up his game. With just seven games remaining in the season, the 20-year-old is on pace to finish with 32 goals and 65 points. Despite being drafted late in the first round in 2021, few predicted Johnston’s quick development, even after being named the Ontario Hockey League MVP in 2022. He has not received nearly as much recognition as he should have this season, and there’s a good chance Dallas has another star on their hands (pun not intended).
#2: Thomas Harley
Another recent draft pick, Thomas Harley, finally broke out this season. The Stars’ 2019 first-round draft pick has gone from being a potential bust to one of the better defensemen on the team. With just one goal in the first 40 NHL games of his career, Harley has 15 goals this season, with seven contests remaining. His 15 goals are tied for sixth among NHL defensemen, ahead of Quinn Hughes, Victor Hedman, and other superstar blueliners. Miro Heiskanen and the recently acquired Chris Tanev have made it easy for many to overlook Harley among the Stars’ defense, but after this season, there won’t be many doubters.
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The 2019 Draft also hasn’t done Harley any favours. It was known for its American forwards, who are now NHL stars, including Jack Hughes, Cole Caufield, Trevor Zegras, and Matt Boldy, among others. However, he has made his mark as one of the better defensemen selected in that draft. His breakout season has finally put him on the map as one of the premiere offensive players on the Stars’ backend, and he won’t be ‘underrated’ for much longer.
#3: Matt Duchene
After being bought out by the Nashville Predators last season, Matt Duchene has turned his career around with the Stars in 2023-24. He put up a respectable 56 points in 71 games last season with the Predators, and he has already surpassed that number this season, with 62 points and seven games remaining. The 33-year-old has been one of the better stories of the campaign, bouncing back strong after being bought out, and although he likely would have been signed by another team, not many could have predicted his strong production with Dallas.
Duchene signed a 1-year, $3 million contract in the offseason, and he’s outperformed his salary and expectations. It’ll be tough for the Stars to keep him for that cheap again, but he might consider a team-friendly deal to stay in Dallas. Regardless of whether or not he returns, Duchene has quietly been one of the better players on his team this season and has had a tremendous bounce-back year.
In short, the Stars have some of the most underrated players in the entire NHL on their squad. Whether that is due to their already deep roster, or due to the fact they get less coverage compared to teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs or Edmonton Oilers. Regardless, the Stars are due for a deep playoff run, and all three of Johnston, Harley, and Duchene will be major contributors to this team.
