Defending Big D Jul 1, 2022
Stargazing, Episode 177: Stats Heavies
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports D Magazine’s Mike Piellucci and David Castillo join Wes and Mark to talk about the Dallas sports market, making PDO accessible, and finding your lane in a big-league town. Oh, and hockey. New coach, new lineup, new prospects...the Dallas Stars are, in many ways, a team at the crossroads. What kind of deals will they have to make to stay relevant and still keep their fanbase happy? Mike Piellucci and David Castillo, who are helping D Magazine put down stakes as a Dallas sportswriting destination, joined Wes and Mark earlier this week. For...
Defending Big D Jul 1, 2022
So You Want to Play Defense for the Dallas Stars?
Photo by Glenn James/NHLI via Jim Nill has a way of putting together the Stars blueline, and it isn’t particularly friendly to prospects. When Jim Nill took over as General Manager of the Dallas Stars in April of 2013, one of his first moves was to bring in Sergei Gonchar. The 39 year old was coming off of a decent, albeit shortened, season with the Ottawa Senators where he put up top ten offensive numbers. At two years for $10 million, some considered it an overpay, but Dallas was leaky on the backend, and Gonchar was a known leader who could mentor a young, but up...
Defending Big D Jun 29, 2022
NHL Mock Draft 2022: Dallas Stars select Lian Bichsel with No. 18 pick
Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports Dallas drafts a defenseman in our SB Nation mock draft of the first round of the NHL draft. In the SB Nation mock draft universe, Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill approaches the podium, knees weak and palms are sweating. There’s a name on the sweater already. He’s nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready. He keeps on forgetting what he wrote down. The Montreal crowd goes so loud. He opens his mouth, and the words come out: With the 18th pick in the NHL draft, the Dallas Stars select defenseman Lian Bichsel from the...
Defending Big D Jun 29, 2022
Wednesday Links: Odds Against
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports The Stars are 2023 underdogs. Can Pete DeBoer provide the secret sauce? Plus, Stars prospects win big, offense wins Nielsen ratings, and more. Sure, the Dallas Stars had a disappointing postseason this year...but at least they had a postseason this year. What are the odds they have one in 2023? Not great, according to FanDuel. The Dallas Morning News has checked the lines as of Monday, June 27, and the Victory Green Gang is in a virtual tie with a team that hasn’t even reported for Round 1 since 2020: Dallas currently sits at +4500 to win...
Derek Neumeier / Defending Big D Jun 24, 2022 
Stargazing, Episode 176: Future Considerations
SOON. | Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Derek Neumeier joins Wes and Mark to talk about the Stars’ best prospects, the 2022 NHL Draft, and why you need to be very, very excited about Wyatt Johnston. What have the last few seasons of Dallas Stars hockey taught us? That speedy puck movers are the wave of the future (provided your team hasn’t decided to play throwback puck)? That right-handed defenders must be protected at all costs (until they aren’t)? That there’s never really a logjam in goal?... Derek Neumeier, head Western scout with FC Hockey...
Defending Big D Jun 23, 2022
What We Learned: Jim Nill’s “Succession Planning”, Pete DeBoer’s Three Prong Approach To Improving Offense
Glenn James/Dallas Stars Some thoughts after general manager Jim Nill introduced Pete DeBoer as head coach to the media Wednesday. Come what may, the Dallas Stars have committed to their (next) new direction when they hired Pete DeBoer as head coach officially on Tuesday. DeBoer signed a four year deal, and many wondered if the fact that Jim Nill was entering the last year of his five-year contract extension signed back in 2016 that ends after the 2022-23 season had influence on who he hired. The answer, based on the introductory press conference on Wednesday, is that...
Defending Big D Jun 22, 2022
Wednesday Links: Pete DeBoer Officially Hired as Head Coach
Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via The long-time NHL head coach was officially hired by the Stars yesterday for 4-years, $4.25M annually. Plus, analysis on the hire, the NHL Awards winners, and more. It’s official — Pete DeBoer is the 25th head coach in Dallas Stars history: “Pete brings a wealth of experience to our dressing room, and we’re thrilled to name him our next head coach,” [general manager Jim] Nill said. “Every team that he has taken over has not only shown immediate improvement but has been ultra-competitive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs... His...
Defending Big D Jun 20, 2022
Report: Pete DeBoer Set To Be Named Next Stars Head Coach
Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via If this is the hire, what will the Stars look like next season? It has been reported by several outlets in the past day that the Dallas Stars are expected to hire Pete DeBoer as their next head coach. Hearing that Peter DeBoer will be the next head coach of the Dallas Stars.— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 20, 2022 It’s not quite done yet, and something could still happen to keep DeBoer’s hiring from becoming official. However, it seems that this is the direction things are trending for the Stars. Dallas Stars and Peter...
Defending Big D Jun 17, 2022
Stargazing, Episode 175: The Bench Press
Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/ Mr. Right, or Mr. Right Now? Taylor and Mark discuss what the Stars need in a new coach - and what they may actually be looking for. It’s mid-June already, and it may be safe to say that the Dallas Stars’ search for a new head coach is going to be longer and more comprehensive than rumor would lead us to believe. But what can we expect from the successful candidate...and how might the Stars’ definition of “successful candidate” differ from what you expect? Can the Stars find a bench boss who can integrate their veteran talent with...
Defending Big D Jun 17, 2022
Friday Links: Learning From the Finalists
Photo by Derek Leung/ What lessons can the Stars takeaway from the Avalanche and Lightning? Plus, head coaching hires, looking ahead to the offseason, and more. The Stanley Cup Final is underway, which means it’s time for the annual tradition of examining what teams can copy from the finalists to improve their own Cup chances next year. For starters, both teams have done a great job at acquiring new, inexpensive talent in not only free agency, but also via trading, something the Dallas Stars haven’t done much of for awhile: It helps that [Joe] Sakic and Lightning GM...
Defending Big D Jun 15, 2022
Wednesday Links: With Or Without You
Photo by Derek Leung/ Saad Yousuf examines one of the offseason’s most important questions in his latest mailbag. Plus, Finals fever, the Flyers make their move, and more. The 2022 NHL Draft is nearly a month away – so what do Dallas Stars fans do to pass the time until then? Why, chat online endlessly about the Dallas Stars, of course. The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf has been taking plenty of questions since the Victory Green Gang’s first-round playoffs exit. And he leads off his latest mailbag with something many Stars die-hards will find very hard to take. He...
Defending Big D Jun 10, 2022
Friday Links: Stars Search – Head Coach Edition
Photo by Courtney Kramer/NHLI via GM Jim Nill discusses what he’s really looking for in the next bench boss. Plus, Vegas’ odds on the next coach, Trouba buys trouble, and more. The Dallas Stars have a fairly consequential to-do list for the 2022 offseason, and Job One is identifying the next leader behind the bench. Where will the Victory Green Gang find their next head coach, and what will they face once they get here? The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf talked with Nill about the Stars’ future – including the major task of finding a bench boss who can help define...
Defending Big D Jun 6, 2022
Monday Links: Moving Forward With Benn And Seguin
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports The Bennguin days are past, but both players can - and must - be factors on the ice. Plus, the Lightning strikes back, Bergeron makes history, and more. However excited you may be over the Dallas Stars’ current and rising prospects, their future success will probably depend on the activation of their talented (and highly paid) veterans. The paradigms for this picture are Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin – whose very best days are behind them, but who can and must be more of a factor on the ice next season. The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf took a...
