The 2016-17 season was an absolute tire fire for the Dallas Stars. You know that, I know that, everyone knows that. So why am I bringing it up in the midst of a successful 2017-18 season for the Stars? Well, because it’s important.
After an incredibly promising run in 2015-16 that saw the Stars claim the Central Division title and fall one win short of the Western Conference Finals, Dallas was expected to do big things in 2016-17. There were even talks of Stanley Cup contention. That’s how great the team was playing.
When the 2016-17 season came along, though, it was clear that those expectations were much too lofty.