Let’s daydream for a second here. Imagine a season in which the 2016-17 Dallas Stars made to the Playoffs and were matched up the first round with any of the other qualifying teams. If they had made the playoffs, it would have been by the skin of their teeth. In all honesty, it would have been brutal to watch the Stars in this playoff season because the compete level is simply above and beyond anything the 2016-17 Stars could defeat.
So in summary, it’s a good thing the Stars have time to collect themselves.