How Western Conference champion Stars were built

The Dallas Stars advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2000 with a 3-2 overtime win against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final on Monday.

Only two players, forwards Corey Perry (2007, Anaheim Ducks) and Tyler Seguin (2011, Boston Bruins), have won the Stanley Cup previously.
Of the 25 players who have played in at least one postseason game, 10 were selected by Dallas in the NHL Draft, eight were signed in free agency, and seven were acquired in trades.
Here's how the roster of this Stanley Cup finalist was built, along with background on its coaching staff and general manager:

FORWARDS

Jamie Benn, LW: Selected in the fifth round (No. 129) of the 2007 NHL Draft, Benn scored 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 69 regular-season games and has 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 21 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Andrew Cogliano, C: Acquired in a trade from the Ducks on Jan. 14, 2019, for forward Devin Shore, Cogliano scored 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 68 regular-season games and has one assist in 17 playoff games.
Blake Comeau, LW: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2018, Comeau scored 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 55 regular-season games and has six points (two goals, four assists) in 21 playoff games.
Jason Dickinson, C: Selected in the first round (No. 29) of the 2013 NHL Draft, Dickinson scored 21 points (nine goals, 12 assists) in 65 regular-season games and has two assists in 21 playoff games.
Radek Faksa, C:Selected in the first round (No. 13) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Faksa scored 20 points (11 goals, nine assists) in 66 regular-season games and has eight points (three goals, five assists) in 19 playoff games.
Denis Gurianov, RW: Selected in the first round (No. 12) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Gurianov scored 29 points (20 goals, nine assists) in 64 regular-season games and has 17 points (nine goals, eight assists) in 21 playoff games.
Roope Hintz, LW: Selected in the second round (No. 49) of the 2015 draft, Hintz scored 33 points (19 goals, 14 assists) in 60 regular-season games and has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 21 playoff games.
Mattias Janmark, C: Acquired in a trade from the Detroit Red Wings on March 1, 2015, with defenseman prospect Mattias Backman and a second-round pick in the 2015 draft for forward Erik Cole and a third-round pick in the 2015 draft, Janmark scored 21 points (six goals,15 assists) in 62 regular-season games and has five assists in 20 playoff games.
Joel Kiviranta, LW:Signed as a free agent May 31, 2019, Kiviranta scored one goal in 11 regular-season games and has five points (four goals, one assist) in eight playoff games.
Joe Pavelski, C: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2019, Pavelski scored 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) in 67 regular-season games and has 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in 21 playoff games.
Corey Perry, RW:Signed as a free agent July 1, 2019, Perry scored 21 points (five goals, 16 assists) in 57 regular-season games and has six points (two goals, four assists) in 21 playoff games.
Alexander Radulov, RW: Signed as a free agent July 3, 2017, Radulov scored 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 60 regular-season games and has 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 21 playoff games.
Tyler Seguin, C:Acquired in a trade from the Bruins on July 4, 2013, with forward Rich Peverley and defenseman prospect Ryan Button for defenseman Joe Morrow and forwards Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser, Seguin scored 50 points (17 goals, 33 assists) in 69 regular-season games and has eight points (two goals, six assists) in 20 playoff games.

DEFENSEMEN

Taylor Fedun: Acquired in a trade from the Buffalo Sabres on Nov. 10, 2018, for a seventh-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Fedun scored nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 27 regular-season games and has no points in 11 playoff games.
Joel Hanley: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2018, Hanley had two assists in eight regular-season games and has one assist in six playoff games.
Thomas Harley:Selected in the first round (No. 18) of the 2019 NHL Draft, Harley made his NHL debut Aug. 5 in the second of three games in the round-robin portion of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers and did not score a point in his only game, a 4-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.
Miro Heiskanen:Selected in the first round (No. 3) of the 2017 NHL Draft, Heiskanen scored 35 points (eight goals, 27 assists) in 68 regular-season and leads the Stars with 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 21 playoff games.
Stephen Johns: Acquired in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks on July 10, 2015, with forward Patrick Sharp for defenseman Trevor Daley and forward Ryan Garbutt, Johns scored five points (two goals, three assists) in 17 regular-season games and has no points in four playoff games.
John Klingberg:Selected in the fifth round (No. 131) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Klingberg scored 32 points (six goals, 26 assists) in 58 regular-season games and has 16 points (three goals, 13 assists) in 20 playoff games.
Esa Lindell:Selected in the third round (No. 74) of the 2012 draft, Lindell scored 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) in 69 regular-season games and has six points (one goal, five assists) in 21 playoff games.
Jamie Oleksiak: Acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 28, 2019, for a fourth-round pick in the 2019 draft, Oleksiak scored 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 69 regular-season games and has seven points (four goals, three assists) in 21 playoff games.
Andrej Sekera:Signed as a free agent July 1, 2019, Sekera scored eight points (two goals, six assists) in 57 regular-season games and has one assist in 21 playoff games.

GOALIES

Ben Bishop:Acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings on May 9, 2017, for a fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft, Bishop was 21-16-4 with a 2.50 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage and two shutouts in 44 regular-season games (43 starts). He is 1-2-0 with a 5.43 GAA and an .844 save percentage in three playoff games.
Anton Khudobin: Signed as a free agent July 1, 2018, Khudobin was 16-8-4 with a 2.22 GAA and .930 save percentage in 30 regular-season games (26 starts). He is 12-6-0 with a 2.62 GAA and .920 save percentage in 19 playoff games (18 starts).
Jake Oettinger:Selected in the first round (No. 26) of the 2017 draft, Oettinger did not play in the regular season. He made five saves in relief in a 3-0 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 2 in his NHL debut.

COACHING STAFF

Rick Bowness, coach: In his second season as an assistant, Bowness was named coach Dec. 10, 2019, after Jim Montgomery was fired. He was 20-13-5 during the regular season. Bowness, who is in his fifth decade of coaching, is 143-302-8 with 48 ties in 500 regular-season games with the Winnipeg Jets, Bruins, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Phoenix Coyotes and Stars.
Todd Nelson, assistant:Hired May 31, 2018, Nelson spent three seasons as coach of Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League (2015-18) and guided them to the Calder Cup championship in 2017. Prior to that, he went 17-22-7 in 46 games as coach of the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15.
John Stevens, assistant: Hired July 1, 2019, Stevens had spent the previous nine seasons with the Kings and was 49-37-9 as their coach from 2017-19. He won the Stanley Cup twice as an assistant with the Kings (2012, 2014) and coached the Philadelphia Flyers from 2006-10 (120-109-34).
Derek Laxdal, assistant:Prior to being promoted to assistant Dec. 10, Laxdal was coach of the Stars' AHL affiliate (Texas) since the 2014-15 season. He guided Texas to the Calder Cup Final in 2018 (lost to Toronto in seven games).
Jeff Reese, goaltending coach: Hired June 15, 2015, Reese had the same role with the Flyers for the previous six seasons. He was with the Tampa Bay Lightning for 10 seasons before that, including six seasons as goaltending coach, and won the Stanley Cup with them in 2004.

GENERAL MANAGER

Jim Nill: Hired as general manager April 29, 2013, replacing Joe Nieuwendyk, Nill has guided the Stars to the playoffs four times in his seven seasons. He was a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award this season and in 2015-16. Previously, Nill worked in the Red Wings front office and won the Stanley Cup four times with them (1997, 1998, 2002, 2008).