Performance Evaluation: New year, same Casey DeSmith. The veteran goaltender crafted another steady showing in his second season with the Stars, once again giving the team exactly what they needed from a backup goalie. DeSmith’s 15 wins tied a career-high and he helped Dallas secure a point in 21 of 29 decisions. His 2.43 GAA was the best mark since his first NHL season back in 2017-18. By all metrics, it was a successful campaign for the 34-year-old (who will turn 35 before the season starts). But it wasn’t just the raw numbers that made DeSmith’s year so commendable. With the compressed schedule due to the Olympic break, DeSmith drew a number of challenging starts either in back-to-back situations or after tough travel. In addition, his 28 starts were the third most in a season in his career. But it didn’t seem to faze him. DeSmith was a stellar 9-2-6 on the road with a .911 save percentage and 2.38 GAA, both of which were top 10 among NHL goalies. He also drew nine starts on the second night of a back-to-back, going 6-2-1 with a .929 save percentage (4th in NHL) and 1.90 GAA (3rd). The tougher the start, the better DeSmith seemed to be in the crease. His best surge came at the start of the season with just one regulation loss in his 14 starts before Christmas (9-1-4) that helped the Stars jump out on such a dominant foot with a 25-7-6 record. DeSmith once again proved to be a perfect complement to starter Jake Oettinger and helped keep the Dallas crease operating at top efficiency throughout the regular season.
