Building chemistry: Preseason games helping highlight Stars’ impressive depth

Like many NHL coaches, Glen Gulutzan likes to build off of scoring duos.

Get two forwards with some chemistry, and you can add a third player that complements their style. Then, if that line goes stale at any point in the season, a coach can start shuffling the third guys and come up with nice tweaks that can spark your team and frustrate the opposition.

If Tuesday’s preseason win over St. Louis is any indication, the Stars might be the perfect team for this strategy.

Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin continued showing off the chemistry they have built in recent seasons, and they had good shifts with both Justin Hryckowian and Sam Steel. Wyatt Johnston and Mavrik Bourque are starting to generate some creativity together, and they looked good at times with both Hryckowian and Jason Robertson. And the two top Finns Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz are fellow countrymen and fast linemates, and they looked good with both Steel and Robertson.

That’s a long way of saying that this team is good and full of depth. The Stars have a fair share of skill and an even bigger dose of drive, and that means Gulutzan and the coaching staff have a lot of options.

“We’re excited to try a lot of different things,” Gulutzan said.

The Seguin-Duchene duo is particularly interesting. Duchene had to adjust last season because of long-term injuries to both of his linemates in Seguin and Mason Marchment, so he has reps with most of the roster. He and Seguin are both players who like to think and talk a lot, and that means the new linemate has to do the same.

“They read off of each other well and they’re always discussing things,” Gulutzan said. “When you’ve got hockey IQ like that, they can drive each other and play with anyone. These smart players, they keep re-inventing different ways to get points and goals.”

On Tuesday, Seguin had a goal and two assists in a 5-3 win over the Blues that pushed Dallas to 4-1-0 in the preseason. Johnston had a goal and an assist, Duchene had an assist, Robertson had a goal, Radek Faksa had a goal, Ilya Lyubushkin had a goal.

The Stars flexed their muscles in a game that had some challenges. In the end, they had a 30-24 advantage in shots on goal, including 13-7 in the third period. Dallas continues to control the puck, win the battle of scoring chances, and make the right play at the right time.

Captain Jamie Benn is out with a punctured lung and could miss the entire first month of the regular season while recovering. That’s a big reason the team needs to be able to exploit its depth.

“Stuff is going to change throughout the year,” Duchene said. “It hurts that Jamie went down, but it’s a great opportunity for someone else like Sammy Steel. I think there will be a lot of conversation with our unit in trying to be efficient.”

It’s a smart way to operate, especially with a new coaching staff. The more you talk, the better you are prepared. And when preparation meets opportunity, the results are usually pretty good.

Gulutzan said having a player like Steel – a former first-round pick who came through Anaheim and Minnesota – is a huge benefit in making this plan work.

“I saw him early in Anaheim, I saw him as a junior [player] in Regina, and in Minnesota I thought he played really, really well when he was on the top line,” Gulutzan said. “I see him as a Swiss Army Knife. He’s come into this league as a skill guy and adapted and found a role as a penalty killer.”

“You need those guys, and what I like about our roster is we’ve got more than one of those guys,” Gulutzan said. “We have a lot of flexibility, so we’re not worried if you have an injury to your captain.”

So far, the Stars are moving forward nicely with one preseason game remaining before the season opener on Oct. 9 in Winnipeg.

“We just have to concentrate on one game at a time,” Duchene said.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.

Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on X @MikeHeika.