Stars season preview: Meet the 2019-20 opening night roster

Here come the Stars.
Ahead of Thursday's regular season opener against Boston at American Airlines Center, let's meet the forwards, defensemen and goaltenders that make up Dallas' 2019-20 opening night roster.

MORE COVERAGE: [Best of the best? That's Heiskanen's dream | Who will emerge victorious in Central Division? Our insiders debate]

Jamie Benn, LW

No.14
Age: 30
How acquired:Selected 129th overall (fifth round) in 2007 draft
2018-19 stats: 27 goals, 26 assists, plus-14 rating in 78 games
After posting 53 points last season -- Benn's lowest total in a full season since his rookie year in 2009-10 -- all signs point toward a strong, bounce-back campaign for the longtime captain.

Ben Bishop, G

No. 30
Age: 32
How acquired:Traded to Dallas from Los Angeles Kings in May 2017
2018-19 stats:1.98 GAA, .934 save percentage, seven shutouts in 46 games
Among the league's best netminders last season -- and a case could easily be made that he was thebest -- there's a good chance Bishop could be even better, and that's a scary thought for the opposition.

Andrew Cogliano, C

No. 11
Age:32
How acquired:Traded to Dallas from Anaheim Ducks in January 2019
2018-19 stats: 6 goals, 11 assists, plus-1 rating in 78 games (32 with Dallas)
Time will tell if he can return to the offensive form that saw him post 30-plus points consistently with Edmonton and Anaheim, but Cogliano can still play all three forward positions while providing valuable competitiveness that his teammates will surely feed from.

Blake Comeau, LW

No. 15
Age: 33
How acquired:Signed as unrestricted free agent in July 2018
2018-19 stats:7 goals, 11 assists, minus-7 rating in 77 games
The two-way veteran provides a physical force to the Dallas lineup.

Jason Dickinson, C

No.18
Age: 24
How acquired:Selected 29th overall (first round) in 2013 draft
2018-19 stats: 6 goals, 16 assists, plus-9 rating in 67 games
Dickinson should see increased minutes in 2019-20 and, the team hopes, more production to follow after he became a mainstay in the lineup last season, providing some memorable moments, including two overtime winners.

Justin Dowling, C

No. 37
Age:29
How acquired:Signed as free agent in March 2014
2018-19 stats: 0 goals, 1 assist, minus-4 rating in 11 games
Coming off two stints with the Stars last season -- his first NHL minutes since 2016-17 -- the hard-working forward will get a chance to prove himself with a spot on the opening night roster.

Radek Faksa, C

No.12
Age: 25
How acquired:Selected 13th overall (first round) in 2012 draft
2018-19 stats:15 goals, 15 assists, minus-3 rating in 81 games
Faksa continues to be one of the best defensive forwards in the league and could again find himself in the Selke conversation at season's end.

Taylor Fedun, D

No.42
Age: 31
How acquired: Traded to Dallas from Buffalo Sabres in November 2018
2018-19 stats:4 goals, 7 assists, plus-2 rating in 54 games
Fedun emerged as one of the Stars' best stories of 2018-19. An AHL veteran who was fighting just to see ice time with the Rochester Americans before his trade, the Princeton grad
made the most of his opportunity
as a late November fill-in for a heavily banged-up Dallas defense corps and evolved into a regular in the lineup.

Denis Gurianov, RW

No. 34
Age:22
How acquired: Selected 12th overall (first round) in 2015 draft
2018-19 stats: 1 goal, 3 assists, minus-3 rating in 21 games
Is this the season Gurianov sticks with the big club? If the speedy winger can translate his AHL numbers to the NHL (20 goals, 28 assists in 57 games with Texas last season), you bet.

Martin Hanzal, C*

No. 40
Age:32
How acquired:Signed as free agent in July 2017
2018-19 stats: 1 goal, 1 assist, minus-4 rating in 7 games
The big center missed significant time recovering from back surgery last season and is not expected to play in 2019-20.

Miro Heiskanen, D

No.4
Age: 20
How acquired: Selected third overall (first round) in 2017 draft
2018-19 stats: 12 goals, 21 assists, minus-14 rating in 82 games
The ceiling seems limitless for the young All-Star, who quickly emerged as a staple of the Dallas' blueline as a rookie and is on target to be one of the franchise's pillars for years to come.

Roope Hintz, LW

No.24
Age:22
How acquired:Selected 49th overall (second round) in 2015 draft
2018-19 stats: 9 goals, 13 assists, minus-11 rating in 58 games
Hintz broke out with five goals in the playoffs and is now firmly cemented into a top-six role.

Mattias Janmark, C

No.13
Age: 26
How acquired:Traded to Dallas from Detroit Red Wings in March 2015
2018-19 stats: 6 goals, 19 assists, minus-4 rating in 81 games
Janmark could be due for a breakout as he works to return to the form that saw him post 19 goals two seasons ago.

Stephen Johns, D*

No. 28
Age:27
How acquired:Traded to Dallas from Chicago Blackhawks in July 2015
2018-19 stats:Did not play
Johns missed all of last season recovering from post-traumatic headaches, and his future remains uncertain as he begins 2019-20 on injured reserve.

Anton Khudobin, G

No. 35
Age: 33
How acquired:Signed as free agent in July 2018
2018-19 stats: 2.57 GAA, .923 save percentage, 2 shutouts in 41 games
Khudobin provided Dallas with a stable backup option in net, helping form arguably the league's best goalie tandem with Ben Bishop.

John Klingberg, D

No.3
Age:27
How acquired:Selected 131st overall (fifth round) in 2010 draft
2018-19 stats: 10 goals, 35 assists, plus-6 rating in 64 games
Klingberg, who continues to blossom as a superstar on Dallas' blueline, should be a strong candidate for the Norris Trophy this season along with teammate Miro Heiskanen.

Esa Lindell, D

No. 23
Age:25
How acquired:Selected 74th overall (third round) in 2012 draft
2018-19 stats:11 goals, 21 assists, plus-14 rating in 82 games
No longer under the radar, Lindell enters the start of a six-year contract extension and will again be key to Dallas' blueline strength as a top-four option.

Jamie Oleksiak, D

No. 2
Age:26
How acquired:Traded to Dallas from Pittsburgh Penguins in January 2019
2018-19 stats: 4 goals, 8 assists, plus-5 rating in 57 games (21 with Dallas)
The "Big Rig" has shown to be a much improved player since his stint with the Penguins. When he played after returning to Dallas midseason, he was effective.

Joe Pavelski, C

No.16
Age:35
How acquired: Signed as free agent in July 2019
2018-19 stats: 38 goals, 26 assists, minus-4 rating in 75 games with San Jose
The former Sharks captain provides an immediate boost to the offense, and if the Stars' preseason finale was any indication of what's to come, the combination of Pavelski, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin will be downright lethal.

Corey Perry, RW

No. 10
Age:34
How acquired: Signed as free agent in July 2019
2018-19 stats:6 goals, 4 assists, minus-16 rating in 31 games with Anaheim
The former league MVP is expected to miss the start of the regular season after fracturing his foot before training camp. But Perry should provide a lift, once healthy, and is
eager to prove himself
on a one-year deal after being bought out by the Ducks in the summer.

Roman Polak, D

No. 45
Age:33
How acquired: Signed as free agent in July 2018
2018-19 stats:1 goal, 8 assists, plus-6 rating in 77 games
The veteran signed a one-year extension in the offseason and could again be a solid partner alongside Miro Heiskanen most of the season on the Stars' second pairing.

#

Alexander Radulov, RW

No.47
Age:33
How acquired: Signed as free agent in July 2017
2018-19 stats: 29 goals, 43 assists, plus-22 rating in 70 games
The energetic winger seems to get better and better with a career-best 72 points in each his first two seasons with Dallas.

Tyler Seguin, C

No. 91
Age: 27
How acquired:Traded to Dallas from Boston Bruins in July 2013
2018-19 stats: 33 goals, 47 assists, plus-17 rating in 82 games
The Stars' leading scorer is poised for a career season and should lead the way once again as he takes aim at surpassing the 40-goal mark for the first time.

#

Andrej Sekera, D

No.5
Age: 33
How acquired: Signed as free agent in July 2019
2018-19 stats: 0 goals, 4 assists, plus-3 rating in 24 games with Edmonton
In a similar position as Corey Perry -- bought out by the Oilers after missing a hefty portion of last season because of injury -- the seasoned blueliner aims for a resurgence and should give Dallas yet
another impactful option
on the back end.
\ Player on injured reserve
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Jeff Odomcovers the Stars for DallasStars.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffodom.*