Hey Heika: Good time for a playoff-style mailbag

Playoff time is special, especially around these parts.
Stars fans missed out on the postseason party last year and had to watch from home while Dallas went to the Stanley Cup Final in the bubble in 2020. So, getting back to full buildings and intense drama will be a blast.

Dallas and Calgary should have a great series, and what better way to start than the hockey commune that is "Hey Heika." You asked questions, I came up with answers and the discussions starts now:
What do you think the best chances for the Stars to advance are? -- @Toasterfree
Mike Heika:I'm probably influenced too much by the bubble performance, but I really think it's playing within themselves and making clutch plays at the right time. For example, the easy answer is that the team needs great goaltending, but I'm not sure that's true. Anton Khudobin's numbers in 2020 (2.68 goals-against average, .917 save percentage) were good, but not great. However, he came up with the big saves when it was most needed. Likewise, Jamie Benn had 19 points in 27 games - pretty good but not out of character. Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg stepped up to lead that run, so there do need to be standouts, but I really feel if the Stars simply play to their abilities and find a way to win a lot of close games, they could make a run.
What are your top three things that NEED to happen for the Stars to win the series vs Calgary? -- @samnestler
Heika:Hey Sam, I'd say the No. 1 need is consistent intensity. When the Stars have played hard for close to 60 minutes, they've been able to play with anybody. Second, I'd say defensive details. That's their bread and butter, and I do believe it's something that every player is capable of doing. Third, I'd say the offensive input needs to go up about 10 to 20 percent for everybody. If they can simply get a little more from Benn, Tyler Seguin, Alexander Radulov, Denis Gurianov, Radek Faksa and the like, they should have enough scoring.
Any prominent concerns you have for the Stars entering the playoffs? On the contrary, who do you have the highest performance expectations for on our team? -- @AnnieDevineTX
Heika: Hey Annie, the concern is they fall into their inconsistent ways. They've been trapped in quicksand at times this year and they end up stuck in their own end and can't get out. If they simply find a way to play in control and calm, I think that would be a huge step in the right direction. As for positives, I think the fact the top line seems to find a way to score consistently has been the biggest, pleasant surprise. I also think the fact the role players have a lot of room for improvement gives you hope that the switch will flip, and they'll start scoring again. It doesn't seem like that much of a reach to ask a lot of players to do a little bit more.
Was Radulov still hobbled after he came back, and do you see him contributing in playoffs? Such a drop off from him this season. -- @james21onetwo
Heika:I really don't think so. He's looked good physically. He's skating hard, he's intense, he seems to get in and out of tight places. He just isn't scoring the way he used to. The guess is that age has caught up at 35, but it's hard to say. The fact that he hasn't performed well means he's getting the prime ice time he used to, and that becomes a chicken and egg argument for the downturn in scoring. It's a mystery to me. He had 13 points in his 11 games last season, so this really is a shocking drop.
How do you see the lines shaping up? Who's the odd man out? -- @Rob8409316
Heika:Clearly, the top line will be Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski, and Rick Bowness said he'd like to try Benn-Seguin-Namestnikov on the second. I like that strategy. Namestnikov has looked good in the past couple of games, and I think he could be a good fit there. I'd load up with the third line being Raffl-Faksa-Glendening, but it appears the coaches are going to start with Kiviranta-Faksa-Gurianov and Raffl-Glendening-Radulov. We'll see how long that sticks.
Will beast mode Benn show up? -- @ProcrastPro
Heika:They need him to. Jamie's in an interesting place because he shows flashes of that player and he's only 32. His history is such that he's always stepped up when the intensity of the games increases, so he's probably the perfect captain for this team. Benn has 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists) in 59 playoff games, so the guess is he'll step up again.
Who do you view as the most underrated player on the team this season? Also, can you explain Jacob Peterson's lack of usage? The kid seems to be able to make things happen offensively on a starved team. -- @Jakkp0t
Heika:Reading some of the fans on Twitter, this will be a controversial pick, but I will say Ryan Suter. The 37-year-old defenseman was a bit of a wildcard after he was bought out in Minnesota and signed a four-year deal with the Stars at a cap hit of $3.65 million. But he's provided tremendous value this season, playing in all 82 games, finishing second in time on ice at 23:39, finishing third among defensemen with 32 points, and finishing second among defensemen in SAT (shot attempt differential at even strength) at plus-61. He was really a bargain, and a huge part of helping the team make the playoffs.
The Peterson stuff is confusing. Had the team performed consistently, I think Peterson would've had a chance to carve a more secure spot in the lineup, but because the entire team was inconsistent, the coaching staff was trying to make changes way too much. Peterson was easy to move in and out of the lineup because he was a rookie with low expectations. But I'm with a lot of fans who are confused by the desire to play Joel Kiviranta or Marián Studenič or Fredrik Karlstrom over Peterson. I think he adds quite a bit, especially with his scoring potential. I would've even used him more on the power play when he was in games. I do know the coaches like Kiviranta's grit and defensive ability, and that typically earns a lot of points when it comes to playing depth forwards.
As we watch this series, what should we watch for that the Stars must do to win? What must they do to shut down the Flames? -- @EarnestGdata
Heika: Like many Canadian teams, the Flames carry the weight of high expectations and a fan base that's quick to panic. They haven't had a long playoff stretch since the 2004 run to the Stanley Cup Final, and they could feel that pressure if Dallas wins one or both games in Calgary to start the series. So, I'd say a really good thing would be to find a way to win Game 1. On the Flames' side, I think calm will be huge. They have emotional players like Matthew Tkachuk, and they need to keep him focused. Coach Darryl Sutter helps a ton and adding players like Blake Coleman and Tyler Toffoli also should help a great deal for Calgary.
What are the organization's expectations for this team? They're the underdogs against Calgary, but do they expect to pull off the upset? Is the season considered a failure if it ends with a first-round exit? -- @mairican
Heika: Because the front office feels this team can be successful if it gets in as any seed, then yes, the expectation is to win. They want to win this round, the next round and all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. They honestly believe that once you get in, then the ice is even, and the best performance should be rewarded. They also believe this roster is built for the playoffs. So, all of that said, they need to win to justify that philosophy. If they go out in the first round, they'll likely look at this season as "disappointing." It won't be a failure because they made the playoffs, but it'll be a significant disappointment.
Do you think Heiskanen is held back offensively in this system or has defensive play always been more his strong suit? -- @ChrisMonteith3
Heika:No, I think his personality is such that he's a cautious player on the ice. The scouting report on him when he was drafted was that his defense was ahead of his offense, and I think that's still true. It's funny because Suter said the other day that he and Heiskanen think the game the same way. I think that's true. Now, Heiskanen has the ability to expand on his offensive skills going forward, and I think he'll do that. You can see even in the past few games that he's been playing more of a rover position. So, I do think there will be a push for him to expand his offense in the playoffs and going forward. We'll see how he adjusts to that.
How's Ben Bishop doing with the organization? Are there any talks about bringing him into an official role? -- @smeeegs
Heika:He's great. He has another year on his contract, so he'll definitely be around the team even though he won't play again. But I think he still is trying to figure out what his role in hockey might be going forward. I do believe he'd love to remain involved with the Stars, so we'll see where that goes.
Where is Blake Comeau? -- @CollErik
Heika: Comeau was assigned to the AHL early in the season, showed up, and suffered a back injury in training. He's been rehabbing in the Dallas area, and hasn't recovered to a level where he could play. His contract is up at the end of this season, and it'd be logical to assume his career might be over. But he's doing good and still spends time around the team.
Do you think if Dallas gets in a pinch these playoffs, we'll see some of the young talent called up in a "Black Ace" roll? -- @dbutler3856
Heika:Because the Texas Stars are in the playoffs, they won't be calling up players from the AHL right now. They have plenty of depth on the current roster, so I think they'll use their NHL players before calling up an AHL player. If they continue to play longer than the AHL team, then they'd call up the AHL players and might consider using them (depending on injuries).
How much do you think Robertson is going to be paid next season? With the raises needed for him and Hintz, is that the end for Klingberg as a Star? -- @wlaf29
Heika: Robertson is due a huge raise. While there is the potential for a bridge contract, the guess is his agent will want to take advantage of recent big deals that were signed. Kirill Kaprizov is 24 and signed a five-year deal that averages $9 million. Mikko Rantanen is 25 and signed a six-year deal that averages $9.25 million. My guess is Robertson's deal will average below $9 million, but not by much.
Because the Stars need new deals for Robertson ($795,000), Jake Oettinger ($925,000) and Hintz (one year left at $3.15 million), I just don't see how they can offer Klingberg a big dollar long-term deal. My guess is the Stars will try to trade the rights to Klingberg before free agency begins.
Just a straight yes/no from me today: Will Klingberg be a Dallas Star next season, yes or no? -- @KralikJuraj
Heika:No. As referenced above, it just doesn't seem financially possible. When you combine three years remaining for Benn ($9.5 million cap hit), five years remaining for Seguin ($9.85 million) and seven years remaining for Heiskanen ($8.45 million), the Stars are already committed to too much salary for the future.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heikais a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika, and listen to his podcast.