Dallas Stars’ 2020 Stanley Cup Odds Improve from +2900 to +2300

• Dallas lost in double-overtime of Game 7 to the eventual Stanley Cup champions and finished second in goals against
• Their 2020 Stanley Cup odds have improved since opening last week
• But Dallas needs to add a scoring forward and a quality top-four defenseman to be a Stanley Cup contender

Just as the start of NHL free agency is set to begin on July 1st, the Dallas Stars odds to win the Stanley Cup have improved from +2900 to +2300.

The Stars are coming off an impressive season, making it to the second-round of the playoffs, and seem to have a good foundation in place. Are they a good bet at this price or is this a pass?

2020 Stanley Cup Odds

*Odds taken 06/17/19. Click on the link in the table above to see odds for all teams. 

Stars Coming Off A Strong Season

The Stars are coming off a very successful season where they ended up losing in double overtime of Game 7 to the eventual Stanley Cup championship. The good news is that they built a foundation. After allowing just 2.44 goals per game – the second-best mark in the NHL – they’re now one of the best defensive teams in the league.

Goaltender Ben Bishop led the league in save percentage (.934) and he was second in goals-against average (1.98). With this foundation, the Stars are already within striking distance of a Stanley Cup. Do they have plenty of work to do? Of course. At the same time, this team is capable of winning the Cup next year if a lot of thing go right for them.

That’s something we wouldn’t have said about them in previous seasons.

Most Of The Cast Returns

The Stars do need to add to last year’s team but the good news is they aren’t going to lose much from the roster. Re-signing Mats Zuccarello is a priority but everyone knew when they made the trade that he could walk.

The Stars are already thin on offense – it’s their most glaring need – so if they keep Zuccarello and add someone else like Gustav Nyquist or Ryan Dzingel to their top-six forwards, they’ll be a serious contender. If they lose Zuccarello and do nothing, this team will be hard to take seriously as a contender.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTc6FQJwuoQ

At the same time, the blue line is about the same. John Klingberg, Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen form a solid top-three. The Stars need to add someone to round out the top two pairings and give Heiskanen someone reliable to play with. As of now, this is a unit that does very well in the regular season but will get overmatched in the playoffs.

Monitor Free Agency Before Placing Your Bets

The way I see the Stars is that they’re a team that’s close. Add a top-six forward and a top-four blueliner and they’ll be a Stanley Cup contender. Of course, you could say that about many teams but the Stars don’t have to add someone elite. They’re shopping for a scorer on the second line and a No. 4 defenseman; not necessarily two superstars.

My hunch is that they’ll do neither and lose Zuccarello on top of that, which makes this a pass for me. For now, I’d take a wait-and-see approach. In their current form, they’re not a Stanley Cup contender in my eyes but they’re just a couple of pieces away.