The one offseason move that could have fixed the Dallas Stars' biggest weakness
Photo credit: Sportsnet
The Dallas Stars entered the 2025 NHL offseason with the reputation of a team built for deep playoff runs, but also with the scars of repeated shortcomings when it mattered most, leaving many to wonder if one key area had been neglected.
They've been one of the league's most consistent contenders, reaching the Western Conference Final in three straight seasons.
Yet, the Stanley Cup has remained out of reach since 1999, and a recurring flaw has been impossible to ignore.
Even after a summer where general manager Jim Nill navigated salary cap constraints to keep Radek Faksa, Matt Duchene, and captain Jamie Benn, the one move that could have solved their biggest playoff problem never came.
Dallas Stars missed their chance to fix a lingering power play problem
For years, the Stars have seen their man-advantage vanish in the postseason.
In 2023, they went just 1-for-9 on the power play in losses to the Vegas Golden Knights.
In 2024, the issue got worse, as they went 0-for-14 against the Edmonton Oilers.
Even in 2025, where Game 1 saw them score three times on four chances, they followed it up with just two goals on 10 tries over the rest of the series, losing in five games.
During the 2024-25 regular season, they ranked only 17th in the league in power play efficiency, according to NHL.com.
There were realistic solutions.
Pius Suter, fresh off a strong year with the Vancouver Canucks, signed with the St. Louis Blues for $4.125 million per season.
His track record included solid special teams production, and as Sportsnet highlighted, he could have outperformed current second-unit options like Mavrik Bourque.
Andrew Mangiapane was another possibility, bringing proven power play scoring from his Calgary days.
The money would have required extra cap-clearing, but the impact could have been significant.
Personally, I think ignoring this hole sends Dallas into another season where the same problem might appear in May.
For a team so close to a Cup, that's a risk that feels unnecessary.
| POLL | ||
AOUT 9 | 32 ANSWERS The one offseason move that could have fixed the Dallas Stars' biggest weakness Do you think the Dallas Stars should have added a proven power play scorer this offseason? | ||
| Yes | 21 | 65.6 % |
| No | 11 | 34.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
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