Backcheck
Team diagnostic
2025-26last seasonAs of Sun, Sep 20

Dallas Stars

5-on-5 · model-estimated

Stars: a balanced team (48.2% 5v5 xG) with league-average goaltending, flagged for regression (2 signals).

How to read this

This is one team through the publication's three layers. The identity row separates process — the chances a club creates and allows (, ) — from luck, which is what measures. Process predicts the future; luck predicts a correction.

Everything below follows that split: regression flags mark places where results have outrun (or trailed) the underlying play, talent tiers and the player table rank the roster by a model-estimated , and roster needs compare each position group against league average. The proxies rank things usefully but share credit with linemates — read orderings as solid and exact magnitudes as approximate.

PROCESS
chance creation and possession — xG%, Corsi. The repeatable part.
RESULT
goals, wins, special-teams conversion. What the standings see.
LUCK
PDO, finishing vs expected, GSAx — the part that mean-reverts.
GOLD/RED
regression flags: gold = watch it, red = act on it
Fine print · verbatim from the model
  • WAR / Impact are model-estimated proxies, not cap-validated
  • Roster-need gaps are ordinal — ranked correctly, magnitudes relative
Identity · balanced
48.2%
xGoals %
This team plays about even.
47.1%
Corsi %
0.03
xGF / 60
1.024
PDO
The bounces are flattering them — expect some giveback.
Strengths
  • Elite top-end talent: Jason Robertson, Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz.
Weaknesses
  • No clear soft spots flagged.
Regression watch · luck-reconciliation

PDO 1.024 — running hot at 5v5; expect negative regression.

Team finishing is +8 goals above xG — shooting luck likely to cool.

Flags mark gaps between process and result likely to move toward the mean.

Talent tiers · model impact
Elite04
  • Jason Robertson
  • Miro Heiskanen
  • Roope Hintz
  • Esa Lindell
Top04
  • Wyatt Johnston
  • Mikko Rantanen
  • Mavrik Bourque
  • Justin Hryckowian
Middle08
  • Jamie Benn
  • Michael Bunting
  • Sam Steel
  • Thomas Harley
  • Nils Lundkvist
  • Nathan Bastian
  • Adam Erne
  • Kyle Capobianco
Depth10
  • Matt Duchene
  • Tyler Seguin
  • Radek Faksa
  • Oskar Bck
  • Arttu Hyry
  • Colin Blackwell
  • Lian Bichsel
  • Alexander Petrovic
  • Ilya Lyubushkin
  • Tyler Myers
Rate-first

Special teams

Power play
0.00 xGF/60 · 28.6% SH%
8.59GF/60
Penalty kill
0.8 Kill%
6.98GA/60
Source · MoneyPuck 5-on-5 + ST splits
Team GSAx +0.0

Goaltending

Above expected
GoaltenderGP
Jake Oettinger5489.940+0.0
Casey DeSmith3090.660+0.0
Source · GSAx = xGoals − goals, computed in-app
Roster needs · ranked
01
Depth defensehigh
team 50.0 vs league 87.3
-37
02
Bottom-6 forward depthhigh
team 48.9 vs league 81.9
-33
03
Top-6 forwardhigh
team 71.4 vs league 86.1
-15
04
Top-pair defensemanhigh
team 79.2 vs league 91.5
-12

Gaps are ordinal — needs are ranked correctly; treat the magnitude as relative, not absolute.

Top players · adjusted impact
PlayerGPTOI/GP
Jason RobertsonL8215.4+87.70+5.1
Wyatt JohnstonC8215.2+64.00+3.7
Miro HeiskanenD7717.8+81.90+3.3
Mikko RantanenR6415.3+64.50+3.1
Mavrik BourqueC8213.9+73.60+2.3
Roope HintzC5312.9+75.70+2.0
Esa LindellD8217.8+76.60+2.0
Jamie BennL6011.3+56.70+1.4
Justin HryckowianC8111.2+62.70+1.4
Michael BuntingL7412.3+57.50+1.4
Schedule load · logistics

How hard is this team’s season, logistically? This grades the schedule itself — travel, rest, and clustering — separate from how good the team is.

Logistics, not talent

Schedule load

ELITE
Load index
97/ 100 · pctile vs league

The 2nd-heaviest schedule in the league84 games, 1.3 days average rest.

Total travel
48,494
road miles flown
13
Back-to-backs
2 games, 0 days off
16
3-in-4s
3 games / 4 nights
15
4-in-6s
4 games / 6 nights
5
Longest road trip
2,456 mi
Rest-days distribution
0d13
1d45
2d20
3+d5

Nights of rest before each game · 0 days = red, 3+ = green

Rest advantage

18 games with more rest than the opponent · 19 with fewer · 46 even.

Hardest stretches
  • 6 games in 9 days with 3,476 travel miles

    Apr 2Apr 10

  • 6 games in 11 days with 4,596 travel miles

    Jan 4Jan 14

  • 6 games in 11 days with 4,387 travel miles

    Mar 3Mar 13

Source · NHL schedule · arena coordinates · rest & travel model
By the Model5-on-5 aggregates · MoneyPuck* WAR / Impact are model-estimated proxies, not cap-validated