First Shift 🏒

As the Stars swerve down the road that is the 2024-25 season, they are learning to adjust.

Last season, the team rolled out three fantastic lines that stayed consistent for most of the year. Hintz played beside Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski, Duchene centered Seguin and Mason Marchment, and Wyatt Johnston found chemistry with Benn and either Dadonov or Logan Stankoven. It was a formula that drove opponents crazy and led to the best regular-season record in the Western Conference.

But Pavelski retired and Seguin is out 4-6 months following hip surgery, and that creates some challenges. That’s a big hit for a team that could really use some offense.

“With Seguin out of the lineup here and Joe Pavelski retired, that’s 60 goals from last year that are out, so we have to fill that void with other guys,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “Other guys have to find a way to score goals. That includes guys that have scored before getting up to the pace that they’ve been on most of their careers and some other guys that we’re counting on to stick some pucks in the net have to do that.”

Robertson has seen his points per game pace go from 0.97 to 0.68. He has previously tallied back-to-back seasons of 40-plus goals but is on pace for 19 this season. Johnston had 32 goals last season and is on pace for 16 this year. Hintz is down from .81 points per game to .63. Benn is on pace for 16 goals in 82 games, that would be the lowest goals per game total of his 16-year career.

So how do the Stars snap out of it?

Well, getting the power play would be a good start.

And getting some line chemistry going would be another.

Bottom line, they have to fight through this.

“We’ve got to find a way, it’s as simple as that,” said Duchene, who is leading the team in scoring. “Whether it’s making adjustments tactically or just getting some swagger in our game. One of the toughest things to do in hockey is to have confidence or swagger when you’re not getting results, and we’ve got to find a way to find that.”

Asked how the team could do that, Duchene said, “For me, you’ve got to enjoy playing the game. I think you’ve got to stick with it and not get frustrated.”

The Stars on Wednesday got goals from Sam Steel, Dadonov and Colin Blackwell, and that’s a great sign. If the depth scoring can chip in, it helps feed the top scorers.

“I think whenever you can put one in, you get a little more pep in your step,” said Steel. “We know there are certain things we are doing when we’re scoring, so we’ve got to try to get back to those habits.”

And that seems the way the team has to do it. It’s how they did it last year, too.

“We don’t have Connor McDavid, or that type of player,” DeBoer said earlier in the season. “Our strength is in our depth, and we have to use that.”

A seventh-round draft pick of Dallas on April 27, former Auburn defensive tackle Justin Rogers is back with the Cowboys after spending the first 15 weeks of the 2024 NFL season with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Dallas signed Rogers from the Bengals’ practice squad, the NFL team announced on Thursday, putting him line to make his NFL debut with the Cowboys during the final three weeks of the season.

“Been keeping an eye on him,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said at his Thursday press conference. “Fortunate to have the opportunity to bring him back. We still consider him one of ours. …

“Obviously, we thought enough of him to draft him, so it’ll be great to get him back into the mix.”

The Cowboys released Rogers when they reduced their preseason roster to the regular-season limit of 53 active players, and he joined Cincinnati’s practice squad for the 2024 season.

Although each NFL team can elevate two practice-squad members to active status for each game, Rogers has not played this season.

Rogers fills the roster vacancy created when linebacker DeMarvion Overshown went to injured reserve with a knee injury.

The Cowboys play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 7:20 p.m. CST Sunday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

On3 Industry Five-star Tampa Bay (Fla.) Tech wide receiver and Oregon Ducks signee Dallas Wilson is expected to request a release from his Oregon financial affidavit and sign with the Florida Gators, according to a report from Zach Abolverdi.

Abolverdi’s report states that Oregon has until Thursday to respond to his request.

Wilson signed with the Ducks to play for Dan Lanning on December 4 after Florida made a strong push late in his recruitment, hosting him on campus for a late unofficial visit. The coveted pass catcher had been committed to Oregon since January 17, 2023.

Wilson is rated a five-star (97.09 per On3 Industry) prospect. He’s ranked the No. 19 player nationally, the No. wide receiver and the No. 3 player in Florida. As a senior in 2024 he caught 41 passes for 677 yards and 9 touchdowns (according to MaxPreps).

The Florida native was one of three wide receivers to sign with Oregon in the 2025 recruiting class, along with five-star+ plus Duncanville (Tex.) wide receiver Dakorien Moore and four-star Scottsdale (Ariz.) Notre Dame Preparatory wide receiver Cooper Perry.

Oregon is expected to lose wide receivers Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden following the 2024 season. Junior wide receiver Evan Stewart could declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, which would create a larger need at the position for Junior Adams and the Ducks.

Dallas Wilson Highlights