Stars’ offseason focus on roster depth proves valuable in victory over Seattle Kraken

Each offseason, the Stars strive to become a deeper team.

It was a focus for GM Jim Nill and his staff ahead of last season, so they added some key forward depth to make Dallas one of the deepest-scoring teams in the NHL with eight 20-goal scorers.

When that depth dried up in the Western Conference finals against Edmonton, especially on the blue line, the Stars went out and added more this past summer.

Through three games, the Stars (3-0-0) already have seven goal-scorers and 11-point earners. Two new goal scorers — Sam Steel and Wyatt Johnston — tallied their firsts of the year to elevate Dallas to a 2-0 win over the Seattle Kraken (1-2-0) Sunday night.

“That’s what good teams have,” Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said postgame. “We’ve talked about depth here since day one. You need it in order to be an elite team in this league. It’s everything.”

But the depth wasn’t limited to scorers.

The win was Dallas’ second consecutive shutout on a home-opening back-to-back this weekend. New backup goalie Casey DeSmith recorded the 11th shutout of his career in his first start for Dallas just 24 hours after Jake Oettinger did the same Saturday night.

The Stars still have not allowed a goal on the American Airlines Center ice this season.

“What I liked about Casey’s game was just how calm he looked in the net,” DeBoer said. “He really looked like he was in control and unflappable.”

DeSmith was supported by a strong performance from the skaters in front of him, especially Dallas’ blue line, which allowed 25 shots all night. The blue line also had to flex its depth, since top-pairing defenseman Matt Dumba was ruled out with a lower-body injury he suffered against the Islanders Saturday.

Free agency acquisition Brendan Smith saw his first action of the season in Dumba’s place, fitting in seamlessly and recording three blocks and a hit in 13:07 of ice time.

All of the Stars’ scoring happened in a 13-second span. With under four minutes remaining in the first period, Steel received a pass from new linemate Colin Blackwell on the post and finished for his first goal of the season.

Off the next face-off, the Stars controlled possession, and Jamie Benn carried the puck into the offensive zone before finding Johnston with a drop pass. The Stars’ leading scorer from last season became the first Stars or North Stars player 21 years old or younger to open the season with a three-game point streak since Mike Modano in 1991-92.

Dallas held strong defensively through the next two periods, especially on the penalty kill. The Stars killed off four Kraken power plays and allowed just two shots on goal on the man advantage. Dallas had three power-play opportunities of its own but was unable to score.

“I think we’ve just put a lot of emphasis, and the guys that are killing have done a lot of talking in between each other,” Steel said. “At this time of year, if you’re detailed, you’re going to have success.”

The Stars are off to a strong undefeated start to the season during a busy stretch with five games in eight days. While their depth has carried them through, they could be even stronger when they return to the ice against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, as reigning AHL MVP Mavrik Bourque may make his season debut if he can return from injury.

“I just think this team has a lot of chemistry, and they know how to win,” DeSmith said. “This team is aways at the top of the standings, and there’s a reason for that. They just love to win, and they know how to do it.”

Find more Stars coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.