Playoff Preview: The D in Dallas

5 months ago  /  Mile High Hockey  /  Read Time: 3 minutes 4 seconds

Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images


Let’s take a look at Texas and their defenseman. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars are set for their second-round showdown, and the puck will drop in Dallas tomorrow night. Let's examine what the Stars bring to the table on the back end to determine which team holds the advantage.

Thomas Harley — Miro Heiskanen
Esa Lindell — Chris Tanev
Ryan Sutter — Nils Lundqvist

MIRO’S PAIR
Dallas is among the few teams that might have d-core to match up with Colorado's. Miro Heiskanen and Thomas Harley are among the league's best and up-and-coming defenders and can exit the zone and create offensive opportunities. Heiskanen has been known to fill that stat sheet offensively at a decent rate, with 45 assists and nine goals. Dallas' third overall pick back in 2017 has grown into quite a defender and is Dallas' stalwart defenseman. I picked up on game speed while watching the Star's first-round matchup with the Golden Knights. Dallas is built to capitalize on their opposition's mistakes by being smooth and lightning-fast in transition—a familiar concept around here.
Harley is quickly proving himself as an NHLer, and his presence on the top pair with Miro suggests Pete Deboer has plenty of confidence in the 22-year-old from Syracuse, NY. He's a young defender who can score, having been elevated from the second group in the second half of the season. It's still Miro's pair, but Thomas promises to be the next great defender in Big D.

DEPTH IN D
Dallas wasn't risking a shallow core and moved at the deadline to shore things up by adding Chris Tanev from the Calgary Flames. His presence gives Dallas a competitive advantage over most squads in the NHL as he's paired up with Esa Lindell, who has brought his prolific scoring in juniors to the big leagues. However, He hasn't found the score sheet in these playoffs—something to keep an eye on.
Returning to Tanev, he was very noticeable in the Vegas series, mostly helping Dallas limit offensive zone time for the Golden Knights. He's sneaky when it comes to exiting his end with poise. I'd personally consider that his 'bread and butter.'

SUTTER'S PAIR
Yes, Ryan Suter, formerly of the Minnesota Wild, plays LD for Dallas in their third defensive pairing. We all know the story of his infamous buy-out and subsequent departure from Minny, but how has his game changed since his time in the Twin Cities? Well, for starters, he's no longer getting the same amount of ice time, but things have worked out well for him in Dallas, much to the chagrin of Wild fans. He had an assist in consecutive contests in the Vegas series and has shown up when it matters most.
As for Nils Lundqvist, Jim Nill rolled the dice when he swapped a first-round pick for Nils, and in my opinion, the house won. Lundqvist has made headlines and soundbites for all the wrong reasons this season, namely when his coach criticized his all-too-frequent visits to the sin bin. He became all but expendable with the addition of Chris Tanev, and his development (or lack thereof) has caused some unrest, but what team doesn't agonize over their sixth and seventh defender? Colorado would do well to test Nils' discipline and stake while the iron is hot on any man advantage.

Advantage Avalanche
I'm sorry, but my burgundy-tinted spectacles won't allow me to give an advantage to anyone opposing Colorado's blue line. I said it before the first round, and I'll repeat it now: Colorado is sporting what would be Team Canada's top pair. Heiskanen would be Finland's best defenseman, but I doubt Harley would even make the US team at this point in his career—maybe a few years down the line.
Going further down the head-to-head, Sam Girard is quietly having his best season as a professional, adding a bit of sandpaper to his already stellar skating acumen. Josh Manson had his struggles early against Winnipeg, but outside of a few glaring and costly mistakes, he was as good as we've seen him since the 2022 Cup run.
Sean Walker wasn't as impactful or noticeable as in the regular season, but he can skate with the big boys and keenly understands what Bednar expects from his defenders. Jack Johnson is your prototypical sixth defender and a valuable veteran presence with more than a few playoff appearances already.
As I mentioned in the introduction, Dallas comes close to matching up with Colorado's defenseman. Still, the Avalanche are in good hands with Cale Makar and Devon Toews manning the helm—legendary, record-setting, and future hall-of-fame hands.
Let us know what you think of the matchup in the comments!...

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