Goaltending has been a much maligned issue for the Dallas Stars in recent seasons, and it’s somewhat deserved. In previous seasons, when the forward roster wasn’t depleted and the defensive core had solid puck movers, the goaltending was the weakest link on what was otherwise a solid roster.
This season, the Stars have been getting the goaltending, particularly at 5v5, that they’ve been missing previously. What they aren’t getting is the scoring or the penalty killing support.
That said, there isn’t a lot below Antti Niemi and Kari Lehtonen in the Stars system. First round pick Jack Campbell could never crack the NHL roster and was traded to the Los Angeles Kings last summer.