Dallas’ leading point producer missed every exhibition game following foot surgery but says he is feeling great.
The success of the Stars’ preseason has been tempered by a few absences, but maybe that’s a good thing.
Leading scorer Jason Robertson missed all of the exhibition games following surgery to remove a cyst from his foot, while head coach Pete DeBoer missed five of the six exhibition games after having his appendix removed. Additionally, forward Wyatt Johnston played in only two exhibition games and missed several practices as he took maintenance days during the final weeks of camp.
As Dallas prepares for the season opener on Thursday at Nashville, there’s a chance there could be some rust to knock off in various ways. However, all the principals seem confident this week that everything will work out well.
“I feel great,” said Robertson, who had the foot surgery in July and was skating with his teammates this past week. “I’m happy to be with the guys and not by myself.”
The 25-year-old left wing has been the driving force in the team’s offense for the past three seasons. He was second in points with 79 in 2021-22 and led the team with 41 goals. In 2022-23, he had the second-best season in franchise history with 109 points (46 goals, 63 assists) and last year led the team with 80 points (29 goals, 51 assists). While Robertson missed the entire preseason in a contract dispute before his 46-goal season, he said this one will be a bit more challenging as the surgery affected his workouts while the contract dispute did not.
“I think there’s confidence knowing I have done it, but this is a little different,” Robertson said. “It’s one of the first times in my career where I didn’t have a summer to get going. I think mentally it’s good. Physically, we’ll see how it is.”
Another challenge will be the fact that Robertson’s linemate Joe Pavelski retired after last season and will be replaced on the top line by Johnston. That line, centered by Roope Hintz, is the tip of the spear for the Stars, but has not been able to work out as a trio very much.
“With guys like that, it’s pretty easy,” Johnston said. “They’re so smart. You noticed that the first time I played with them. They’re always in the right spot, and they’re always making plays. It’s on a guy like me to be able to play off them and help make them better.”
Johnston, 21, led the Stars in goal scoring last season with 32 among 65 points and then led Dallas in playoff scoring with 10 goals among 16 points. He is seen as an emerging star in the league, and there is a real belief that he can click with his new linemates.
“He’s a special, special hockey player and he has the potential to be one of the most elite players in the entire world,” said Stars assistant coach Misha Donskov. “He’s got a great brain, he’s really, really competitive. He’s one of those guys who makes other players better every time he jumps the boards. He’s versatile, he plays in every situation, he’s an outstanding teammate.”
Leave a Reply