Colorado Avalanche fans rejoice as the Dallas Stars' Stanley Cup window might be officially closed

A team that had been on the brink of a championship in 2020, 2023, and 2024 was expected to finally break though this year. Instead, their season came to a familiar and frustrating end, eliminated once again by the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final for a second year in a row.

Josh Wegman from The Score writes that advancing further than 28 other teams is an impressive accomplishment, especially after knocking out powerhouses like the Colorado Avalanche and the Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets. Still, there's no sugarcoating it: the 2024-25 season has to be considered a disappointment for Dallas. This was a Stanley Cup or bust year.

Rantanen, who inked an eight-year extension upon arriving in Dallas, delivered the top-line, game-breaker the Stars had long been missing. Meanwhile, Granlund added a much-needed offensive spark to an already well-rounded forward core.

The problem moving forward? Captain Jamie Benn, along with Matt Duchene, Evgenii Dadonov, Colin Blackwell, Mikael Granlund, and Cody Ceci, are all set to become unrestricted free agents this summer. Meanwhile, Mavrik Bourque and Nils Lundkvist are restricted free agents and are expected to receive modest salary increases.

The Stars are still positioned to be a strong team moving forward. With a core that included Rantanen, Roope Hintz, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Miro Heiskanen, Thomas Harley, and Jake Oettinger, Dallas has the foundation to stay competitive for years. That said, it's difficult to see them matching the depth and balance they had in the 2024-25 season, a roster that may prove tough to replicate.

We'll see if the Avalanche can bounce back next season and take over the top spot in the Central Division.

Source:
The Score
Stars might have squandered best chance to win Stanley Cup