October is over for the Dallas Stars. They're sitting comfortably near the Central Division's top spot. They have an appointment on the world stage with the 2024 Stanley Cup champions. And this may not even be as good as it gets this season. So...what's wrong with this picture?

As we wait with bated breath for the NHL Global Series, Wes and Mark took a close look at how the Stars started the season – and whether their hot start is sustainable. In this episode, they discuss:

• • how luck has factored into the Stars' power-play resurgence,

• • the one positional lack that hampers the first unit,

• • what stickwork will do for Mavrik Bourque's ability to stick his landing in the NHL,

• • the right way to think about Oskar Bäck's skill set,

• • why the fourth line has become a difference-maker,

• • the issue with the faceoff percentage, and why time may be the only thing to fix it,

• • how the Central Division is putting the #MurderDeathKill back into the all-important competition for playoff spaces,

• • and so very much more.

Will the Dallas Stars and the Florida Panthers bring the Thunderdome to Tampere? Get your Auntie Entity GIFs ready, just in case. We’re Stargazing, and we're brought to you by BetOnline.

What’s your take on the Stars' season so far? Tell us at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. (We’re only there for you. Don’t leave us hanging.)

And please give us a rate, review or share wherever you listen. It'll be the best Halloween treat ever. We love you all.

The Dallas Stars begin their regular season today! It's the perfect time to talk about (almost) everything that could go wrong. Wes and Mark have something of a feel for adversity, and in Stargazing's annual Doomcast, they let most of their darkest thoughts roam free in the pre-Halloween hellscape.

We do have rules, sort of. We'll never include injuries to specific players in our contemplation of worst-case scenarios. But that just leaves sleep-disturbers like these at the top of the menu:

• • What happens if the entire defense rides on the ability of the right side to overachieve?

• • How do the Stars deal if it takes weeks – or months – to put together a top line that works?

• • Who's left in Cedar Park if they still can't find their scoring mojo?

• • What if Jake Oettinger has another uneven season and Casey DeSmith can't pick up the slack?

• • What if they struggle with finding a team identity, either as an offensive threat or a defensive stalwart?

• • And so very much more.

What worries you more, the penalty kill or the power play? You've all been dreading it. We're just talking about it. We're Stargazing. And you can thank BetOnline for making that possible.

What’s your biggest irrational fear for the season to come? Tell us at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. (We’re only there for you. Don’t leave us hanging.)

And please don't forget to give us a rate, review or share. It's hockey season! Live a little.

As of this posting, the Dallas Stars are 3-0 in the 2024-25 preseason. And here we were thinking Victory+ might be the best thing to come out of September.

It's a great environment for Stargazing's annual Brightside Cast, and Wes and Mark are definitely feeling it this year. In this edition, they talk about:

• • the Stars' preseason style and what it means for when the games start counting,

• • the offensive weapons at Pete DeBoer's disposal,

• • the improvement in goaltending depth,

• • the prospect of having three solid left-right pairs on the blueline,

• • oh yeah, Victory+, too!

• • and so very much more.

When you're penciling in Tyler Seguin as your third-line center, you mmmmight have a surfeit of talent. We're Stargazing, and we might just turn you into Mr. Brightside, too. Thank BetOnline for making that possible.

What's your most optimistic prediction for the season to come? Tell us in the comments, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. (We’re only there for you. Don’t leave us hanging.)

And don’t hesitate to give us a rate, review and share. We love you all.

It's September, and the Dallas Stars are back on the ice. You can almost smell the "Mr. Brightside" in the air, can't you?

Wes and Mark are firing up the Victory+ and getting ready to watch some hockey. And on the eve of the Stars' preseason opener, they have so, so, so much to share with you. In this episode, they discuss:

• • how the new contracts for Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell stack up,

• • where all the blueliners will slot in now that a Miro Heiskanen-Matt Dumba pair appears to be a thing,

• • whether it's still just fine if Lian Bichsel begins the season in Cedar Park,

• • how Pete DeBoer's line blender can extract some lemonade from Jason Robertson's preseason unavailability,

• • what it means when the Stars' offensive corps is largely settled but its deployment is in new and wide-open territory,

• • who's the best candidate to become the 13th forward,

• • and ever so much more.

Do you have a man crush on Jim Nill? It's OK to talk about it. We're Stargazing, and for us, it comes up a lot. (A lot.) And our friends at BetOnline still sponsor us. It's kind of beautiful.

How many minutes did it take for either of our hosts to drop an "I like where we're at"? Tell us in the comments, or DM us with your weird questions @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. (We’re only there for you. Don’t leave us hanging.)

And while you're here: Please don't hesitate to give us a rate, review and share. We love you all.

We made it! September is here, and as if by magic, the wait for more Dallas Stars hockey has grown ever so much shorter. It's time to start making appointments. Or setting alarms. Your choice.

Wes and Mark check the milestones up ahead and point out the landmarks you don't want to miss:

• • the Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament

• • training camp, and the stories waiting to happen,

• • the preseason schedule, and what to watch for,

• • and so much more.

How many days until Victory+ TV? Here at Stargazing, we're counting it down. And you can, too, thanks to our friends at BetOnline.

What are you most looking forward to this month? Let’s discuss it in the comments, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. (We’re only there for you. Don’t leave us hanging.)

And because these two always call it – always – here's a look at the Stars' 2024 Traverse City lineup, posted literally minutes before we sent out this episode. (Thanks, I think.)

Last thing: Please do us the favor of a rate, review and share. Let’s get ready for Stars!

Summer means fun, and fun starts with the youngsters. And as Dallas Stars fans, we're all about the kids in the team's development system. Who's ready for the big league? Who's still cooking?

Derek Neumeier, assistant director of scouting with McKeen's Hockey and longtime Friend of DBD, is back on the mic with Wes and Mark. With th 2024 NHL Draft over and training camp still on the horizon, they devoted an entire episode to Nothing But Prospects. Here's the kind of thing you'll hear:

• • which Stars prospects are the most fun to watch,

• • where Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven will start their seasons,

• • how many Stars fans might be lining up for Lian Bichsel sweaters in the near future,

• • why that extra year with the Texas Stars may have been exactly what Thomas Harley needed,

• • and much, much more.

Is Logan Stankoven still a prospect? Or not? Stargazing asks the important questions, even when nobody knows the answers. And now you can, too, thanks to our friends at BetOnline.

Do you like where we're at, development-wise? Let's discuss it in the comments, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. (We’re only there for you. Don't leave us hanging.)

If you can't get enough content on the Stars' goaltending pipeline, don't forget to pick up Taylor Baird's latest article on NHL.com.

And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. Let’s keep the Stars in summer.

The 2024 NHL Draft is over, free agency is in full swing, and the Dallas Stars are right in the thick of it. But are they making the moves that will matter next season?

NHL.com contributor and DBD editor-in-chief Taylor Baird joined Wes and Mark on the first day of silly season to sort through the Stars action. On this week's episode of Stargazing, we present a wide-ranging conversation that included topics like these:

• why a Chris Tanev deal didn't (and couldn't) happen
• • what Dallas can do with three right-handed D-men,
  • how the Matt Duchene deal fits into the plan,
  • what to make of the Casey DeSmith signing,
  • and ever so much more.

If you're fretting over fourth-line deployments, you actually may be doing pretty well. Let's go Stargazing. See if you agree. It's brought to you by our buddies at BetOnline.

For future reference, is winning the division an amateur move? Let us know at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. (We're there for you.)

And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. Let's keep the Stars in summer.

The Dallas Stars had a good postseason showing. They took down the past two Stanley Cup champions before injuries, exhaustion, and the risks of playing five defensemen caught up to them. Now it's time to think about what the summer will hold.

In our final 2024 episode of Stargazing After Dark, Wes and Mark discuss the issues that may be keeping you awake at night, too. Such as:

• • how to get Miro Heiskanen on his strong side, once and for all,

• • why not playing games you don't have to play is a pretty good way to play fewer games,

• • whether it's better to have superstars or super depth,

• • and many, many more.

We're Stargazing, and we're assuming Chris Tanev is getting a new Victory Green contract sometime in the next several weeks. Please, help us speak this into existence. We'll bring it to you with some help from our buddies at BetOnline.

What else do you hope the Stars will do during the offseason? Let us know at Defending Big D, or DM us @WesALawrence or @KETibbetts on the short app. (We only stay there for you.)

And please don’t forget to rate, review and share. It makes us so sadly happy. Really it does.