NHL EDGE stats for Dallas Stars

Johnston’s high-danger shots on goal, Harley’s midrange goals among highlights

As part of NHL.com’s 32 in 32 series, we will identify key EDGE stats for each team to preview the 2024-25 season. Today, we look at the impact of three advanced metrics for the Dallas Stars:

1. Forward Wyatt Johnston was among the NHL leaders in high-danger shots on goal (87; 96th percentile), high-danger goals (17; 93rd percentile) and midrange goals (12; 94th percentile) during the 2023-24 regular season.

Johnston, who started last season as the Stars’ third-line center, was their leading goal-scorer in the regular season (32) and playoffs (10; tied for third in NHL), and he could take on an even bigger role this season after Joe Pavelski’s retirement. Dallas was third in the NHL in high-danger goals as a team (156) during the regular season behind the Edmonton Oilers (163) and Toronto Maple Leafs (161) and ranked second in midrange goals (89) behind the Buffalo Sabres (98).

DAL@EDM WCF, Gm4: Johnston opens scoring 58 seconds into 1st

2. Center Roope Hintz ranked fourth in the NHL in speed bursts of 20 mph or faster with 403, behind Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche (717), Connor McDavid of the Oilers (457) and Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning (436) in the 2023-24 regular season.

Although the Stars offense began to feature the line of Johnston, veteran Jamie Benn and rookie Logan Stankoven down the stretch and in the postseason, the duo of Hintz and Jason Robertson is still the forward group’s primary driver of possession. Robertson led Dallas forwards in shot attempts differential (plus-292), and Hintz was second (plus-263) in the category during the regular season.

3. Defenseman Thomas Harley ranked third among NHL defensemen in midrange goals (nine) and tied for eighth at the position in midrange shots on goal (47) in the 2023-24 regular season.

Although Harley remains the No. 2 defenseman behind Miro Heiskanen, Harley was most frequently paired with Heiskanen and quietly outscored his elite teammate in goals (15 to nine) and even-strength goals (13 to seven) in the regular season. During the 2024 postseason, Harley was tied for second among defensemen in midrange shots on goal (15) behind Evan Bouchard (23) of the Oilers but was held to no goals and four assists in 19 playoff games, so his finishing ability could loom large as Dallas continues to contend for the Stanley Cup in future seasons.

More: NHL EDGE stats leaders