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Experts reveal which forward line duos the Dallas Stars should use this season
Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

On the latest episode of the DLLS Stars Podcast, former defenseman Craig Ludwig shared his vision for how the Dallas Stars could structure their forward lines this year.

Ludwig focused on creating stable two-man duos on each line, a more old-school philosophy, rather than forcing a rigid top-six alignment.

He suggested building around natural pairs first and then finding a complementary third player to round out each trio.

Why Craig Ludwig believes Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson should anchor a separate line from Hintz and Rantanen

When asked which duos he would build around, Ludwig explained:

"Wyatt does not have a winger that is his soulmate. I would say Hintz-Rantanen, Duchene-Seguin, Steel-Blackwell, and you go with Wyatt and Robertson."

He added that the idea of matching duos first comes from a "good old school mentality," where coaches identify which two players have natural chemistry and then add a third piece to balance the line's skill set.

This approach, Ludwig noted, could prevent Dallas from simply locking Jason Robertson onto the top line with Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen just because they are the team's biggest names.

I think this method could make the Stars more versatile, especially with Wyatt Johnston continuing to develop as one of their most important young forwards.

According to Ludwig, letting Johnston and Robertson form their own unit gives Dallas two dangerous scoring threats on separate lines rather than stacking all their firepower on one.

Fans can hear Ludwig's full breakdown on the DLLS Stars Podcast here :

It feels like the Stars' coaching staff may have to take a hard look at this strategy if they want to maximize depth and keep opponents guessing every night.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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