Stars Captain To Undergo Major Surgery

Despite the scare, the Stars are confident that Benn will make a full recovery. He will be reevaluated in four weeks after the imminent surgery, and could return before missing too many games for Dallas. 

Benn has played his entire career with the Stars. Originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, he’s gone on to become the captain of the team and play over 1,100 regular-season contests and an additional 120 playoff games. 

The two-way forward encapsulates commitment to the puck on both ends. He’s a former Art Ross Trophy winner, after leading the league in scoring with 87 points during the 2014-2015 campaign. He’s a five-time 30-goal scorer and has eclipsed 20 tallies 11 times in his career. His best offensive season came the year after his award-winning one, when he reached 89 points. 

Under his captaincy, the Stars have ascended to the best of the best in the Western Conference. They’ve reached the conference finals in three consecutive seasons. While they haven’t been able to get over the hump and get back to the Stanley Cup Finals, they remain a contender year after year. 

Last season, Benn managed to remain productive and effective despite his role decreasing. Over 80 games, he netted 16 goals and added 33 assists for 49 points while averaging just over 15 minutes of ice time.

In the meantime, the Stars' forward depth takes a huge hit. Benn is not only a strong contributor to the offense, he's one of the best and most responsible defensive forwards on the team. He's also a reliable penalty killer, extremely physical and willing to drop the gloves if needed. That toughness and grit is a hard thing to replicate, but Dallas will have to find a way to do so with the season kicking off shortly.

If they don't, they fear the chances of falling behind early in a crowded Central Division. With five teams making the postseason last year, no one can afford to drop points early and the Stars are no different. While their captain recovers from a terrifying injury, one he should take plenty of time to recover from, the Stars will have to find another way to get off to a hot start.