2020–21 Dallas Stars season

The 2020–21 Dallas Stars season was the 54th season for National Hockey League franchise that was established on June 5, 1967, and the 28th season since the franchise relocated from Minnesota prior to the start of the 1993–94 NHL season. On December 20, 2020, the league temporarily realigned into four divisions with no conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing closure of the Canada–United States border. As a result of this realignment, the Stars remained in the Central Division this season and played games against only the other teams in their realigned division during the regular season.

2020–21 Dallas Stars
Division	5th Central
2020–21 record	23–19–14
Home record	13–7–8
Road record	10–12–6
Goals for	158
Goals against	154
Team information
General manager	Jim Nill
Coach	Rick Bowness
Captain	Jamie Benn
Alternate captains	Blake Comeau John Klingberg Esa Lindell Tyler Seguin
Arena	American Airlines Center
Minor league affiliate(s)	Texas Stars (AHL) Idaho Steelheads (ECHL)
Team leaders
Goals	Joe Pavelski (25)
Assists	John Klingberg (29)
Points	Joe Pavelski (51)
Penalty minutes	Blake Comeau (37)
Plus/minus	Joe Pavelski (+22)
Wins	Anton Khudobin (12)
Goals against average	Jake Oettinger (2.36)

The Stars experienced a COVID-19 outbreak during training camp, with 17 team members testing positive. The team's first four games were postponed. The Stars finally began the season on a high note eight days late on January 22, 2021, with a 7–0 rout of the Nashville Predators.

On May 8, the Stars were eliminated from playoff contention after the Nashville Predators defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3–1, becoming the first team since the 2014–15 Los Angeles Kings to miss the playoffs after making the Stanley Cup Finals the year prior.

Standings

Central Division

Pos	Team	GP	W	L	OTL	RW	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	y – Carolina Hurricanes	56	36	12	8	27	179	136	+43	80
2	x – Florida Panthers	56	37	14	5	26	189	153	+36	79
3	x – Tampa Bay Lightning	56	36	17	3	29	181	147	+34	75
4	x – Nashville Predators	56	31	23	2	21	156	154	+2	64
5	e – Dallas Stars	56	23	19	14	17	158	154	+4	60
6	e – Chicago Blackhawks	56	24	25	7	15	161	186	−25	55
7	e – Detroit Red Wings	56	19	27	10	17	127	171	−44	48
8	e – Columbus Blue Jackets	56	18	26	12	12	137	187	−50	48

Source: National Hockey League
Rules for classification: 1) Fewer number of games played (GP, only during regular season); 2) Greater number of regulation wins (RW); 3) Greater number of wins in regulation and overtime, excluding shootout wins (ROW); 4) Greater number of total wins, including shootouts (W); 5) Greater number of points earned in head-to-head play; if teams played an uneven number of head-to-head games, the result of the first game on the home ice of the team with the extra home game is discarded; 6) Greater goal differential (GD); 7) Greater number of goals scored (GF)
e – Eliminated from playoff contention; x – Clinched playoff spot; y – Clinched division

Schedule and results

Regular season

The regular season schedule was published on December 23, 2020.

2020–21 game log
January: 4–1–1 (Home: 4–0–0 ; Road: 0–1–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap — January 14 Dallas – Florida Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for February 22. — January 15 Dallas – Florida Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for May 3. — January 17 Dallas – Tampa Bay Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for May 5. — January 19 Dallas – Tampa Bay Postponed due to COVID-19. Rescheduled for May 7. 1 January 22 Nashville 0–7 Dallas Khudobin 4,214 1–0–0 2 2 January 24 Nashville 2–3 Dallas Khudobin 4,056 2–0–0 4 3 January 26 Detroit 1–2 Dallas OT Khudobin 4,109 3–0–0 6 4 January 28 Detroit 3–7 Dallas Oettinger 4,214 4–0–0 8 5 January 30 Dallas 1–4 Carolina Khudobin 0 4–1–0 8 6 January 31 Dallas 3–4 Carolina SO Khudobin 0 4–1–1 9
February: 2–5–3 (Home: 0–1–3 ; Road: 2–4–0) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 7 February 2 Dallas 6–3 Columbus Oettinger 0 5–1–1 11 8 February 4 Dallas 3–4 Columbus Khudobin 0 5–2–1 11 9 February 7 Chicago 2–1 Dallas OT Oettinger 4,203 5–2–2 12 10 February 9 Chicago 2–1 Dallas OT Oettinger 4,059 5–2–3 13 11 February 11 Carolina 5–3 Dallas Khudobin 3,687 5–3–3 13 12 February 13 Carolina 4–3 Dallas SO Oettinger 4,071 5–3–4 14 — February 15 Nashville – Dallas Postponed due to winter storm. Rescheduled for March 7. — February 16 Nashville – Dallas Postponed due to winter storm. Rescheduled for March 21. — February 18 Tampa Bay – Dallas Postponed due to winter storm. Rescheduled for March 2. — February 20 Tampa Bay – Dallas Postponed due to winter storm. Rescheduled for March 16. 13 February 22 Dallas 1–3 Florida Khudobin 3,510 5–4–4 14 14 February 24 Dallas 3–0 Florida Khudobin 3,324 6–4–4 16 15 February 25 Dallas 2–3 Florida Oettinger 3,844 6–5–4 16 16 February 27 Dallas 0–5 Tampa Bay Khudobin 537 6–6–4 16
March: 5–6–6 (Home: 3–5–4 ; Road: 2–1–2) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 17 March 2 Tampa Bay 2–0 Dallas Khudobin 4,067 6–7–4 16 18 March 4 Columbus 3–2 Dallas Khudobin 4,112 6–8–4 16 19 March 6 Columbus 0–5 Dallas Oettinger 4,203 7–8–4 18 20 March 7 Nashville 4–3 Dallas SO Oettinger 3,976 7–8–5 19 21 March 9 Chicago 1–6 Dallas Khudobin 4,211 8–8–5 21 22 March 11 Chicago 4–2 Dallas Khudobin 4,213 8–9–5 21 23 March 13 Dallas 3–4 Columbus OT Oettinger 4,160 8–9–6 22 24 March 14 Dallas 2–1 Columbus SO Oettinger 3,992 9–9–6 24 25 March 16 Tampa Bay 4–3 Dallas SO Oettinger 4,057 9–9–7 25 26 March 18 Dallas 2–3 Detroit Oettinger 0 9–10–7 25 27 March 20 Dallas 3–0 Detroit Khudobin 0 10–10–7 27 28 March 21 Nashville 4–3 Dallas SO Khudobin 4,011 10–10–8 28 29 March 23 Tampa Bay 2–1 Dallas Khudobin 4,103 10–11–8 28 30 March 25 Tampa Bay 3–4 Dallas Oettinger 4,187 11–11–8 30 31 March 27 Florida 4–3 Dallas OT Khudobin 4,209 11–11–9 31 32 March 28 Florida 4–1 Dallas Oettinger 4,026 11–12–9 31 33 March 30 Dallas 2–3 Nashville OT Khudobin — 11–12–10 32
April: 10–5–2 (Home: 6–1–1 ; Road: 4–4–1) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 34 April 1 Dallas 4–1 Nashville Khudobin — 12–12–10 34 35 April 3 Dallas 3–2 Carolina Oettinger 4,987 13–12–10 36 36 April 4 Dallas 0–1 Carolina Oettinger 4,987 13–13–10 36 37 April 6 Dallas 2–4 Chicago Oettinger 0 13–14–10 36 38 April 8 Dallas 5–1 Chicago Khudobin 0 14–14–10 38 39 April 10 Florida 1–4 Dallas Khudobin 4,165 15–14–10 40 40 April 11 Dallas 2–3 Nashville SO Khudobin — 15–14–11 41 41 April 13 Florida 3–2 Dallas OT Khudobin 4,199 15–14–12 42 42 April 15 Columbus 1–4 Dallas Oettinger 4,201 16–14–12 44 43 April 17 Columbus 1–5 Dallas Oettinger 5,643 17–14–12 46 44 April 19 Detroit 2–3 Dallas SO Khudobin 4,812 18–14–12 48 45 April 20 Detroit 2–5 Dallas Oettinger 5,148 19–14–12 50 46 April 22 Dallas 3–7 Detroit Oettinger 0 19–15–12 50 47 April 24 Dallas 2–1 Detroit OT Khudobin 0 20–15–12 52 48 April 26 Carolina 3–4 Dallas OT Oettinger 5,364 21–15–12 54 49 April 27 Carolina 5–1 Dallas Khudobin 6,014 21–16–12 54 50 April 29 Dallas 0–3 Tampa Bay Oettinger 4,200 21–17–12 54
May: 2–2–2 (Home: 0–0–0 ; Road: 2–2–2) # Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap 51 May 1 Dallas 0–1 Nashville OT Khudobin — 21–17–13 55 52 May 3 Dallas 4–5 Florida OT Oettinger 4,702 21–17–14 56 53 May 5 Dallas 2–6 Tampa Bay Oettinger 4,200 21–18–14 56 54 May 7 Dallas 5–2 Tampa Bay Khudobin 4,200 22–18–14 58 55 May 9 Dallas 2–4 Chicago Khudobin 3,820 22–19–14 58 56 May 10 Dallas 5–4 Chicago OT Oettinger 3,917 23–19–14 60
Legend:   Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)   Postponement

Player statistics

Skaters

Regular season

Player	GP	G	A	Pts	+/−	PIM
Joe Pavelski	56	25	26	51	22	16
Jason Robertson	51	17	28	45	13	16
Roope Hintz	41	15	28	43	13	4
John Klingberg	53	7	29	36	-15	23
Jamie Benn	52	11	24	35	13	33
Denis Gurianov	55	12	18	30	0	21
Miro Heiskanen	55	8	19	27	-9	12
Esa Lindell	56	5	11	16	11	19
Jason Dickinson	51	7	8	15	-2	18
Jamie Oleksiak	56	6	8	14	-3	35
Radek Faksa	55	6	8	14	-15	30
Blake Comeau	51	4	10	14	-13	37
Alexander Radulov	11	4	8	12	9	6
Joel Kiviranta	26	6	5	11	3	6
Andrew Cogliano	54	5	6	11	-8	24
Tanner Kero	39	3	7	10	0	6
Joel Hanley	35	0	8	8	6	2
Andrej Sekera	46	3	2	5	12	4
Ty Dellandrea	26	3	2	5	0	23
Justin Dowling	27	1	4	5	-4	6
Mark Pysyk	36	3	1	4	6	20
Joel L'Esperance	12	2	0	2	-2	2
Tyler Seguin	3	2	0	2	0	0
Rhett Gardner	28	1	1	2	-9	8
Nick Caamano	24	0	1	1	-7	17
Sami Vatanen†	9	0	0	0	1	2

Goaltenders

Regular season

Player	GP	GS	TOI	W	L	OT	GA	GAA	SA	SV%	SO	G	A	PIM
Jake Oettinger	29	24	1,605	11	8	7	63	2.36	710	.911	1	0	1	4
Anton Khudobin	32	32	1,795	12	11	7	76	2.54	799	.905	3	0	2	2

^†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Stars. Stats reflect time with the Stars only.
^‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Stars only.
Bold/italics denotes franchise record.

Draft picks

See also: List of Dallas Stars draft picks

Below are the Dallas Stars' selections at the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, which was originally scheduled for June 26–27, 2020 at the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, but was postponed on March 25, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was instead held on October 6–7, 2020, virtually via video conference call from the NHL Network studio in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Round	#	Player	Pos	Nationality	College/Junior/Club team (League)
1	30	Mavrik Bourque	C	Canada	Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)
4	123	Antonio Stranges	LW	United States	London Knights (OHL)
5	154	Daniel Ljungman	C	Sweden	Linkopings HC (SHL)
6	162	Evgeniy Oksentyuk	LW	Belarus	Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6	185	Remi Poirier	G	Canada	Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)