2020–21 Dallas Stars 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 Joe Pavelski
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 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.

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

Divisional 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

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

Draft picks

See also: List of Dallas Stars draft picksBelow 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	USA	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)