By Alexander Monaghan
President

Photo Credit: Mafue / Flickr

Maxim Lapierre and Alex Burrows of the Vancouver Canucks continue to prove that playing on the edge can be effective when it is conducted between the lines. Yes, Burrows bit Patrice Bergeron and Lapierre mocked the system but their antics, or tactics rather have irritated the Boston Bruins to the point that they find themselves within one loss of elimination.

So are they the winning formula?

This Stanley Cup winning formula, which seemingly changes every season, could be an elite goaltender, a puck-possession team, two elite centers or GMs around the League could think they need a guy like this to win games. A player who is not afraid of the physical aspects and can take a hulking presence like Milan Lucic or Zdeno Chara and neutralize them by averting their focus. Again, I am not claiming this is the winning formula, or that the Canucks will even come out on top of the series, but these players have been effective to say the very least.

But if this is the winning formula, it may be prudent to take a look at who will be available come July 1st or even via trade at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Lapierre will be a restricted free agent next season and barring any cap restrictions should be re-signed with a modest raise over his current $900 K salary. Burrows is signed through 2013 at a cap-friendly $2 million. Neither of these players are on the market, but there are several agitators on the market or presumably available via trade that could be had if a hypothetical GM feels a skater of this nature is the perfect fit.

Before Burrows and Lapierre drew this large amount of praise, Dominic Moore and Steve Downie were previously commended for their hard work below the hashmarks in addition to their ability to score the timely goal. So perhaps, even if a team already has one agitator, or super pest, they can afford to take on yet another. It should be noted that these types of players have trouble even making the NHL which creates a broader range in defining an agitator or a power forward or even an enforcer who can score.

Scott Hartnell of the Philadelphia Flyers, signed through 2013 with a $4.2 million cap hit, agitates everyone around him and creates a large presence in front of the net. However, due to his large contract and his team’s dire need for a goaltender, one of the more hated players in hockey could need to find a jersey that does not match his hair color. Hartnell can and has in the past played with elite players and would be a similar fit to Burrows on another contender if moved. Every year it seems like his name comes up in trade rumors at the demand of the Philly faithful but this could be the year he actually goes due to an increased demand in this type of skater.

If a team prefers a less expensive route, they could take a gamble at the irritating Daniel Carcillo who only made $1.075 million and should be due for a raise as another restricted free agent. One might even go so far as to say Lapierre could set his market. With the limited cap space in Philadelphia, he could be replaced by a youngster like Ben Holmstrom or Zac Rinaldo or his role could be absorbed by Jody Shelley.

One of the most infamous pests in the League, Sean Avery, could also be on the block although someone taking his full cap hit of $3.785 million would be pretty touch to pencil in. Not to mention the rest of the League also seems content on blackballing the pariah. Earlier this week he was a candidate to get bought out following an ineffective season where he struggled to get noticed on most nights.

The Pittsburgh Penguins fell out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs rather quickly this year but it was not due to the play Arron Asham, who surprisingly led the team in points. As a UFA, and apparently not a priority to sign, Asham should get a job much earlier than he did last season, when signed close to training camp. He could make a contender much deeper and likely won’t require too much more than this season’s $700 K price tag.

Ben Eager and Scott Nichol of the San Jose Sharks both enter unrestricted free agency this offseason after another disappointing season out west. Nichol, who is more of a fighter, can take valuable faceoffs while getting under the skin of the opposition and Eager has been known to get in a cheap shot or two over his stay in the League. Nevertheless, neither really would be seen as an answer unless it was a depth move, as it was in San Jose or similar to how Lapierre found his way to Vancouver. The Sharks also have Jamal Mayers to re-sign, but again he would be more of a fighter than agitator and has lost a few steps during his 13-year career.

Last offseason, the Washington Capitals acquired tough guy DJ King for a somewhat promising agitator prospect Stefan Della Rovere. The move at the time seemed for smart and a bargain since King makes close to League minimum however they quickly learned his foot speed could not keep up with the rest of the team which made him, even at a lower rate, ineffective. King would play on 16 games in a Caps uniform last season.

The line between power forward, agitator and enforcer sometimes finds itself blurred as the Averys, Patrick Kaletas, and Jarkko Ruutus of the hockey world don’t necessarily grow on trees. A guy like Steve Ott is an essential part of the core with the Dallas Stars. You either want this type of player, or you don’t. And, for now, the emergence of a once-again effective agitator should make general managers crave this type of player.

Ruutu will be an UFA but a cursory look at the guys on the market indicates that if you want this sort of player, you will have to pay which makes a player like Hartnell or Avery somewhat appealing should a contender somehow hold that much cap space. Again, my point is not that these players will be the answer, but the pesky style works on the highest of stages so why would it not increase the value of similar players?

As most people know, I am a diehard Wild fan who yes will admit has been known to drink the kool-aid from time to time, but I am also realistic too. Over this season, if you are a Wild fan or just like to watch the team you probably feel like I do: stuck on a rollercoaster that never stops, only going up and down. As frustrating as those highs and lows can be it can be just as troublesome when the GM tells the team “Win or there will be changes.”

Yes, this team is lacking in areas and here are the biggest areas that I feel need to be addressed. By no means are these going to be quick fixes but if you look around the League the top teams have “it”.

Lack of a true enforcer

The loss of Derek Boogaard and John Scott are hurting the team more than they thought it would. That case was proven when they went into Dallas last Friday and Steve Ott basically did anything that he wanted. From harassing Martin Havlat and Pierre-Marc Bouchard to literally crashing the net and running over Jose Theodore a couple times. Ott was given the first star of the game due to the fact he did anything that he wanted to and he scored a goal as well. Not having someone who could “force” him to play clean may have cost the Wild a win that night.
Yet the presence of a tough guy not only gives your team protection but also caused disruption to the game plans of others as Ott did to the Wild. Later in Boogaards time with Minnesota he learned that, whenever the team would face off with Edmonton it seem that he knew what to do to get under their skin. Big hits and constant harassment gave way to bigger plays to Koivu and Gaborik. Heading out on this West coast road trip I don’t see the next couple games being any different. There is not a single player on the Wild roster that can step up to some of the heavy weights in the West. As much as I respect Brad Staubitz he is not the kind of person that is going to keep a team in check and be a physical presence on the ice. If the Wild can find someone, anyone, to fill this roll it will give players like Havlat, PMB, Cullen, and Koivu space to make plays and score goals.

Lack of talented youth

Since the departure of Marian Gaborik the threat to score at will for this team has left with him. There is no future super star on this team at the moment that can spark to life into this team. Now that is not to say they don’t have talent on the team with Guillaume Latendresse, Bouchard, and Havlat but Latendresse is the youngest of the three and we have yet to see what he can do for a full season. Vancouver has Ryan Kesler and Colorado Paul Stastny that they both have built solid teams around, while Edmonton has two in Jordan Eberle and Taylor Hall who will bring them back to the playoffs in years to come. Minnesota has… Mikael Granlund. Who?? Exactly. Granlund is 18yrs old playing professionally in Finland drafted by the Wild last spring. Though he does have plenty of potential nobody is clamoring to get him up to the NHL level as soon as possible. Not seeing him play personally I can’t say that he won’t be a solid player in the future but it doesn’t feel like we have this next big thing waiting in the wings.

Lack of solid leadership

Yes this is a slight knock on our captain but when he gets upset that fellow Finn and BFF Antti Miettinen wasn’t going to be play on his top line you have to question him a bit. There is no doubt that everyone regards the Minnesota Wild as Mikko’s team I just don’t see him taking a solid leadership role on the ice this season and holding teammates responsible for  blown assignments or faulty play.

Maybe Jaques Lemaire did have it right, he would chose the team captain by committee. Every month he would pick the player that was stepping up and leading the team in games and practices. This team is full of savvy vets who have been on this team for years and to not see a Brunette, Koivu, Burns, or even Schultz step up and call out the team and expect more of them is ridiculous. One of these players needs to step up and take charge of the team, without solid leadership this team is going to go nowhere.

Coaching Decisions

Now this isn’t to say that Todd Richards is not a good coach or that he doesn’t know what he is doing, but with over a third of the season over with “What is he doing?”
Game after game thus far Coach Richards has not been able to make game time adjustments to help his team. Mixing lines has never been a strong suit for him but continually keeping lines together and not mixing them up is starting to do more harm than good. How often have we seen this year the Wild come out flying in the first with speed and determination only to get completely stopped in the 2nd and shutdown in the 3rd. One of his biggest decision gaffs being when he kept Niklas Backstom in net after he gave up 4 goals in the 2nd period to Colorado only to give up 2 more in the third and lost 7-4.

A big question on the Coaching is how well do the players listen and trust them? I’m pretty sure about this but when you have to bring in a Spec. Ops Army Ranger into the locker room to inspire the team you are not do a good job at it. If the players decide to quit on Richard we might as well shut down the season now, having a frustrated Owner and GM is only going to force them to make trades and fire people. Although I don’t want to see that, on the bright side we’ll probably have a high draft pick come spring.

Josh Sargent
NHLHS Minnesota Wild Correspondent
Twitter: @Josh_Sargent

Here we are, one day away from hockey games that matter, so lets spend a few minutes grading the Dallas Stars’ triumphs and failures and everything in between during the preseason.

A+

• Starting camp in Prince Edward Island- A great idea to do some team building as well as pay respects to the Great White North and the rich tradition of hockey.  The fact that it is Brad Richards and Steve Ott’s hometown was icing on the cake.
• Penalty Killing – While its just preseason, the attention to detail and extra effort the team took to improve this gaping hole from last year is definitely a step in the right direction.
• Mike Ribeiro- Ribs was a beast this preseason.  The added strength and revived attitude makes him a man on a mission this season and with Richards contract in limbo now that the ownership situation isn’t as easy as thought, Ribeiro being the player he can be is more important than ever.  Having 2 top centers is great and if a deal with Richards cannot/is not made, he’s likely gone by the trade deadline which means Ribeiro will need to to step up.  Being in the midst of a great season makes this much easier.

B

• Preseason Record- 3-2-1 is not a bad preseason record and is a better showing than the previous 2 preseasons.  One could also argue that the OT loss would have probably been a win if Kari Lehtonen had stayed in goal as he was standing on his head against the Blues, but I digress.  Overall a good showing and being cautiously optimistic about the soon-to-be-played regular season games.
• Kari Lehtonen – Kari “Chuck Norris” Lehtonen (I hope I’m not kicked in the head roundhouse style for grading anything less than A+++) had a good showing in his 2 1/2 games of action, allowing only 2 goals during the preseason along the way.  He only gets a knock for the hold-your-breath moment that he stayed out of practice for a sore groin.  Let’s hope that it was just getting back into game shape and not a precursor for things to come.
• Defense – The Stars defense ranked in the top 10 in the league for the preseason.  Improved penalty killing and a hot goalie can dramatically impact the defense.  The only knock is that the defense is still young and unproven for the most part and we need to see more of this in the regular season to get the grade higher.

C

• Offense – The Stars scored 15 goals during the preseason, which puts them at 23rd in the league in goals.  Preseason and all that aside, this team is built to score goals.  The top guys saw minimal action so its understandable.  This does indicate that the role players and bottom six are not scoring and this is definitely a need for the team to succeed.  Improvement here is very necessary.
• Backup Goaltending- Who wouldn’t want a Calder Trophy winning goalie on their team?  Wait, is that rhetorical?  The fact that Andrew Raycroft beat out Brent Krahn is not encouraging.  Both goalies didn’t have the preseason they would’ve liked and Raycroft seems to have gotten the nod due to his NHL credentials (please stop laughing, no really, please?) and experience.  However, the upside is that Raycroft is a Calder Trophy winning player.  He is capable to prove everyone wrong and channel the Calder spirit again and that would be great if he did.  However, for the preseason, the backup situation still barely passes the test.

F

• Dish Network dropping FSN - Total fail for this fiasco.  The Stars and the other teams are not at fault for this.  However, this makes the list because I’m personally affected and upset about it (yes, I’m standing on a soapbox).  This makes it 3 years that Dish Network has somehow impacted the hockey watching of the Stars faithful (Versus dispute a few years back, 20 games blacked out last year on FSN, and now this).  Thankfully my new provider will be here on opening day to install so I will not be without (stepping down from the soapbox now).
• Ownership Situation- Remember back a couple of months ago, when everyone said the Stars sale would be smoothe and nothing like the Rangers.  Yeah well, its starting to shape up to be quite the drama machine.  The fact that this wasn’t taken care of by the beginning of the season is a total failure.

Overall, the Star’s preseason was a solid B, which again (and I cannot stress this enough) was way better than the previous two seasons.  A good preseason means that the team could be poised for a strong start.  But to bring things into perspective, the Calgary Flames finished the preseason 7-0.  I kid, but lets keep the optimism in check while throwing our support to the team.  With a bit of confidence, the Stars could actually turn some heads this year.

Kevin Navarre
NHLHS Dallas Stars Correspondent
knavarre@nhlhotstove.com

It seems that a recent trend is continuing, and a certain type of player is disappearing from the National Hockey League landscape.

The true enforcer, once a prominent component in the makeup of an NHL team, is all but becoming extinct in today’s new NHL.  A few still remain but for the most part, club’s general managers have said they will go with “team toughness”.

The history

There have always been fighters in the NHL, but during the 1970′s and 1980′s, NHL enforcers enjoyed what would become their hey day in the league.

In the ’70′s, some teams even employed four or more players that could act as their team’s respective police men.  If a player on a club messed with one of your team’s skill players, there would be a certain amount of hell to pay.  Bench-clearing brawls became commonplace, and the NHL became a battle ground.  This is when the not so affectionate term “goon” was the most frequently used to describe enforcers.

But the league enacted rules, fines and suspensions concerning whoever was determined to be the first man off the bench to join a fracas, and those types of occurrences became more and more of a rarity.

In the ’80′s and 90′s, most clubs employed one true heavyweight to police their team.  Pugilists named Bob Probert, Troy Crowder, Dave Brown, Joey Kocur, and Dave Semenko kept opponents honest.  When the teams with these players came to town, there was an air of excitement that came along with them.  Games that paired clubs with premier heavyweights on opposite sides became hot tickets.

Today

George Parros of the Anaheim Ducks is a good example of one of the leftover enforcers.  At 6′ 5″ and 232 pounds, Parros is a heavyweight.  And with 13 goals, 25 points, and 694 penalty minutes over the course of 289 career NHL games, Parros’ role with the Ducks will never be questioned.

Players that are still known as enforcers, with many similarities to Parros around the league are Eric Godard (316 Games Played, 6 Goals, 15 Points, 728 Penalty Minutes) of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Derek Boogard (255 games, 2 G, 15 P, 544 PIMs) of the New York Rangers, Jody Shelley (538 games, 16 G, 49 P, 1,347 PIMs) of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Colton Orr of the Toronto Maple Leafs (327 games, 8 G, 17 P, 788 PIMs).

The “new breed”

While the new NHL enforcer is more of an “ultimate weapon” in today’s era, they have to have some skill tied into their game – more so than simply being able to drop the gloves and dance.

Sean Avery is a perfect example, and one that can be used as the definition of what the new NHL brings with their new “blood” of what was once known as an enforcer. Although his time with Dallas did not fair well, the fiesty forward has found a home, again, with the Rangers and fits in to their plans perfectly.

Avery has earned over 100 penalty minutes in any season he has appeared in more than 50 games and has not slipped below the 15 goal total during those seasons. Fantasy statistics aside, Sean Avery has helped create this new breed within the NHL.

He knows, perfectly, how to get under the skin and into the mind of his opponents while on the ice.  Time after time we have seen Avery yapping away at a player on the opposing team thus creating a stir. Although Sean may not drop the gloves as often as many fans would like to see, there truly isn’t a need for him to do so unless it is called for. Yes, his reputation may create a difficult situation and some questionable calls during a game, but Sean Avery does his job and he does it with perfection.

Dan Carcillo is another player who can be used to compare and contrast the difference between an enforcer and agitator.

Aside from his tactics on the ice, he has been able to score some clutch goals with the Flyers as well.

Although Carcillo has never put up amazing offensive numbers, he does contribute on the score sheet and we all know how much his presence on the ice means to his club. With the acquisition of Jody Shelley this off-season, Carcillo will be called upon to play more hockey and less enforcer this year. At a bright young age of 25, expect his numbers with his new role to rise offensively.

Carcillo has also been flagged, while on the ice, for infractions that come due to reputation and has been the goat of the game, but do not let that stand in the way of his true value while on the ice. Coach Laviolette will help Carcillo’s game develop, even more so now that the organization has signed Jody Shelley this off-season to take on the role of “enforcer”

Another player who has created a 180 degree turn in their game, much in part due to the way a coach helped influence him is Steve Downie, a one-time NHL outcast. With the assistance of head coach Rick Tocchet last year, Downie has been able to turn his game around finding a top six spot last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Known for his “attitude” and rugged style of play, Downie brings a complete game with him – hands to put the puck in the back of the net, and fearless in sticking up not only for himself but his teammates.

Arron Asham of the Pittsburgh Penguins played in 72 games with the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 10 goals and 24 points, while recording 126 PIMs.  Asham’s style of play will go along well with that of teammate Matt Cooke, who ended up with 15 goals, 30 points, and 106 PIMs.  Cooke is one of the most hated agitators, both with fans of opposing teams and opposing players alike.  His antics last season drove superstar Ilya Kovalckuk, then of the Atlanta Thrashers, to retaliate, uncharacteristically attacking the Pittsburgh forward.

Steve Ott of the Dallas Stars is another example of the ever-evolving breed of agitators.  Last season, he notched 22 goals and 36 points to go along with his 146 PIMs.

The Vancouver Canucks’ Alex Burrows played in all 82 games last year, scoring 35 goals, 67 points, and racking up 121 PIMs.  All the while, he was under the opposition’s skin and a thorn in a certain official’s side.  Burrows is taking the agitator role to a new level, much the same way that Brendan Shanahan and Keith Tkachuk defined the role of “power forward” back in the early to mid-1990′s.

In today’s era of hockey, there continues to be a place in the game for fighting.  The old saying of “I went to a hockey game and a boxing match broke out” may have simmered somewhat, but more often than not, there will be a scrap or two during a hockey game. Especially when you consider the heated rivalries amongst many of the clubs around the league.

There may not be bench clearing brawls anymore, but you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be one hell of a scrap when two players prepare to drop the gloves during a game. It remains a major factor in separating hockey from many, if not most of the other sports out there.

The cuts, contusions, and fisticuffs help add to the action of what is already the greatest sport on Earth.

As professional hockey continues to change and moves more towards the skill end of the spectrum, players that will be able to contribute in all ways will find their way onto NHL rosters.  With the salary cap in full force and affect, teams can no longer afford to keep one-dimensional players on board.

Dave Strehle
NHLHS Philadelphia Flyers Correspondent
dstrehle@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @PhilaDAVEia

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS New York Islanders Correspondent
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @HockeyGuy_AC

Position: Defense
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 203 lbs.
Birthday: June 13^th, 1985 – Milgrove, Ontario, Canada

Coming to the Anaheim Ducks as an unrestricted free agent on July 20^th of this year, Danny Syvret was signed to a one-year, two-way contract that will pay him $600K at the NHL level and $105K in the AHL.

A former member of the Philadelphia Flyers, Syvret notched his first career NHL goal (the Flyers’ only goal) in Philadelphia’s 2 – 1 loss to the Boston Bruins in the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

Danny Syvret’s 1st Career NHL Goal At The 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic

In 21 games for the Flyers’ during the 2009-10 season, the 25-year old Syvret  managed 2 goals and 2 assists before sustaining a severe should injury in January. The injury, a result of a hit from behind by the Dallas Stars’ Steve Ott, fully separated Syvret’s collar bone and tore ligaments. The shoulder, although completely healed now, features an ugly lump caused by the bones in the shoulder not reconnecting exactly as they should have.  Syvret would fight back from the this injury to finish the 2009-10 season in Adirondack with the Phantoms of the AHL but,  it did keep out of the Flyers’ line-up for the remainder of the season.

Danny Syvret’s 2nd Career NHL Goal

The Captain of the 2004-05, Memorial Cup winning London Knights of the OHL, Syvret already has ties to the Ducks. Both Perry brothers, Corey and Adam (recently signed to the Syracuse Crunch, the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL affiliate) were also members of that championship team and the three players have remained friends since their time together in Ontario.

Danny Syvret’s Career Stats At NHL.com

My expectations:

In my opinion, Danny has an excellent chance of securing a roster spot with the 2010-11 Anaheim Ducks.  I think his style of play and Randy Carlyle’s style of coaching are going to mesh extremely well.  I expect a hard fought, inspired training camp from him with the end result being a defensive pairing with Sheldon Brookbank or Brett Festerling as the 3^rd or 4^th line in the NHL this season.

Quotes from Danny Syvret:

On his shoulder:

“It’s strong and everything, but it looks gross.”

On training camp with the Anaheim Ducks:

“They (the Anaheim Ducks) said they will have their D set for training camp and there will be a spot or two open. That’s one of the spots I have to win in training camp. I feel like I have a good, fair crack at making the team.”

Selly Heddaeus-Robinson
NHLHS Anaheim Ducks Correspondent
SelanneGirl@NHLHotStove.com
Twitter: @SelanneGirl

Following a touching, pre-game ceremony given to honor the Finnish Flash becoming only the 18^th player to score 600 goals in his career, recently signed, Bonino notched his first goal in an Anaheim Ducks’ uniform and his first goal as a National Hockey League player. The goal came at 8:11 of the second period with a little help from line-mates Selanne and Corey Perry. It was the opening goal of the night for the Ducks and helped to carry the team to a 3 -1 win over the Dallas Stars.

Pre-game Ceremony Honoring Teemu Selanne’s 600th Career Goal – Video – 03/29/2010

Retrieving the puck from the net for the rookie was Selanne himself, who had this to say about the moment, “The first NHL goal is always so memorable. I’m very happy he got it. You can already see what kind of skills he has. He is so calm. What amazes me these days about rookies, they are so ready right away.”

After a scoreless first period, in which the Ducks led the shots by a margin of 13 to 5, Dallas’ Steve Ott was sent off on a high-sticking infraction at 6:48 of the second. This opened the door for the Ducks’ special teams and led to the netting of Bonino’s first career goal. Matt Beleskey and Steve Eminger assisted on Anaheim’s second goal of the game put in by Perry at 12:41. Just 49 seconds later Kyle Chipchura on a Lubomir Visnovsky rebound, put one past Stars’ goalkeeper,  Kari Lehtonen, to make it 3 -0. A little over a minute and a half later, Dallas’ only goal was collected by Loui Eriksson with assists to Brad Richards and James Neal. This goal would prove to be the end of the scoring for the game.

One of the better outings for the Ducks in quite some time, the team played an entire 60 minutes and chocked up a very respectable 46 shots on goal, which should be an everyday occurrence for a team with this much talent.  Curtis McElhinney and Bonino are giving us hope for the future and the defense seems to have finally found a replacement for Chris Pronger in the form of Visnovksy.

Nick Bonino Talks About His First NHL Goal – Video – 03/29/2010

My Ducks Three Stars:

3 – Curtis McElhinney – Another excellent performance between the pipes for him, 30 saves on 31 shots

2 – Teemu Selanne – 8 shots on goal and one assist definitely rates a star

1 – Nick Bonino – 4 shots on goal and his first ever NHL goal – Congratulations Nick!

Honorable Mention:

Corey Perry – Scored his 3^rd goal in 2 games (the game winner) and assisted on Bonino’s first

Kyle Chipchura – Scored his 5^th goal of the season and set a new personal record

Lubomir Visnovksy – Continues to prove he was very well worth the trade

Notes:

Jonas Hiller, who was scheduled to start in goal against the Stars, sat out with back spasms.

Ryan Getzlaf is still out nursing his injured ankle.

Teemu Selanne had 8 shots in last night’s game vs. Dallas and has 4 assists in the last 3 games.

James Wisniewski has 4 games remaining on his 8 game suspension.

The Ducks have won 6 of their last 8 home games.

With his goal and assist against Dallas, Corey Perry has equaled his highest, single-season point mark.

Next Game:

Wednesday, March 31^st vs. the Colorado Avalanche in Anaheim.

The Dallas Stars old age certainly hindered their success this year. After losing coach Dave Tippett over the off-season, the Stars will not make the playoffs this year. Their average age of 27.86 years, though not too old, ranks eleventh in the NHL.

Unlike many of the older teams, the Stars’ age appears fairly spread out. They have nearly every age represented on their 24-man roster.

Jamie Benn comes in as the youngest at age 20. Meanwhile, alternate-captain Mike Modano sits at the top of the old age ladder at 39 years old.

Starting with Benn’s analysis, he played in every Dallas game to date and registered 19 goals and 16 assists in his rookie campaign. Not bad for a 20 year old on a struggling team. He came straight from the Kelowna Rockets (Junior hockey) and succeeded rather well in the NHL.

Benn definitely had veteran leadership to lean on throughout the year. However, probably the best thing in Benn’s case: he did not have to score forty goals and take this team from the bottom to the top (as is the case with many young rookies these days).

Only two years older than Benn, James Neal ranks third on the team in points with 49. Neal, however, beat his rookie season totals and showed that he might (down the road) have the skill to take over as the leader for offense.

Yet, Brad Richards (29 years) remains the leader for the Stars as of right now. His 82 points nearly ties his career high, but he appears as the only huge offensive threat on the Stars.

Louis Eriksson (24 years) does sit in second for points, and he already set a career high with his 65 points.

Mike Ribeirio, who comes in fourth in points, suffered a dangerous throat contusion early in January. Not only did he miss games, but the Stars lost a successful 30-year old centerman, who scores big points. Suddenly his 78 points from last year because just 48 this year — and that became a huge blow for the Stars.

The captain, Brenden Morrow, thankfully did not miss too many games to injury. Unfortunately, Morrow’s offensive prowess disappeared this season.

Contrary to Morrow, Stephane Robidas managed to set career high in goals, assists, and overall points. Although, his statistics do not quite provide that punch from the defense that so many (successful) teams seem to have.

Overall, the Stars’ offense fell apart. They needed more from their forwards this season. As they simply did not score enough, their demise came earlier than many expected.

Their goaltending also struggled this season. At age 34, Marty Turco remarkable goaltending seems invisible. He settled (currently) for a 20-20-11 record. Now, yes this record can appear decent. However, a goaltender of Turco’s caliber—he went 40-19-5 not long ago—needs to perform better throughout the season.

Essentially his clock expired, and now his team with Dallas is likely over.

Yet probably the biggest mistake the front office made, the Stars did not have a goaltender to pick up Turco’s slack. Kari Lehtonen (26 years) could provide as a great back-up to Turco, or even take over for Turco, but the Stars did not even grab Lehtonen until February.

By then, the Stars were already heading down a path that they could not survive.

Offensive and goaltending issues are one thing, but the Stars experienced too many long-term injuries to key members. From Steve Ott (27 years),  Modano (39 years), to Tom Wandell (23 years) injuries to big players led their destruction.

Every age group possible seemed to suffer a serious injury for the Stars. Veteran leadership remained out of the lineup; meanwhile the youth got hurt as well.

Now Modano may already be past his prime, but he remains a veteran leader than can offer help to his younger teammates (many of whom idolized Modano growing up).

Many teams in the NHL today, especially the older teams, have seasoned veterans that raise the team average age. With the Stars, their age looks very spread out.

Their youngest player is a 20 year old while their oldest is a 39 year old; meanwhile, nearly every age in between has at least one player holding onto that birth year. That becomes a problem for a team like Dallas, who may benefit more from young players.

In the past, Dallas seemed a threat to make the playoffs. Now, the Stars seem too old and weak to make a push for a playoff spot. At this point, it is nearly impossible for the Stars to gain a post-season berth. Yet, these issues do need to go under a microscope in the off-season.

This season’s devastating fall occurred because of injuries to vital players and a lack of serious offense from more than two players. The Stars’ age definitely hurt and even kept them from playing after the regular season ends in a few weeks.

Katlyn Gambill
NHLHS Feature Writer
kgambill@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @freezethepuck

Mike Modano leads all USA born hockey players in points and goals but now mans the fourth line in Dallas. After he and Marty Turco blamed the team’s woes on agitator Sean Avery, which amongst other things led to his exodus from Dallas, the Stars have not played any better than their mediocre 10th seed standing.

Turco destroyed all hopes of a playoff seed last year with a 2.81 GAA and .898 SV%.  His 33-41 record accounted for 90 percent of the Stars’ starts.  So what did the Stars do to alleviate their problems? Nothing!

Modano finished with less than 20 goals for just the third time in his career.  His point totals represented his fourth lowest total while he did not eclipse the 30 goal mark for an eighth straight season.  The former first overall pick projects for 44 points on the season, a stark contrast from his high scoring past.

What do these two players have in common?

The need to step aside and allow the franchise to build around youngsters Tom Wandell, Loui Eriksson, James Neal, Jamie Benn and now Kari Lehtonen amongst others.

By GM Joe Nieuwendyk trading for the oft-injured Lehtonen he receives a tall, agile goaltender whose younger than the 34-year-old Turco and 29-year-old Alex Auld.  The Finnish netminder provides a cheap and hopefully reliable option going into next season.  He may not represent the answer, but going younger needed to happen.

With Modano, Turco, Jere Lehtinen and Steve Ott impending free agents, expect plenty of moves to be made in Dallas.  Stars owner Tom Hicks outright said he would cut costs this season as he attempts to sell the team leading to frequent speculation that both Turco and Mike Ribeiro will be traded.  With the emergency tracheotomy on Ribeiro, it appears more likely only Turco and perhaps Ott will move to another team.

The Stars need a transition and this is how they will start.  Although they traded a 21-year-old and former first round pick for a 26-year-old goaltender and added age, they took from a strength and in theory plugged a gaping hope.  Good job, Joe!

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Editor
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotstove

Central

• Tim Sassone of The Daily Herald writes on the success of the Sedin twins.  The Hawks face the Canucks tonight in what should be an exciting match.
• Recovering from an elbow to the face from Michael Ryder, Jacub Voracek will miss Saturday’s game.  For more injury information as well as starting goalies visit dailyfaceoff.com.
• With the Flames recent struggles the Red Wings find themselves back in playoff position. Things look up for them with the imminent return of Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Holmstrom next week and their return to a fluid puck possession style.  ”I am not worried one bit about us scoring goals,” said coach Mike Babcock.
• The Predators took an unprecedented 10 penalties leading to two powerplay goals for the Avalanche.  With the entire team’s fathers in attendance the team fell 2-1.
• Brad Boyes broke a month long goalless streak on Thursday.  ”Finally,” Boyes said. “It’s been a long time, huh?” Dan O’Neill compares his streak to the gestation period in a rabbit, pretty funny.

Northwest

• Are the Flames that same team that lost in last year’s first round? Head coach Brent Sutter shows his frustration with his team. “You look at what we’ve been through this year. There are ups and downs but, at some point, you need to figure it out. We’re at that point. It’s important that we do respond the right way. It can’t be a wishy-washy thing. Responding is the right wording for it. Actions speak louder than words. All the right things are being said but there has to be production,” said Sutter.
• The Avalanche hold on to the Division lead with an ugly win over the Predators.  ”It’s an ugly win, but it has to be an ugly win against them. They’re a tough team,” said Avs defender John-Michael Liles. The team squeaked by 2-1.
• Devan Dubnyk and the Oilers took a hard luck loss last night, falling 4-3 with less than a minute left in regulation. The rookie goaltender seemed disappointed in not locking down at least one point as James Neal potted the goal to seal the victory.
• The Wild lost the last four games, mostly due to starting the game slow. Brian Stensaas of The Star Tribune analyzes the teams first period woes.
• Ben Kuzma of The Province reports Kyle Wellwood returns to the lineup tonight.

Pacific

• Without Teemu Selanne, the Ducks powerplay continues to struggle.
• Tom Wandell recently injured his knee leaving the Stars with a gaping hole up the middle.  The team already misses Mike Ribeiro and will look at Steve Ott and Jamie Benn amongst others to fill the gap.
• LA Kings Insider with Rich Hammond runs down round three between the Kings and Red Wings.
• If Ilya Bryzgalov and the Coyotes win tonight they will surpass their win totals of two years ago.  The Russian netminder surely will break his career high of 27 wins this year.  Still Ovechkin and the Caps will not make it easy.
• Two familiar faces, Mike Grier and Craig Rivet, return to San Jose when the Sabres play the Sharks. Both players find success in Buffalo following their stints in California.

Alexander Monaghan
NHLHS Senior Writer
amonaghan@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @NHLHotStove

What does the future hold for Marty Turco and the Dallas Stars? The team continues to fall out of playoff contention, Do they begin rebuilding or do they resign the veteran and try again? At 34-years-old, one would speculate his reign in Dallas would be coming to an end.

The goaltending pipeline provides nothing.  The team drafted two NHL quality goaltenders in Dan Ellis and Mike Smith but let them go with Turco their man between the pipes.  This season, Turco’s numbers turned some heads, creating trade buzz after an admitedly dismal showing last season.

With Turco’s expiring contract and excellent career numbers, some contending team should be willing to part with prospects or picks.  This transaction would relieve the limited budget in which owner Tom Hicks forces the team to operate. In fact, rumors surrounding the team and their financial woes indicate both Turco, star center Mike Ribeiro and most likely and recently agitator Steve Ott should pack their bags.

Rumors earlier in the year indicated interest from the Philadelphia Flyers.  Both teams however shot down these rumors almost immediately.

Also, the recent play of Alex Auld fires up further speculation. Auld got his second start in a row Monday and backstopped the Stars to their second consecutive victory, beating the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, at American Airlines Center.

He wasn’t flawless, but he was consistent and steady. And that’s what the Stars need right now. If his play continues to be steady, there is still hope for a playoff birth as well as a return with shipping Turco out.

Keep in mind that the Stars are not the most gifted club in the league.  They posses future pieces but stare at a second season of playoff absence. With a team mostly filled with veterans the Stars brass need to focus more on the future and less on the now.

Brandon Worley of Defending Big D recently breached the subject of trading Turco, below shows an excerpt from his article.

This past weekend, several online publications and hockey television analysts stated that the Dallas Stars are preparing to move on without Marty Turco. Now this is hardly surprising news; the future of Turco with the Dallas Stars has been in doubt since the start of the season. Yet now it’s being reported as if this is a fact: the Dallas Stars are moving on without him.

The question now asked is: What is the value of a player with a 2.84 GAA and a .900 SV%?

The answer: The Stars need to use Turco’s history as a selling point in order to retain full value.  A second or third round pick seems fair at this point, if you consider Cristobal Huet only fetched the same two years ago.

The domino’s are then able to fall.  GM Joe Nieuwendyk has a situation. It is inevitable that Turco is with a different club come October 2010. Do not go the route of the Florida Panthers Mr. Nieuwendyk.

Anthony Curatolo
NHLHS Senior Writer
acuratolo@nhlhotstove.com
Twitter: @ACHockeyGuys