Jordie Benn, one of the 26 assigned to the Texas Stars (Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

Today, the Dallas Stars have sent 26 players to the Texas Stars and the rest to their junior teams as as the NHL looks like it will be heading into a lockout. I was hoping for no lockout but looks like we are heading into one. Here is more info about the Stars assiging players to the minors from the Dallas Morning News:

Again, these moves would have normally been made during training camp, but they need to be done before the current CBA expires on Sept. 15.

Here is the press release.

DALLAS STARS MAKE ROSTER MOVES

Frisco, TX – The Dallas Stars announced today that 26 players have been assigned to the Texas Stars, Dallas’ affiliate in the American Hockey League (AHL). The club also announced that five players have been assigned to their respective Junior club teams.

The following players have been assigned to Texas (AHL):

Jordie Benn

Tyler Beskorowany

Jack Campbell

Alex Chiasson

Jace Coyle

Brenden Dillon

Cody Eakin

Maxime Fortunus

Matt Fraser

Luke Gazdic

Scott Glennie

Tristan King

Hubert Labrie

Travis Morin

Cristopher Nilstorp

Patrik Nemeth

Jamie Oleksiak

Toby Petersen

Antoine Roussell

Colton Sceviour

Tyler Sloan

Austin Smith

Reilly Smith

Mathieu Tousignant

Tomas Vincour

Francis Wathier

The following players have been assigned to their respective Junior teams:

Radek Faksa (Kitchener – OHL)

Maxime Lagace (PEI – QMJHL))

Brett Ritchie (Niagara – OHL)

Matej Stransky (Saskatoon – WHL)

Troy Vance (Victoriaville – QMJHL)

Hopefully the NHL can come up with a deal and save the season for us the fans but for right now looks like Stars fans can see their favorite prospects in the juniors and the Texas Stars.

Ryan Garbutt, one of the  3 signed (Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

It has been another day at the office for Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk as today three players were signed to contracts. Swedish defenseman Ludwig Bystrom drafted by the Stars in the second round of the 2012 Entry Draft (43rd overall) was signed to a three year entry-level contract, his contract will start to count once Bystrom turns professional as he is only seventeen right now. Luke Gazdic was also signed to a one year two-way contract today, Gazdic is the primary tough guy in the Stars organization right now, so expect him to get the call-up when the Stars need a big physical force on the fourth line and somebody to keep players from taking liberties with other Dallas Stars. At 6’3 228 pounds he certainly would be considered one of the leagues heavyweights. Gazdic was drafted by the Stars in the 2007 Entry Draft in the sixth round and has spent his entire professional career with the Stars development teams.  The “big” deal handed out today was to Stars center Ryan Garbutt who received a two year contract to stay with the organization. The “big” part of this deal is that the contract is a one way contract. Garbutt came up in the late parts of the 2011-2012 season and with pure blue collar effort and grit won the hearts of many Stars fans. Garbutt had never played in the NHL prior to last season.

Official press release from the Stars organization:

DALLAS STARS SIGN RYAN GARBUTT, LUKE GAZDIC, AND LUDWIG BYSTROM TO CONTRACTS

 

Frisco, TX – The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has signed forward Ryan Garbutt to a two-year contract, forward Luke Gazdic to a one-year, two-way deal and defenseman Ludwig Bystrom to a three-year entry-level contract.

 

Garbutt, 26, played 20 games for the Dallas Stars last season, posting three points (2 goals, 1 assist) and 22 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound forward started the 2011-12 campaign with Dallas’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Texas Stars, where in 50 games, he posted 16 goals (fifth-most on the club) and 17 assists for 33 points (seventh on the team).

 

Prior to his professional hockey career, Garbutt spent four years with Brown University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics. He also played for Brown’s hockey club, where he posted 29 goals, 29 assists for 58 points in 116 games. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba was undrafted and was acquired by the Stars as a free agent on July 1, 2011.

 

Gazdic, 22, led the Texas Stars with 102 penalty minutes last season, and earned 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 76 games. Dallas’ sixth-round selection (172^nd overall) in the 2007 NHL Draft, the 6-foot-3, 228-pound forward has played his entire professional hockey career in Dallas’ development system.

 

Since 2008-09, Gazdic, a native of Toronto, has scored a total of 23 goals, 21 assists and 44 points in 197 games for the Texas Stars. He has also played six games with the ECHL Idaho Steelheads, where he posted two goals and one assists for three points.

Bystrom, 17, played in three different levels of hockey for MODO in the Swedish Junior League last season – posting an assist and eight penalty minutes in 20 Elite League games; 29 points (7 goals, 22 assists) and 101 PIM in 34 games at the junior level; and scoring a goal in one appearance at the Under-18 level. He added four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in eight junior league playoff games.

Bystrom was part of the Swedish team that won the silver medal at the 2012 Under-18 World Junior Championships, where he earned an assist in six games. He was ranked as the No. 8 European Skater by NHL Central Scouting prior to the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, where he was selected by Dallas in the second-round (43^rd overall). The 6-foot-0, 208-pound defenseman is a native of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden.

future of the Stars (Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

Dallas Stars free agency campaign were a big player, as General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk backed by Stars owner Tom Gaglardi certainly completely changed the look of this team with the free agent acquisitions of Jaromir Jagr and Ray Whitney and trade acquistions of Cody Eakin and Derek Roy, but how will the lines look this season, what the team might be missing, and who else might suit up in a Dallas Stars uniform this season:

Line 1: Eriksson  Benn  Jagr

After the Jagr deal was announced media members stated on a board in GM Joe Nieuwendyk’s office there was a board with these three names written on it, obviously if Jagr can do with Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn what he did with Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux last season with the Philadelphia Flyers then this line will be a big threat of size and skill.

Line 2:  Whitney  Roy  Ryder

The remaining top offensive forwards will go to the second line where in Ray Whitney and Derek Roy you have guys who like to create plays and in Michael Ryder and once again Derek Roy who like to shoot the puck. The line is also a lot more capable of handling business on the defensive end of the ice, which is why Mike Ribeiro was dealt this offseason to have a better two way threat with his centers.

(Note: the third and fourth lines are complete speculation and how I would do the lines with the players left.)

Line 3:  Morrow  Fiddler  Vincour

Vernon Fiddler, one of only two Stars to play all 82 games last season would center the third line once again, but with new linemates in captain Brenden Morrow and young Tomas Vincour. Fiddler would be looking to keep up the pesky play he brought last season and Brenden Morrow will be looking for a bounce back season and Tomas Vincour will get more ice time with this new opportunity.

Line 4: Nystrom Eakin Garbutt/Wandell

This fourth line would be a real bunch of hard-working blue collar types who will simply outwork their opponents and this way Cody Eakin is not pushed too fast and can develop into the center that Dallas wants him to be. » Continue reading “Stars Lineup: Forwards”

Ryan Garbutt, one of the 6 signed (Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

And the hits just keep on coming. Dallas announced today that they have extended qualifying offers to six players, five of whom players that we’ve had the privilege of getting to see firsthand at the Cedar Park Center. Here’s the news release from Dallas:

Frisco, TX - The Dallas Stars announced today that the club has extended qualifying offers to the following six players:

• Richard Bachman
• Jordie Benn
• Mark Fistric
• Ryan Garbutt
• Luke Gazdic
• Colton Sceviour

Angelo Esposito, Mikhail Stefanovich, Michael Neal and Jake Hauswirth did not receive qualifying offers. Teams are required to extend a one-year “qualifying offer” to any current restricted free agent by June 25 in order to receive the right of the first refusal or draft choice compensation should that respective player sign an offer sheet with another NHL club.

The qualifying offers will expire at 4 p.m. (Central Time) on Thursday, July 15. Qualifying offers fall into three categories:

1. A player whose prior year salary was equal or less than $660,000 must receive a qualifying offer of 110% of their prior year’s salary.

2. A player whose prior year salary was more than $660,000 and up to $1 million must receive a qualifying offer of 105% of their prior year’s salary (but in no event shall such qualifying offer exceed $1 million)

3. A player whose prior year salary was more than $1 million must receive a qualifying offer at 100% of their prior year’s salary. If a team does not give a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent, he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and can sign with any team with no compensation required to the player’s former club. (source: Dallas Stars Website)

It was no big surprise that the five players who spent a majority of their time over the last few years with the Texas Stars were extended qualifying offers. Bachman certainly made an impression with Dallas after he was called up, and he quickly replaced Andrew Raycroft as the NHL backup. Garbutt also caught the eye of Dallas after he was called up, and was eventually left off of the AHL’s Clear Day Roster as it was certain he would be spending the rest of the season with the NHL. Benn has been a core contributor from the blue line. The veteran play maker Sceviour deserves his shot at the NHL this year, hopefully Dallas can make him an integral part of their lineup. The 6’3 powerhouse Gazdic will undoubtedly round out Texas’ fourth line.

The only surprise was that Angelo Esposito was not made a qualifying offer. It was the opinion of many that, after Esposito got traded for Ondrej Roman last year, that Texas got the better end of that deal. Esposito registered 16 points in 38 games with Texas and quickly became a fan favorite after his arrival. But as we all know, there is a business behind the game, and Esposito was left out of this particular transaction. He may not fit into the long-term plans Dallas has for Texas. Bachman, Sceviour, Garbutt, Benn, Fistric and Gazdic have until July 15th to accept or reject their offers. It is my hope that they will all stay with the Stars organization.