Prior to puck drop of yesterday’s game between the Dallas Stars and the Columbus Blue Jackets the Dallas Stars announced that they had made a trade. The Dallas Stars acquired veteran forward Erik Cole in exchange for last season’s leading goal man Michael Ryder and Dallas’ third round pick in the 2013 NHL entry draft.  This came as a shock to many Stars’ fans as the move just came all of a sudden. Prior to the trade, Michael Ryder still has an active six game point streak, looks to have found some chemistry with young center Cody Eakin and had just come off a three assist game the previous night against the Nashville Predators.

Dallas Stars General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk didn’t make the trade for absolutely no reason, or just to upset Stars fans.  When asked about the trade here is what Joe Nieuwendyk had to say:

“It’s a deal that makes sense for us because (Cole) has a little more size and strength to compete in the West,” said Nieuwendyk. “He’s a big guy with experience who has a lot of power to his game. The fact that he has this year, plus two years remaining on his contract is a little security for us.”

With this there are still a lot of questions to be answered, but in a trade you always have to let things play out a bit before judging, so instead for this post we will look at a few reasons why Dallas did make the trade.

Like Nieuwendyk said in the interview, Dallas will have Cole for this season and the next two at a cap hit of 4.5 million. Michael Ryder was making 3.5 million and was set to become a free agent where he would most likely receive more money from a team looking for more scoring.

Last season Michael Ryder scored 62 points for the Stars (35g, 27a), but was mostly a one dimensional player as his play in the defensive zone was questionable at times. Erik Cole scored 61 points for Montreal last season (35g, 26a) and can play all situations. So the Stars don’t lose the production but gain a player who can play solid two-way hockey. Cole is bigger, stronger, and analysts still say he can skate, and while Michael Ryder certainly didn’t have blazing speed he made up for it with his shot, something that Erik Cole possesses as well.

Michael Ryder won a cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011 so he has playoff experience, but as does Erik Cole as he along with Ray Whitney won in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Stars also gave up their third round pick in the 2013 entry draft, but Dallas had three picks in the third round this year as they gained one from the Nicklas Grossmann deal from Philadelphia last season, and gained one from the Edmonton Oilers prior to the season beginning when the Stars dealt Mark Fistric. So even though Joe Nieuwendyk isn’t really a GM who shops draft picks he felt that this one could be sacrificed to bring Erik Cole to Dallas. And since Michael Ryder might not return to Montreal next season, the third ensures that they don’t completely lose on Ryder who might just be a rental player for the remainder of the season for them.

So in closing this looks like one of those trades where time will tell who exactly got the better end of the deal here, or maybe just one of those deals where in the end everybody wins.

Photo:AP Photo/John F. Rhodes

It was gonna be a tough game for the Dallas Stars coming in as top six forwards Jaromir Jagr and Derek Roy were both out of the lineup tonight with injuries. Tomas Vincour and Colton Sceviour were recalled from the Texas Stars and made their season debuts tonight along with defenseman Aaron Rome. Cristopher Nilstorp made his second start after an impressive first game against Minnesota last Sunday, but it wasn’t enough as defensive zone problems piled up on the Stars as they lost to the Blues.

With the injuries Head Coach Glen Gulutzan had to come up with new forward and defensive lines.

1. Eriksson Wandell Smith
2. Whitney  Eakin  Ryder
3. Nystrom  Fiddler  Vincour
4. Morrow  Garbutt  Sceviour

And Defensive Lines

1. Robidas  Goligoski
2. Daley  Rome
3. Dillon  Benn

First Period

The first period was a bit of a slow start for the Stars as the new forward lines were looking for chemistry and the physical tone was set early by the Blues. The first goal of the game went to the Blues at the 5:31 mark as Wade Redden took a slapshot from the right point that went past a screened Cristopher Nilstorp after Brenden Morrow lost a puck battle to Vladimir Sobotka behind the Dallas net. Dallas quickly answered though, at the 5:57 mark Tomas Vincour shot the puck point blank on St. Louis goalie Jaroslav Halak after Dallas forwards Eric Nystrom and Vernon Fiddler won a puck battle behind the St. Louis net. The next five minutes of the period became a skating game as all four lines and all three defensive pairs saw ice time for both teams until a little bit past the midway point of the period as the first penalty of the game was called against St. Louis rookie Vladimir Tarasenko. The powerplay was an effective one as bad turnovers by the Blues led to a Stars powerplay goal by Michael Ryder at the 12:40 mark, his third of the season and 200th of his career. After the Ryder goal the Stars spent most of the remaining time in the first on the penalty kill against a Blues powerplay ranked number one in the NHL as Reilly Smith took a hooking minor which was killed off, shortly followed by a slashing minor taken by Tomas Vincour which also was killed off. Dallas took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Second Period

The Stars started the period on the powerplay as Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka took a tripping minor in the dying seconds of the first. The Blues killed the penalty and then took control of the puck possession in the period as they dominated the Stars in the second in what turned into a period to forget for many Stars especially defenseman Trevor Daley and the Dallas Stars’ fourth line. At the 10:51 mark of the period David Perron finished off a one man effort with a highlight reel worthy goal after avoiding a check from Aaron Rome and going around the Dallas net and dancing past Trevor Daley, then shooting the puck past a screened Nilstorp tying the game 2-2. At the 16:32 mark the Blues struck again as Chris Stewart beat Brenden Morrow on a cross crease pass by Patrik Berglund and put the Blues up 3-2. The goal came as a result of a defensive zone turnover by Trevor Daley. The Blues scored once again with just sixteen seconds left on the clock as a failed clear attempt by Trevor Daley found the stick of Vladimir Tarasenko who passed to David Perron and scored his second goal of the game ending the period with the Blues up 4-2.

Third Period

The period opened with the Stars looking to establish some offense, but really couldn’t get anything going until the first shift for the fourth line. Colton Sceviour intercepted a pass from Wade Redden and put the puck deep in the St. Louis zone and Brenden Morrow put on a one man forecheck out hustling Blues’ Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and passing the puck in front of the net to a open Ryan Garbutt who tapped the puck behind Jaroslav Halak and cut the Blues lead to one as the score was now 4-3 at the 2:24 mark of the third period. About five minutes into the third period Stars fans began to notice Cristopher Nilstorp grimacing in pain and Kari Lehtonen beginning to stretch on the Dallas Stars’ bench as Nilstorp was fighting to play through some sort of injury. Nilstorp continued to play through the injury until the 12:19 mark of the third when during the television timeout, Dallas Stars’ head coach Glen Gulutzan pulled the injured Nilstorp in favor of Kari Lehtonen. Lehtonen was tested early by David Perron and David Backes but only faced three shots and stopped all three. The rest of the period was Dallas trying to tie the game. Dallas made many attempts on Jaroslav Halak including Ray Whitney who hit the post, but the Stars were unable to score a goal and lose to the St. Louis Blues 4-3.

Game Extras

• Glen Gulutzan announced after the game that goalie Cristopher Nilstorp had “tweaked his groin”
• Jaromir Jagr missed Saturday’s game with a back injury and Derek Roy missed with a groin injury. Both are considered day-to-day
• Tonight’s announced attendance was 17,131
• Trevor Daley by far had one of the worst nights of his career as he was a -4 in the game vs the Blues
• The Blues came into tonight’s game with the number one powerplay in the NHL, but the Stars killed off all three St. Louis powerplays.
• Three Stars of the Game chosen by John Franchina of the Associated Press: 1. David Perron 2. Chris Stewart 3. Ryan Garbutt
• Stars next game will come Monday as they travel to Columbus to face off against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Puck drop at 6:00 p.m.

Photo by: Warren Wimmer/Icon SMI

It was the home opener for the Detroit Red Wings as they welcomed the 1-1-0  Dallas Stars to the Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings defeated the Stars in all four meetings last year and many of them were blowouts. Detroit was on the second night of a back to back, as they played the Columbus Blue Jackets Monday night and defeated them in overtime.

First Period

The first period opened up as a skating match between the two teams as Detroit looked rejuvenated even though they had just went to a shootout last night against the Blue Jackets. Both teams were creating great offensive chances in each zone, but goaltenders Kari Lehtonen and Jimmy Howard let the fans know tonight would be a goaltenders’ duel. At the 5:41 mark of the first period Michael Ryder found some room open in the top of the slot and fired a wrist shot past Red Wing goalie Jimmy Howard. The puck at first looked like it was tipped by defenseman Trevor Daley, but replay showed that it missed Daley’s stick, assist on the goal went to Brenden Morrow and primary assist to new second line centerman Cody Eakin. The period continued on as the Stars and Red Wings continued to trade offensive chances. At the 14:45 mark of the first, Stars defeneseman Brenden Dillon took an interference minor and gave Detroit their first powerplay opportunity of the game. The Stars were able to kill off the penalty and the period later ended with the Stars ahead 1-0.

Second Period

No goals were scored in the second period, but Dallas really put the pressure on Detroit. Detroit forwards Kyle Quincy and Damien Brunner took early period minors that gave the Stars almost four consecutive minutes of power play time. Jimmy Howard had an answer for every Dallas shot, but forwards from the first two lines put lots of shots on net as the Stars outshot the Red Wings in the second period 17-7. Through two periods the Stars were outshooting the Red Wings 26-20 and winning 1-0.

Third Period

Dallas looked to put the game away in the third period. At the 5:34 mark of the third Michael Ryder got his second goal of the game as the second line set Ryder up for a great shot including primary assist to Ray Whitney and secondary assist to Cody Eakin. After the Ryder goal the Stars had one more premium chance to score as Reilly Smith almost netted his first NHL goal, but from the second Ryder goal until the end of the game it was all Detroit in the final frame as they peppered Kari Lehtonen with twenty third period shots and ending the game with a total of 40 shots on goal. Kari Lehtonen had an answer for all but one as Detroit rookie Damien Brunner scored on Lehtonen with three seconds left in the game. The Dallas Stars defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-1.

Game Extras

• Mentioned earlier Cody Eakin took over the second line center position switching with Tom Wandell who was moved to the fourth line.
• Dallas first line of Eriksson, Roy and Jagr who combined for two shots last game against Minnesota combined for fourteen shots on goal tonight as they were very active in the offensive zone.
• Dallas Stars forward Reilly Smith faced off, against his older brother Brendan Smith who is a defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings
• One reason for Dallas missing the postseason in 2012 was allowing too many shots on goal. Kari Lehtonen in both of his starts has faced at least 40 shots on goal.
• Official three stars of the game: 1. Kari Lehtonen 2. Michael Ryder 3. Jimmy Howard
• The Stars next game will be Thursday in Dallas against the Chicago Blackhawks puckdrop at 7:30

Benn and Ryder Giggling (Photo: Melissa Grissom)

An NHL lockout has not only knocked out the Dallas Stars but also made them lose the month of game for October and November.  A total of 22 games have been lost so far and many fans are wondering if they are going to see their big brightest stars play in Big D. Many fans wanted to see Jamie Benn grow into the player he was last year and see if Michael Ryder can live up to the expectations of his career high season last year. Many fans wanted to see Jaromir Jagr do his salute for the fans after he scores a goal while others wanted to see that Ray Whitney do his famous “Where’s Whitney” interviews. They also wanted to see if this team, their Stars, try and make the playoffs for the first time since 2008 when they had their magical run to the Western Conference. Their  journey was then ended by the Detroit Red Wings as they lost their series 4 games 2. After that they saw their team not make the playoffs. I know that fans are mad that the NHL season is currently locking out their favorite teams but there are other opportunities to see your players.

» Continue reading “Stars And The NHL Lockout”

(Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

There was a lot of activity in Dallas during the free agency period. Several players departed Dallas to enjoy their careers elsewhere, but a few players headed to Dallas to pull on a Stars jersey.

GM  Joe Nieuwendyk surprised a lot of Dallas Stars fans as well as a lot of fans across the NHL in early July. He managed to work some magic and bring Czech legend Jaromir Jagr to Texas. The deal was announced on July 3^rd 2012, and was worth a reported $4.5million.

I am really hoping that a deal is made and the lockout won’t occur. Jagr is on a one-year deal and the 2012/13 could be the only chance to see him in a Stars shirt. He will also be massive to the hopeful success on the ice. I expect him to form a formidable first line alongside Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson. Jagr is superb at puck distribution, and if Jamie and Loui can get themselves in the right positions, we could see a lot of goals from this line. Jagr has a massive 988 assists in the NHL, he will certainly develop the game of his peers.

Another big addition for the Stars was center man Derek Roy. He was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in a trade involving Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. It is as simple as this: Roy was acquired to be a top 6 forward and replace Mike Ribeiro who departed to the Washington Capitals.

The Ottawa native will bring a lot to Dallas. With over 500 games to his name, the 29-year-old brings a lot of experience, and also has the ability to be a relatively big points scorer, scoring 60+ points on 4 occasions.

Another asset of his game is the crucial one for me, and this is his ability to perform on the power play. The Stars’ power play was average at best last season. It lacked structure and rhythm, managing to score just 33 goals throughout the season. I am hoping that this is an area of the game that they will be working hard on in training camp. Roy will be an integral part of this, and if the power play can get going, the team will benefit with positive results.

The third big addition was of Ray Whitney from the Phoenix Coyotes. He is another experienced player and a points scorer as well. This is a great addition for Dallas. He has well over 1000 appearances in the NHL and over 1000 points. He is getting on a bit, aged 40, but he is still a great hockey player.

I think that Whitney will help form the second line alongside Michael Ryder and Derek Roy. These guys might take a bit of time to gel, but if they get going I think they will bring the best out of each other. The Stars lacked depth last season, and a lot of scoring was done by the first line. 2012/13 will be different, the second line will take a lot of pressure off of the first line, and should benefit the team as a whole.

With other new recruits including Cody Eakin and Aaron Rome, and some promising draft picks, the Stars are starting to look like a decent outfit for next season!

Loui Eriksson (Photo: Bridget Samuels/Flickr)

Loui Eriksson can now be seen as one of Dallas’ more experienced forwards. He has 453 appearances for the franchise, recording an impressive 328 points in the process. This guy is a massive talent.

The 2011/12 campaign was another decent one for Loui, as he showed his puck distribution skills by tallying 45 assists on his way to 71 points. He yet again displayed his consistency, as he will guarantee you 60+ points a year. What can we expect from Loui next season?

I am predicting a big year for Loui. A potential first line of Eriksson-Benn-Jagr is one of the best you will find in the league, and one that looks very exciting. Jaromir Jagr  will use his experience to bring the best out of both Loui Eriksson and Jamie Benn, and we could see some fireworks from these guys.

Jagr is traditionally known for setting up goals rather than scoring them. Being one of the best in the business at it, I think Loui could see his goal tally’s rise in 2012/13 from playing alongside the legendary Czech. Jagr has sublime vision and puck distribution, if Loui exploits this by getting himself into good positions in the offensive zone, he could record some pretty big numbers next season.

One of Loui’s best assets is his ability to stay out of the penalty box and keep his talents on the ice. He picks up the odd penalty here or there but they are always accidental rather than intentional. Don’t expect this to change next season, as keeping his line at full strength as much as possible is crucial.

The new recruits of Ray Whitney and Derek Roy could work in favour of Loui. In recent seasons, the Stars have lacked depth in scoring. Whitney and Roy, along with Michael Ryder, should add a lot more scoring options. This will take a lot of pressure off of Loui’s shoulders and should allow him to play his own game more.

So, with potential new line mates and some more scoring depth, expect Loui to tally some big numbers on offense in 2012/13!

In this youtube video, Loui Eriksson helps the puck cross the line, batting it just below the crossbar for a 3-1 Stars lead.

(Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

NHL 13 is the new hockey video game created and published by Electronic Arts in their sports division. Electronic Arts is also responsible for such video games as The Sims franchise and the legendary Madden franchise. NHL has come a long way in developing its hockey series including new things each year like Winter Classic Mode or the use of NHL legends which were new features in NHL 12, or the constant work they put into their already successful modes such as the EASHL (Electronic Arts Sports Hockey League) which is an online mode in which players ”create a pro” and through playing online games build their players attributes from rookie to legend status, or HUT (Hockey Ultimate Team) which is a league in which players create the ultimate team through the use of hockey cards starting off with a bunch of players not really heard of around the world and then working to build the ultimate team.

Earlier this week the team and player ratings for NHL 13 were released and including a statement from EA saying that they have changed their system of rating players. In NHL 12 players attributes and overalls were considered by their playing style so many times tough guys had higher overalls than a two-way forward or grinders, but that didn’t mean they were a better player. For example George Parros in NHL 12 had an overall of 82 as a tough guy and Alex Goligoski’s overall was 83. That doesn’t mean that George Parros is just as good as Goligoski, but as a tough guy he is 83 overall not as a general hockey player. For NHL 13 they have based the overalls on the players skills overall and not by what type of player they are, so for starters this season George Parros will have a rating of 69. Below we will look at the Dallas Stars’ updated team rating and player ratings from the end of NHL 12 and the starting ones for NHL 13

» Continue reading “NHL 13 Dallas Stars Team and Player Ratings”

Stars shining bright (Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

Times were hard in Dallas at the end of last season, as the Dallas Stars failed to clinch a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive season. However, with Tom Gaglardi at the helm, Joe Niuwendyk was assured that he would be provided with the funds to bring in some much needed talent over the course of the off-season.

GM Joe spent his money wisely. Not only has he brought in 3 forwards through free agency, but he has brought in 3 elite forwards in the form of Derek Roy, Ray Whitney and Jaramir Jagr. In my opinion, these 3 additions have made the Stars a genuine title contending team.

Why have they turned into a title contending team all of a sudden? Well, take a look at the first 2 lines. A first line of Loui Eriksson-Jamie Benn-Jaromir Jagr  is full of talent, skill and goals. On paper, it looks like one of the best in the league, and if these guys fire on all cylinders, we should expect big things from the boys.

A second line of Ray Whitney-Derek Roy- Michael Ryder looks a devastating one on paper. Whitney arrived from Phoenix, being arguably their best player, and Roy arrived from Buffalo in return for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. These 3 guys will form a brand new second line, which may take some time to gel, but I think they will play a pivotal offensive role throughout the season.

With lines 3 and 4 containing some offense along with the nitty gritty factor, a nice blend of youth and experience in the defensive unit and a very decent goaltending unit, I think success could be right around the corner for the Dallas Stars.

The lack of success lately has meant some pretty poor crowds at the American Airlines Center in the recent past. The new signings are definitely going to attract more people to come and watch the Stars play and the AAC will hopefully become the fortress it once was.

Joe Niuwendyk and Tom Gaglardi have worked well together so far and brought in the desired players. There could be some more activity yet to happen, so keep your eyes peeled. Either way, bring on October to watch our new Stars have a good shot at the playoffs!

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”

Mike Ribeiro might be traded (Photo taken by Melissa Grissom)

Finally draft day has arrived and many young NHL hopefuls will see their dream come true today, but behind the scenes NHL General Managers are also allowed to open trade talks between each other to move up spots in the draft or also trade players on their roster.

So now that brings us to Dallas, yesterday ESPN hockey analyst Pierre Lebrun posted an article stating that Dallas forwards Mike Ribeiro and Steve Ott are “getting attention”

Here’s a link to LeBrun’s article: http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/stars/post/_/id/18659/steve-ott-mike-ribeiro-getting-attention

In reality this is nothing new here in Dallas, almost every season since he came in the  2006-2007 season Mike Ribeiro‘s name has been circulating in offseason and trade deadline rumors. Here are a few examples:

Here’s one from our friend Mark Stepneski who was told by Joe Nieuwendyk that he had no intentions of trading Ribeiro. This article is from 2010: http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nhl/news/story?id=5568010

Here’s one from NBC Sports about Ribeiro to the Minnesota Wild also a 2010 article: http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2010/06/20/mike-ribeiro-to-the-wild-makes-sense-for-both-teams/

There are plenty more out there and some of those rumors were way out there, but would Dallas trade Mike Ribeiro or/and Steve Ott?

These trade rumors really started around trade deadline in February and really have never stopped since, but why didn’t Joe Nieuwendyk pull the trigger back in February when he had the chance, well obviously the right deal wasn’t in place. When shopping Steve Ott we are shopping a guy who plays center or wing  in all situations, is capable of putting up 20+ goal seasons and one of the top faceoff guys in the league, not exactly a guy you trade just for the sake of making a trade or shaking things up. So what would be the right deal that would ship Steve Ott out of Texas. Joe Nieuwendyk has pledged that he is looking to get younger and better so lets say James Van Riemsdyk or Jordan Staal’s names came across for Steve Ott would you say yes? (Both Staal and Van Riemsdyk have been involved in numerous trade rumors this past week)

And now Mike Ribeiro, in 461 career games as a Dallas Stars Mike Ribeiro has 407 points and in 31 career playoff games as a Star Ribs has 22 points so that is really close to a point a game player. So in a trade Stars are shopping there real #1 center, so in return you would expect the same back. Ribeiro was key in the production of Michael Ryder’s career year and the sometimes unstoppable chemistry between him and Brenden Morrow. So in Dallas they are really thin at elite centers professional and prospect wise, so trading your best one available before the season even starts already puts you in a hole production wise. So unless the deal is exactly how General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk wants it I do not see Ott or Ribeiro traded during this offseason.

Steve Ott and Mike Ribeiro are on Twitter: Follow them @Otter2nine and @Ribz63