This post was originally published over at DefendingBigD.
In the final part of my 2012 year in review series, I will count down the top five stories relating to the Dallas Starsfrom the past year. In Part I, I looked at the busy summer for Joe Nieuwendyk, the new jerseys, the return of Jim Lites, and more.
Read this post in its entirety over at DefendingBigD.
2012 was a year of change for the Dallas Stars. Tom Gaglardi assumed ownership of the organization at the end of 2011, and he started to put his fingerprints on operations soon after.
On the ice, the Stars once again faded down the stretch, falling short of the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Gaglardi promised change, and he delivered. Off the ice, he brought in some fresh blood (and a familiar face) to help get things back on track.
When Dallas acquired Derek Roy this summer, I thought the move was a great one for the team. Not only did they massively upgrade the second line center spot, but they added an accomplished top-six forward still in his prime. And the best part – they bought low. Continue reading
Originally published at DefendingBigD.
Regardless of what is contained in the new yet-to-be-agreed-upon CBA between the NHL and NHLPA, the contract landscape in the league is going to be very different than it was between 2004-05 and 2011-12.
Cody Eakin is a player that the Dallas Stars had coveted for quite some time before trading for him earlier this summer. He is now a significant part of the culture change in Dallas. Eakin relied on tenacity, work ethic, and hockey instincts to set himself apart from his peers during his time in the WHL. Will he be able to do the same in the NHL?
I am taking a one week hiatus from my WHL focus with today’s piece on Alex Chiasson.
Chiasson’s rise to the top of the Dallas prospect list (he may not be the clear cut top prospect, but the argument could be made) is not the typical story of a young hockey talent from the province of Quebec. The majority of Quebec-born players choose to spend their developmental years in the QMJHL (the Quebec and Maritime branch of the Canadian Hockey League).
Chiasson, however, decided to play college hockey, spending three years at Boston University. Has the move paid off for the young winger?
For the next few weeks, I am going to take a closer look at several current and future Dallas Stars who have spent time developing in the Western Hockey League (WHL).
I came to Defending Big D hoping to bring a different perspective on the team, and being located in Canada, I get to see more WHL hockey than most typical Stars fans.
Last week, I explained why the Stars and the WHL have such strong ties, from ownership on down. There has been a rich tradition of WHL alumni playing for Dallas, and that tradition has been strengthened in recent years. These profiles will tie in nicely with the prospect rankings coming soon from Brandon and several of the other writers, as well.
Today’s piece will hopefully give you a better idea of current Saskatoon Blade and future Dallas Star, winger Matej Stransky.
