Dallas Stars 2005-2006
TEAM PAYROLL: Around $36-38 million
GENERAL MANAGER: Doug Armstrong; 3rd year
HEAD COACH: Dave Tippett; 3rd year
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FORGOTTEN MOVES: Summer of 2004: Jon Klemm was signed to a two-year deal. He gives the Stars a strong, veteran presence on the blueline. Can be a physical defensemen and when paired with a puck-mover, can really do damage. Jaroslav Svoboda was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a fourth round draft pick in 2005. An inconsistent player with ‘Canes, Dallas hopes Svoboda can make his presence here felt by contributing as a grinder and chip in more than a few goals along the way. Dallas acquired defenseman Shawn Belle from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for goaltender Jason Bacashihua. Both were prospects, and Dallas was short on puck-moving, offensive-minded defensemen. Already loaded with good goaltending prospects, Belle was brought in help out with the Stars’ aging blueline.
TEAM MODE: Play-off contenders. The Stars haven’t made or lost any significant pieces to the team since they placed fifth in their conference in 03-04. They placed second in the Pacific Division, and San Jose only had 2 more wins than Dallas had. The Stars have gotten a lot younger, and Pierre Turgeon was bought out, for better or for worse. He didn’t really have an impact on the team, especially with the amount of money he was making. With the new rules, players like Modano will have more offensive freedom. And Marty Turco is Marty Turco, so he should be able to hold up well, even with the restricted movement by goalies and reduced pad sizes.
TO TAKE CHARGE!: Mike Modano. Mike desperately needs to bounce back from a disappointing season in 03-04 in which he only scored 14 goals and was minus 21. He is the captain of this team still, and he needs to act like it. Getting in the face of his teammates to motivate them is what a captain should do. There was a lot of tension in the locker room the last season the Stars played, and Mike needs to show some leadership. He needs to take charge and lead the team in scoring for this team to go anywhere.
ON THE RUSH (OFFENSE): For offense, you have guys like Mike Modano, Billy Guerin, Brendan Morrow, Jason Arnott, and Jere Lehtinen. These five guys will and should lead the team in scoring, barring any injuries. Modano is the quickest and the best skater, and with the new rules, he should even chip in a few on the penalty kill. Modano had a very tough 03-04 season, but should be counted on to bounce back in a big way. Guerin and Morrow were great on the power play in 03-04, and should be counted on in either the first or second lines, along with Modano. Together, they scored 24 goals on the PP. Antti Miettinen also should make the team, and could be a scoring threat as well. Dallas is high Miettinen to become a scoring threat and could be involved in the top lines. In 35 games with the Bulldogs of the AHL, he had 8 goals and 20 assists. Stu Barnes, Steve Ott, and Jaroslav Svoboda round out the scoring threats, with Stu scoring 11 goals in 03-04 for Dallas. Ott is more of a pesky forward than a scoring threat. He was a former first round draft pick that can agitate you enough that you might make a dumb penalty. Svoboda is a defensive forward who won’t score you a lot of goals, but can earn his time with playing on the penalty kill. He hasn’t scored more than 3 goals in a season, but inconsistent play is the main reason as he also hasn’t played more than 48 games in a season. Other possibilities for the forward ranks are Garrett Burnett, who played in 39 games with Anaheim in 2003-04, and Junior Lessard, who notched 11 goals and 11 assists with Houston of the AHL last season. David Oliver provides the solid veteran presence and he scored 12 points in 03-04 with the Stars, mainly playing as a healthy scratch during the season.
COVERING THE D-ZONE: Sergei Zubov will once again anchor the Stars D-line. His partner is not yet set, but look for him to carry the defense and also chip in a few goals here in there. He is absolutely superb on the power play and penalty kill. Zubie scored 4 goals and chipped in 21 assists on the PP in 03-04, and the Stars will look to him to continue his offensive numbers. 42 total points by him were great. Zubov is a great puck-carrying D-man, and always has a mark on his man. He is the number 1 defenseman for the Stars. Philippe Boucher scored 8 goals for the Stars and contributed 16 assists in 03-04 and was always on the penalty kill and power play. He can be a very physical defenseman who hardly ever lets the defense down. He was plus 15, and the season before that, he was a plus 28. Trevor Daley is a young defenseman whom the Stars are high on to carry the second defensive pairing. Daley is another offensive-minded D-man who can contribute on the power play. He scored 1 PP goal and chipped in 3 assists. He needs to work on his defense more as he can sometimes be muscled off the puck and is prone to try and lead the offense more than lead the defense. Martin Skoula, once again, is mainly an offense minded defenseman. He really needs to step up his D in order to stay on the top 2 pairings. Not really a PP kind of player, he can get you the puck, but sometimes in place of much needed defense. Stephane Robidas and John Erskine round out the defense corps. They are not much in the way of top skaters or d-men, and probably won’t contribute to any scoring.
GUARDING THE NET: Marty Turco came off his record 02-03 season (breaking the modern-day record GAA average with a 1.72) with another stellar performance. He is a mobile, puck-moving goalie, but the new goalie rules should help to break that mold. Goalies won’t be able to touch the puck beyond a certain point behind the net. Also, the goalie pads were restricted in size, but this shouldn’t have a dramatic effect on Turco’s overall performance. He is very aggressive and can be counted on in the most critical of moments. His performance in the playoffs has been disappointing, but with experience under his belt, he should continue to do better. Johan Hedberg will be Turco’s back up, and is a very capable one. He was the starter for some very bad Pittsburgh teams, and Dallas will be counting on him to compliment Turco. He won’t be counted on to play a lot of games, because Turco is a workhorse.
TALKING ABOUT MY GENERATION!: The Stars don’t have a can’t-miss prospect like Crosby or Malkin, but have some very capable youngsters that will make the team either soon or very soon. Trevor Daley is certain to make the team and will most likely garner a top-4 spot on the defense. He is a quick skater, and very mobile. He has great hands and great vision on the ice. He will have to work on back-checking and staying on his man. Goalie Dan Ellis will be looking to make the team sometime next year, either as a back-up or even as the fulltime starter, if Turco leaves via free agency after the 05-06 season. Ellis is a butterfly type goalie, who can handle the puck very well, like Turco. Center Jussi Jokinen was signed after the lockout ended, and despite being undersized, he has a great shot and a very nice hockey sense. He is a very versatile being that he can play all three forward positions. Could possible make the team out of camp, or be a late call-up in the late season.
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PROJECTED LINES:
Offense:
Brendan Morrow- Jason Arnott- Billy Guerin
Jere Lehtinen – Mike Modano- Antti Miettinen
Steve Ott- Niko Kapanen – Stu Barnes
*The fourth lines could be pretty much anything. Also, a player could be moved out of the second and third lines depending on training camp play. Lehtinen and Modano should be paired together and the MAG line is a must. Possibilities for filling out the last two lines include Jaroslav Svoboda, David Oliver, Junior Lessard, Garrett Burnett, Mathias Tjarnqvist, and, if they make the team, Vojtek Polak or Jussi Jokinen or even Yared Hagos. The latter three were signed after the lockout and all three have a good chance of making the team, but only one if them will. All of the mentioned possibilities won’t all make the team, but Oliver, Svoboda, and Burnett are probables, with Oliver adding veteran experience, and Burnett adding muscle.
Defense:
Sergei Zubov- Philippe Boucher
Jon Klemm- Trevor Daley
Martin Skoula- Stephane Robidas
*John Erskine will most likely be kept as the seventh defenseman.
Goalies:
Marty Turco- Johan Hedberg
EXPECTATIONS: The expectations for the Stars are playoff contenders. The have a solid veteran team. They are not overly loaded, but with a great goaltender in Turco, and some size and toughness on defense, the Stars should do okay. Mike Modano is going to obviously have to bounce back from his horrible season in 03-04. The MAG line will score plenty of goals and the bottom lines will be counted on to provide grit and determination. Dallas will have it tough with San Jose trying to claim the Pacific Division, but should be able to secure a playoff spot by coming in either first or second in the division.
PROJECTED: I believe Dallas will come in second in the Pacific Division, and possibly 6th or 7th in the Western conference. They have a strong team, and with the inevitable bounce-back by Modano, they should do okay.
26 Responses to Dallas Stars 2005-2006
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i think dallas’s time as a powerhouse is done they have no young guys except for shawn belle (i think it was them)
Done as a powerhouse? If Dallas is done, then Colorado is completely vanished. Both teams relied heavily on free agents. Probably might be true in the next couple of seasons if cap issues are worked out. Besides free agents, Dallas can finally rely on their farm system.
Your system is far worse than Dallas’. Belle headlines a list of potentially great defensemen, such as Daley, Niskanen, Fistric, and even Fransson and Grossman. The first three mentioned along with Belle could be the future of this team- tough, mobile, agile, and quick thinkers. Among the forwards are Miettinen, Jokinen, Hagos, and Lessard, all either with the team or will be making an impact with Iowa. And more on the way in Europe and Juniors.
I’m a huge Stars fan, but I don’t feel great about them this year…I agree with the guy above who said the Stars time as a powerhouse in the West is probably over for awhile. They’ve been making poor decisions since the start of last season. They lost Hatcher, traded Sydor, then realized one day their defence stinks and they have no leader.
I’m hoping Modano comes back to form, and is a stronger captain this year than he was last…Personally, he’s been my favorite player for years, and I don’t mind the Stars being a poor team while Modnao finishes his career with the team he started it with…
They just don’t look to be that strong. I think they’ll probably land a playoff spot, but they’re not a cup contender anymore…Personally, I’m still amazed they managed to blow the 2002/2003 season where they were the best team in the West and could’ve won the cup, but rolled over and died to Anaheim…
i think Colorado is probably finished as a power house to…but at the moment, they look better than the Stars…and I’m a Stars fan, so that hurts to say. Morrow plays hard, but he doesn’t have the talent or skill of either Tanguay or Hedjuk. Colorado’s young guys are better than ours.
no young guys????
brenden morrow isnt exactly rookie young,buthe easily has 10 or more 20- or 30- goal seasons. he doesnt have hejduk’s skill, but last season he scored like 23 goals, from a combined distance of about 40 feet!!!
they also have svoboda and skoula who are both around morrow’s age.
if you want younger guys, well they have plenty. id say that belle is their third best defenseman under 25. daley and another guy, siklenka maybe? both are very good. daley has great skill and learning zubov’s defensive moves will make him the future of the stars defense.
miettinen was the mvp of the finnish elite league a couple years back if i remember right. he could be their next big star forward.
jokinen got 5 goals in 7 preseason games. yea, it was preseason, but the guy is 22!
steve ott reminds me a lot of pat verbeek, without the offensive numbers.
there are many others, but those are the standouts.
i wouldnt say their days are done. they are thin on experience in their wings. thats the biggest problem. i really thought they were gonna pick up a big talent to play on the right side, but they are gonna get their rookies in instead. i see them behind san jose again this year, going maybe second round in the playoffs, but thats it. unless a couple young guys have breakout years. look for them to take the pacific and make a serious run next year or the year after.
losing sydor was a bad call. dont even remeber who they got for it, was that the numminen trade? but hatcher was a smart move. he was asking for too much, and i think he is way overrated. not to say he isnt a good dman, just too slow to anchor a core.
but this years d is way different, and much better, than its been in years. they still have zubov, enough said there. John Klemm will pair with him for physicality and straight d. then boucher and robidas. yes, ro has been dallas’ best dman in the preseason, 7 points and a +10 (that led the nhl i think, or very close). i was sad to see him go, and glad to see him back, especially since it seems he has come into his own. he should have a huge year. rounding out the core is daley, erskine, and skoula. watch for them to dress 7 d regularly, since tip cant decide between daley’s skill and erskine’s ability to, ummm, i guess he can hit people good. but unlike hatch where you lose a top dman in a fight, now you lose a spare, and can still rotate 6.
their weakness is on the wings, right side mainly, not defense.
oh, as for the lines, watch for svoboda to play on the right of ott, and kapanen center the 4th line with jokinen with a vet pulling double duty, maybe lehtinen or modano.
turco is a good goalie but your team is aging and your not signing any young guys.
ok colorado time as a powerhouse is over sure. as a contender year in year out not yet.
#1 you find 2 guys who can compare to alex tanguay and milan hejduk.
#2 Wojtek Wolski been said he will become a 35 goal scorer in a few years no questions.
#3 Liles came out of nowhere as a d man and led the league as a rookie d man.
You got me there, Tanguay and Hejduk are both top 2 out of any young guys on both teams.
Morrow is number 3, and a bunch of Dallas guys fill out the list pretty good. Morrow will be the heart and soul of this team in the near future. Future Captain.
And Wolski right now is a selfish, me player. He is not guarenteed to be a 35 goal scorer. He could be if he figures out all of his problems. He was projected to go in the top 15 at one point but dropped considerably.
Daley> Liles… hands down.
Actually, our team is getting younger. Average age dropped down to about 28-30.
And you are the young guys to sign? If you mean, below 27, then none, except our own prospects. Age will be lowered for free agency, but you and the Stars are both capped up the butt, so I don’t see you signing any young guys either.
Dallas is easily a contender along with your team.
But both are done as powerhouses.
Actually we traded Sydor to Columbus for Tugnutt. But yeah, we shouldn’t have traded him.
And good points about the defense. Possibiliti of saving the season for the Stars. Top lines are great, third is okay, but fourth is crap.
yea, dallas has no one really to compare to tanguay and hejduk, but then again, dallas has a second scoring line. wolski might score 35 in a couple years, but so might miettinen or jokinen. only time will tell on that. i dunno if id say daley is better than liles, both have a lot of potential, and will get better.
colorado is in the same position as dallas. both are used to having large payrolls, both have been pretty dominant over the past few years, both have young goaltenders who need to find their A game in the playoffs. it really depends on how the new players sync up as to how each team will do.
i can see them having a slump in about 5 years when their core–modano, zubov, guerin, some others then or a couple years later–virtually disappears. but they will be contenders until then, unless modano plays like last year for the rest of his career.
both teams will be middle pack teams, more than likely 5 and 6 in some sort. they will fight for their divisions, but im not sure if either of them will win their divisions.
Sydor was traded to Columbus as part of a three team deal with Phoenix, that landed Teppo Numnemin in Dallas. Sydor was traded to cut costs.
Tugnutt was picked up by the Stars for a draft pick prior to the 2002/2003 season to serve as back up to Turco.
Ah I see. I mixed up the Tugnutt/Teppo parts. Thanks for correcting me.
So there are only two other Stars fans on this site? JeffBurnz and Tanner? I think…
Yikes.
Yea, it looks that way. there arn’t many of us.
heres the thing though i dont see any noticeable young guys on the dallas roster besides morrow. what im trying to say is you guys have guerin(past his prime) modano zubov etc… who are old guys and your top producers. colorados old guys are sakic and blake. and we have tanguay and hejduk producing, and im expecting a breakout year from andrew brunette in points. (49 on minnesota hes bound for more on colorado)
i just found the site a few days ago. great preview by the way. pretty much spot on, cept for robidas. i agree on ellis. he is their next headline goalie. i doubt turco will leave, but he may surprise me. if he tanks it in the playoffs again, they may just unload him. but i expect next season ellis to make the team as the backup and play 20 games. hedberg may retire,or get traded if anythings left in his contract.
guerin past his prime? are you insane??? lets see, 30+ goals last season, arguably the best of his career, 6 goals in preseason, thats over 1 a game (he didnt play them all). 2 points in the opener. if thats past his prime, id hate to be the guys who picked up turgeon. oh wait, oooh. thats the avs.
and i think you are mistaking “unkonwn” for “not good”. just because you havent heard of them doesnt mean they arent capable. they have 2 SOLID top lines, and some depth rounding out the others. plus some guys with something to prove after last season, like modano, who should fight with guerin and some others for team points lead, and kapanen.
i will concede that colorado has more established young guys than dallas, but they are also relying on their young guys more.
by the way, arent the avs coming to dallas on saturday? that will be a fun one to watch.
Robidas has really impressed during training camp. I should have edited what I said about him. He still has to prove himself, but with what he showed during TC, he could carry the Stars very far.
Besides Tanguay and Hejduk, and Wolski, please name 5 players that could possibly be the future of the Avalanche. I can name you 5 that could impact the Stars this season or next- Belle, Daley, Jokinen, Kapanen, and Ellis. And I didn’t even include Morrow. Don’t forget the potential of Svoboda. And we have a load of future talent in the minors. Colorado has the worst farm system in the NHL.
Guerin is a force. If he’s past his prime, than Sakic is as well. While you have Tanguay and Hejduk producing, and “Andrew Brunette” as you say, the Stars have Boucher, Morrow, Arnott, Daley that will produce, along with the “old” guys, Zubie, Guerin and Modano.
i’m a stars fan too. i just never really comment on anything because i’m too busy with school and radio stuff.
Ah, I was wondering if you were going to drop in. Haven’t seen you in a while, although I haven’t really been on a lot either, only more since I wrote the preview.
Funny how far hard work goes. My buddy used to play with Trevor Daily all the time when they were kids and he said he used to suck. But he got better through hard work.