Who Gets The A’s For The Dallas Stars?
By Josh Clark
About a year ago, the newly formed Dallas Stars organization named 24-year old Jamie Benn as the new captain of the team. With him, they also announced Stephane Robidas and Ray Whitney as the new assistant captains. All of this took place as part of a new revolution for Dallas Stars hockey, and these players were looked at as some of the best qualified.
But as the new season approaches, the Stars are without a set of assistants. With Jamie Benn still holding on to his title after an exceptional year as leader that saw him break records and end his 2013-2014 career with 84 points, the team still needs two definitive players for the second-in-command titles.
Throughout the Dallas Stars ’13-’14 campaign, the assistant captaincy was altered a few different times.
When Ray Whitney became injured on November 9th against the Chicago Blackhawks, Shawn Horcoff took his spot until he returned on November 26th against the Ducks.
After 36-year-old Stephane Robidas, one of the Dallas Stars most dedicated and skilled veterans, suffered a broken leg on November 29th against the Chicago Blackhawks which resulted in his immediate benching and name on the injured reserve, Lindy Ruff had to make a decision before the next game. By December 1st, when the Stars were scheduled to play the Edmonton Oilers, Shawn Horcoff had officially been handed the unclaimed “A” for a second time.
With the A’s being traded back and forth and Stephane Robidas officially being eliminated from the picture when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks on March 4th, it was unclear who would end the year with the titles. When Ray Whitney was benched for game six during the Dallas Stars’ postseason run for non-production and replaced by Erik Cole, Trevor Daley and Shawn Horcoff claimed the A’s for what turned out to be the Stars’ final postseason performance.
As Whitney, 42, was promptly let go of by the Stars organization and denied a new contract, the new era of assistants came to an untimely end. Two new players are now being searched for and no new announcements have been made just yet. With the Stars first postseason game just two weeks away, two new leaders are needed.
Let’s take a look at a few possible candidates:
Trevor Daley:
Daley has a very good shot at claiming one of the A’s for the Stars this year. After spending every game of his ten-year career with the Dallas Stars, he is definitely a dedicated player. Being the only current Dallas Star to be with the team for more than one playoff run, he knows what it means to lead and how to bring a team together during a stressful time such as the postseason. His emotions are well-expressed and he seems to have a knack for making the right decisions during a heart-gripping situation, some examples being his breakaway goals against St. Louis on April 11th and Anaheim in game six, to pinning Corey Perry to the ice and throwing punches in game two.
He is a consistent player, coming off of a season where he scored 25 points, the second most he’s ever scored in a season, and nine goals, his most ever, along with a +10 rating, his highest ever by a margin of +3. He also added five playoff points, the second most on the team. He is an offensive defenseman and manages the blue line well, while also making smart decisions and using physicality on the defensive side of the puck along with partner Alex Goligoski.
At age 30, he is considered an experienced player, and would make a fine new assistant for the Dallas Stars blue line.
Shawn Horcoff:
Horcoff is a former captain of the Edmonton Oilers and knows how to lead well. With 13 years under his belt in the NHL, with last season being his first year as a Dallas Star, he has gained different forms of leadership through different experiences. After taking the A two different times last year, Horcoff had to learn how to be flexible between positions. His leadership can be viewed as more of a conservative and based type, involving teaching moments and talking points, though physicality seems to be sprinkled in every once in a while, like his fight against Luca Sbisa in game five of the playoffs, which came as a bit of a surprise to some.
After struggling in the regular season and picking up just 20 points and a +1 rating, he was eventually demoted to the fourth line, where he remained for the rest of the season. In the postseason, however, Horcoff seemed to explode and ended up gaining six points, more than any other member of the team, all while remaining a member of the bottom six.
Mike Heika, the Dallas Stars beat reporter, believes that Horcoff will play a major deciding factor in the Stars’ success this coming season, and that he has the ability to help the Stars out in a major way. With this label, an A would almost be imminent for him.
Cole is a bit of a long shot, but with his veteran experience, he could turn out to be a helpful assistant. Through 12 seasons, the 35-year-old has spent time with four different teams, and has played many different roles. Though he had a bit of a rough season in which he scored 29 points and rang in at a -17 rating while mainly on the second line, Jim Nill had no plans to move him during the offseason. With one year left in his current contract and his career slowly on its way to an end, he will be looking to perform well this year, especially with new teammates Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky as his probable linemates.
With a physical frame and his constant yearning to get to the front of the net, whether he has the puck or is looking to set a screen, he consistently looks for a way to help out.
Honorable Mentions:
Spezza is the former captain of the Ottawa Senators and is viewed as a proven leader, but considering it is his first year in Dallas, he probably will not see an A, at least for this year.
Alex Goligoski:
Goligoski may have a pretty good chance, with an A being fought over between he and Daley. A well-balanced team usually has one assistant in the offensive department and one in the defensive department, so it will be interesting to see who gets it, but Daley led well whenever the Stars called on him last year, so he holds a slight advantage.\
Dillon is a young, skilled player and gives his all each night on the ice. But with his future in Dallas still unsure, a leadership position just does not look to be in the cards this season.
Seguin is one of, if not the most talented player on the Dallas Stars, and served as a fantastic mentor to rookie Valeri Nichushkin this past year along with Jamie Benn. But while Seguin serves solely on the first line along with current captain Jamie Benn, clumping two leaders on the same line is not a smart strategy.
Peverley fits into the older-but-wiser category like Horcoff and knows what it means to be put into a tough situation. But with his future of ever playing hockey again still unknown, giving him an A makes no sense, though he would be a fantastic leader.
With all of these names on the board, it seems as though Trevor Daley and Shawn Horcoff have the best chance of claiming the titles. But if we learned anything from last season, it’s that new leaders can be born through different circumstances. But this is just a mere letter. The Dallas Stars have a team filled with quality leaders and veterans, and Jim Nill believes that the Dallas Stars have “one of the best locker rooms in the league.” Leadership is a trait in the organization, and it is proven through every game on the ice.
Who do you want to see as the two new assistant captains?
Leave your comments and questions below, and as always, thanks for reading!
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