Erik Cole Making Valiant Statement In Contract Year So Far

Erik Cole is currently serving his 13th season in the NHL, and could not look more lively than he has as of late.

Erik Cole, 36, spent the beginning of the 2014-2015 season receiving some harsh criticism from Dallas Stars fans. He was traded to Dallas back in the 2012-2013 lockout season from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for F Michael Ryder, a trade that some Stars fans still regret to this day.

After a subpar performance in 2013-2014 which resulted in Cole scoring 16 goals and tallying 13 assists, along with an on-ice rating of -17, some of the worst numbers of his career, he was viewed as a sort of disease to the Dallas Stars well-being. His contract set him to receive $4,500,000 a year, making him the seventh highest-paid player on the team. Most thought this was a good $4,500,000 that could be spent much better somewhere else, and were hoping for Stars GM Jim Nill to pull the trigger and trade Cole during the previous offseason.

When July and August passed and Cole remained on the roster, the next hope was to get him out before or by the trade deadline, and if not, just cut ties at the end of the year. He was viewed as a trade chip by many, a “deal sweetener” for whenever Nill needed an extra toss-in to complete a major transaction.

Cole had a rough start to the 2014-2015 season, not something that he needed to experience starting the last year of his contract. After being named the healthy scratch in the season opener for being late to practice a few days before, he passed through three games with no points. After a two-game point streak in games four and five, he hit a span of just four points in sixteen games, playing most of those games with Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky on the second line. This only furthered the critics’ arguments.

But Cole looks to have found a way to spin things around as of late. Since the beginning of the New Year, the Dallas Stars have played eight games. In these eight games, Erik Cole has found the back of the net six times and notched four assists. His on-ice rating is a +6, and he has not finished a game with a negative rating since December 9th against the Winnipeg Jets. He is currently on a two-game point streak, and has found some serious chemistry with fellow veterans Spezza and Hemsky. The three have wreaked havoc on opposing defenses and goaltenders.

Cole is third on the Dallas Stars currently in goals scored, with 12. He only rests behind Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, the Dallas Stars two youngest and best players. He is fourth in total points.

Erik Cole has earned his way onto the power play and penalty kill lines and continues to do a tremendous job. He crashes the net every chance he gets and remains physical when in front of the opposition’s crease, unlike many other Stars. His deflections in front have become lethal, and have proven to be game changers in the recent past.

If Erik Cole continues his dominant performance and the Dallas Stars can find their way back into the playoff hunt, the Stars may not be overlooking him in the upcoming offseason. A veteran presence is always helpful, and with only a few years remaining in Cole’s career, the Stars could keep him around until they have no place left for him. He may be seeing a cut in pay, but most veterans around his age cannot be as stingy as a younger player. He may be put in a very similar situation as Vernon Fiddler was last season, re-signing with the Stars at a lower rate but coming back because of the quality team chemistry and the decreasing amount of time he has left. He may explore his options, but if he continues his effort and production, he may very well see an offer from the Stars on July 1st.

Leave your comments and questions below, and as always, thanks for reading! Go Stars.