Dallas Stars Make Big Changes To Training Camp Roster

By Josh Clark | Sep 28, 2015

The Dallas Stars were once again active today in regards to their training camp roster.

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On Sunday, the Stars made some big changes by moving and cutting 17 different players on the roster. Some of these players were big name prospects and it was interesting to see where each player fell.

Today, the Dallas Stars basically put the final nail in the coffin and formed their opening night roster. With a maximum of 23 players allowed on the roster for opening night, the Stars were sitting at 36 on Monday morning.

That is until they knocked off eight noteworthy names, successfully trimming the roster to 28. Some of these names come with a bit of surprise. Here is the official list:

D Mattias Backman (Loaned to Texas Stars)

D Ludwig Bystrom (Loaned to Texas Stars)

RW Mads Eller (Released from PTO)

D Julius Honka (Loaned to Texas Stars)

D Stephen Johns (Loaned to Texas Stars)

D Esa Lindell (Loaned to Texas Stars)

C Travis Morin (Loaned to Texas Stars)

C Devin Shore (Loaned to Texas Stars)

As you read deeper into the list, your mind probably began to swirl a little faster. The final five names on the list are players deemed by the coaches, management, and fans to be “NHL-ready” or at the most a year away.

Morin had to clear waivers to move down to the AHL, and he did so on Sunday afternoon. He will be entering his seventh season with the Texas Stars this year. Morin is currently 31 years old and has only played 13 career NHL games. Morin seems to be knocking on the door every year until the Stars go out and pick up a top-tier center and end up sending him back down.

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Shore is in the same boat, only at a younger extent. His skills on the ice are hard to match with any other prospect, and his face-off abilities are phenomenal. But Shore continues to be beaten out by a new veteran that joins Dallas through the offseason.

But the biggest surprise hands down is the moves on defense, primarily with Honka, Lindell, and Johns. All three played with the Stars prospect team at the Traverse City Tournament a few weeks back and helped run things.

While Honka and Lindell are very impressive for their ages, they are still considered to be a year away from competing for a spot on the Dallas Stars blue line.

But Stephen Johns is different. Johns was traded toÂ the Stars on July 10, 2015 after being thrown into the package with Patrick Sharp. But GM Jim Nill made it clear that, if anything, Sharp was the one who was tossed in because the Stars wanted Johns.

A Chicago Blackhawks beat writer wrote an article about how surprised he was that the Hawks had let Johns go. He believed that Johns was an NHL-ready prospect that would help run the Blackhawks blue line for years to come.

Johns came to Dallas and began to impress, especially at the tournament. His big, physical frame, his ability to make accurate passes and deliver lethal shots from the blue line make him a valuable asset to any team. After a slow start in the preseason, it looks as though the 23-year old’s drive to gain a starting spot has fallen just short.

The Stars went into training camp with nine defenders competing for six spots. Four of the defenders seemed to be locks, leaving the final two spots to be fought for among the remaining five. Johns was one of these five, so the race is officially down to four players fighting for two spots.

Now this does not mean we are done hearing about Johns until next training camp. Last season, John Klingberg was called up to aid the Stars defense, and look at what happened. Johns has potential and determination, so a call-up is always possible.

Now that the Stars are down to 28, only five more players will be cut before the Stars are locked in for October 8th. We’ll see how they manage their final three preseason games with the lineup they now have.

Next: Likely Candidates For Stars Final Assistant Captain Job

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