Dallas Stars Sign Hudler, Complete Juggernaut Offense
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars made waves in the quiet part of the offseason last night when they signed a free agent Jiri Hudler. The newest Star basically gives Dallas an uncontrollable offense that will show no mercy this season.
Just when you thought that the Dallas Stars could not improve their offense any more, GM Jim Nill pulled a fast one. Late last night, the Stars signed free agent right winger Jiri Hudler to a one-year contract worth $2 million.
The 32-year-old Czech is an 11-year veteran of the NHL, playing with the Detroit Red Wings, Calgary Flames, and most recently with the Florida Panthers. Nill was a member of the Wings front office back when Hudler was drafted in the second round of the 2004 NHL entry draft, so he obviously has known about Hudler’s talent for a while.
His statistics are nothing short of impressive. In 11 seasons, he has scored 161 goals and tallied 417 points in 676 games. For an average of 14:49 on the ice, these are some strong numbers. He’s also a +43 average on-ice in the plus/minus category.
In this past season, Hudler scored a total of 16 goals and tallied 46 points in 72 games, along with a -1 on-ice rating. This time was split between the Flames and Panthers considering he was traded just before the NHL trade deadline.
There are all kinds of positive vibes being given off by this signing. First off, it’s a complete steal by Nill. Paying a mere $2 million for one year of Jiri Hudler is grand larceny. There were reports that the Chicago Blackhawks were pursuing the winger, but they ended up not wanting to offer $2 million.
Not only that, but Hudler will also be a prime presence on the Stars’ power play. In the past three years, he has 11 goals and 28 assists when playing on the man advantage. That just screams first unit right there. And even if he’s outbid by other players like Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Patrick Sharp, and Jason Spezza, he can turn the second line into an elite group.
The craziest thing is that during the 2014-15 season, Hudler scored 31 goals and tallied 76 points. Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn finished the year with 35 goals and 87 total points. Benn also won the Art Ross Trophy that season. That’s only an 11-point difference between a veteran and a player still reaching for his peak. Not too shabby.
Nill also said he could see Hudler in a top-six role this season. The Dallas Stars offense ended last season with the highest goals per game average of any team in the league. During the offseason, they lost minor pieces to the puzzle in Vernon Fiddler and Colton Sceviour. Both of these player’s contributions can be easily matched by some of the younger Stars.
So this coming season, the top six could look something like this:
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Patrick Sharp
Mattias Janmark – Jason Spezza – Jiri Hudler
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Most of those pieces are interchangeable as well. Besides Benn, Seguin, and Spezza, the others could be rotated around in the lineup. This would also mean that Valeri Nichushkin would be playing a third line role, which is crazy to think about when considering his caliber.
So power play help, top six forward, and veteran experience will all follow Jiri Hudler as he treks to Dallas for one year. Overall, it’s another amazing signing by Nill. Not only did he get Hudler on a cheap deal, but he also brought in another piece to add onto an already unstoppable offensive group.
Hudler is basically just the bonus points you get on a test even though you already scored a 100. The Stars are at a 103 or so now. The 2016-17 Dallas Stars will be an offensive juggernaut that shows no mercy to its opponents. It’s going to be a fun year, that’s for sure.
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Nill proved with this signing that he is still putting work in on rounding out the team, so keep your eyes peeled. There’s still a month and a half until the season begins, and anything can happen. Let’s wait and see where he goes.