Dallas Stars Projections For Opening Night Lineup
By Josh Clark
Opening night is just a few sleeps away and it promises to be an interesting one against the Anaheim Ducks. How might the Stars sort their lines in light of their multiple injuries?
161 days. It’s been 161 long days since the Dallas Stars exited the ice for the final time of their 2015-16 season.
A Central Division championship and Western Conference regular season championship had the Stars in good standing as they entered the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They survived in six games against the Minnesota Wild in the first round, but could not top the St. Louis Blues in a critical game seven in the second round.
The season hit a fatal halt and a world of opportunity was unlocked as the offseason progressed. Dallas proceeded to part ways with six different players in the first two months, including Alex Goligoski and Jason Demers. They countered their six losses by re-signing Jordie Benn and Patrick Eaves and signing free agent defender Dan Hamhuis.
As the offseason transitioned into the typically quiet period of August, the Stars made another smart move by signing forward Jiri Hudler on a one-year, $2 million contract. September came along and F Valeri Nichushkin made headlines by deciding to return to Russia and abandoning his NHL career, at least for now.
But in the past three weeks, injuries have reigned supreme among the Dallas Stars players and prospects. From the World Cup to training camp and even into the preseason, multiple Stars players struggled to stay healthy. The injury reserve filled up, both with short-term and long-term conditions.
Some of these players have already completely recovered, but the others are still working their way back to the ice.
With that being said, how will the Dallas Stars string together their starting lineup for opening night?
One of the first questions that must be answered is whether or not Tyler Seguin and Ales Hemsky will be cleared and ready to play. Both are currently dealing with injuries, but the Stars have high hopes that both will be ready in time.
But what about the others? That is the question. Cody Eakin (lower-body) and Mattias Janmark (knee) are both on IR and will not play Thursday. That being said, there are some holes that need to be filled. Let’s break down each position.
Forwards
What might be easiest is to first start off with the forwards who will definitely be in the lineup (barring anything catastrophic) on opening night.
Jamie Benn, Patrick Sharp, Patrick Eaves, Jason Spezza, Radek Faksa, Antoine Roussel, and Jiri Hudler can all be considered definites. That’s only seven players set and prepared.
If we run on the assumption that Seguin and Hemsky will be ready, that gets the Stars to nine. That gives Dallas three centers and six wingers. So one of each position is still needed.
RW Adam Cracknell, RW Brett Ritchie, LW Curtis McKenzie, and C Devin Shore are all potential candidates for these final spots,
Here’s a potential offensive lineup projection for the Stars on opening night:
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Patrick Eaves
Patrick Sharp – Jason Spezza – Jiri Hudler
Antoine Roussel – Radek Faksa – Ales Hemsky
Curtis McKenzie – Adam Cracknell/Devin Shore – Brett Ritchie
There are a few forwards that could be expendable in this lineup. For example, Hudler, Sharp, and Eaves could all play the first line right wing position. Cracknell and Shore could round out the fourth line in the dot. Cracknell could also play on the wings if Dallas scratches Ritchie or McKenzie.
Overall, the Dallas Stars offense remains a dominant force even with some players benched. They have the flexibility and depth to score on a consistent basis. The offense is definitely not a worry factor.
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Defense
The defensive unit is very similar to the offense in terms of depth and flexibility. The Stars do not necessarily have to stick with a specific set of six defenders. They are expected to start the season with eight defensemen, meaning they can mix and match until they find the perfect combination.
What will the Dallas blue line look like come opening night? Well, here’s an educated guess:
Dan Hamhuis – John Klingberg
Patrik Nemeth – Jordie Benn/Jamie Oleksiak
Hamhuis will make his Dallas Stars debut against Anaheim. Lindell might have a chance at playing in his first NHL season opener as well. On opening night, the top two are probably going to look as they do above. But what about the third pair? That’s completely up to the imagination at this point. Any of the final four players could suit up on October 13th, so keep your eyes and ears open for new developments.
Goaltenders
There aren’t many choices regarding who starts for the Stars in net on opening night. If you factor in how each played in the preseason, it’s pretty clear that there is only one option. Antti Niemi finished the preseason with a 2-0-0 record, .941 save percentage, and 1.83 goals against average. His numbers were stellar and could give him the edge in being named starter.
Kari Lehtonen has a shot at it as well, even though his preseason numbers were a tad shaky. Last year, Niemi made his Stars debut on opening night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He led Dallas to victory on a perfect effort, stopping 37 of 37.
Either one could find their way into the crease, but at this point it seems like Niemi has the upper hand.
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When you stand back and scan the entire lineup, there are some obvious strengths (offense, size on blue line, etc.) and some potential weaknesses (young players with little experience). We won’t know any more about the lineup’s potential for success until it is faced with its first test on Thursday.
Let’s just hope these four days go by quickly.