Dallas Stars Could Really Use Johnny Oduya Back In Lineup
By Josh Clark
Sometimes all a struggling part of a team needs is a little push. For the Dallas Stars defense, that needed push could come from one veteran player.
On Saturday, November 19, the Dallas Stars injury train dropped the final short-term player back onto the active roster. As you can probably guess, there was much rejoicing.
Before the game, the Stars had not played a regular season game with their entire lineup healthy. And while they were still missing Ales Hemsky and Mattias Janmark, who were placed on long-term IR after their respective surgeries, the additions of Cody Eakin, Patrick Sharp, and Jason Spezza back over that previous week was something to celebrate over.
But the celebration was very short-lived. It didn’t take but 45 minutes or so of playing time for the Stars to lose yet another valuable asset in their lineup. Johnny Oduya exited the game with a lower body injury in the third period, leaving the Stars with five defensemen in what would turn out to be a 5-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
The joy and celebration quickly disintegrated from there. The following day, Dallas placed Oduya on the injured reserve list and called up D Esa Lindell and D Julius Honka from the AHL.
In the game that followed on that Monday night against the Minnesota Wild, the Stars put together a scrappy yet respectable effort on defense and found a way to win the game in overtime. Honka made his debut, Lindell was fabulous in his first game back, and the rest of the Dallas defense contributed effectively in their own zone, as well as on the offensive side of the puck.
Everything was looking alright in Oduya’s absence, but things went downhill rather quickly. Since Oduya was put on IR, the Stars are 2-3-1. They are averaging 3.50 goals against per game. They’re also giving up around 29 shots in each game. The starting lineup has lost all consistency and the young defenders are struggling to hit their stride.
Overall, the defense is in shambles and it’s causing the Stars some serious grief. They are now 9-10-6. 24 points have them one point out of the final wild card spot with three games out of hand. Things have been better, and they just seem to keep getting worse. The Dallas Stars need a serious revamping and it needs to happen as soon as possible. Otherwise, an early offseason will be inevitable. All of the NHL teams are starting to heat up and Dallas is still frozen in mediocrity.
But Johnny Oduya could be just what the Stars need. The 35-year-old defenseman has been the Stars’ most consistent all season, skating in 19 games and scoring one goal along with tallying four assists. He owns the second highest plus-minus rating on the team with a +2 and holds the highest rating among defenders.
His Corsi (possession) percentage is 45.6 percent, meaning that Dallas is usually on defense when he is on the ice. While that’s not the best statistic, it’s a testament to his efficiency on defense.
As simple as it may sound, veterans are always a necessity on a typical blue line. Not only do they have to contribute their skill to the overall defensive effort, but they also have to be there to teach the rookies and young defensemen. There’s a learning curve that can be significantly curbed with the presence of multiple veterans. Oduya and Hamhuis are those veterans.
Next: Stars Could Take On 2013-14 Selves This Season
There have been no recent updates on Oduya’s status, but he has yet to practice with the team since his injury. Considering he was only placed on the one-week IR, there is a chance he could be ready sometime this week. It all depends on when he takes the ice again.
Sure things aren’t looking too bright for the Dallas Stars right now, and sure they have a rough December ahead of them. But if Oduya gets back in the lineup, they might have an opportunity to turn this ship around. And just in the nick of time, no less.