Dallas Stars: What Patrick Sharp’s Season-Ending Surgery Means
By Josh Clark
The 2016-17 season is almost over for the Dallas Stars. But for #10, it’s already over after being shut down yesterday for season-ending surgery.
It’s hard not to like a guy like Patrick Sharp. He’s a talented and passionate veteran leader with an amazing career trailing him. He is also an excellent member of the community and is always actively involved. How could you not feel overwhelmed with pride whenever your team picks him up?
The Dallas Stars have been lucky to have Sharp on their front lines over the past two seasons. After trading for him and Stephen Johns on July 10, 2015, Sharp came in and helped transform the Stars’ offense into a dominant powerhouse.
He finished 2015-16 with 20 goals and 55 points in 76 games, along with four goals and six points in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Stars were eliminated in game seven of the second round but carried a lot of momentum into the 2016-17 season.
But this season quickly turned on them for the worst. Injuries and an overall inconsistency in play buried the Stars early on and left them in a hole in the standings that they never fully emerged from.
Dallas Stars
One of those injuries was to Patrick Sharp, who received an initial concussion on October 26th in a game against the Los Angeles Kings. He ended up missing 26 games this season on two different occasions.
It’s been a pretty rough season for Sharp off the ice as well. His father has been battling leukemia all season and the early injury just tacked on to the emotional rollercoaster that he had to endure.
And now this nightmare season has come to an end for no. 10. On Saturday, the Dallas Stars announced that Patrick Sharp would be shut down for the remainder of the season due to a nagging hip injury that he has been playing through for a little while. It was made known earlier in the month that he would need surgery, but that he wanted to try and play through it as the Stars continued to fight for a playoff spot.
But the decision was finally made considering Dallas is inching closer to being mathematically eliminated the playoff race. Sharp finished the year with eight goals and 18 points along with a -22 rating in 48 games played.
Sharp will have surgery on Tuesday and will undergo a four to five month recovery period. This comes at a critical time in his career. He is 35 years old and will be 36 in December. This was his 14th season at the pro level. He is also going to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
After the surgery, Sharp may get the green light to return to the NHL for another season or he may be advised to retire and end his career. It all depends on how the surgery goes and how quickly and effectively he recovers. If he does decide to return, GM Jim Nill has already made it public that he wants to come back to Dallas.
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“We’ve had conversations,” Nill told Stars Inside Edge. “If he comes back, he wants it to be Dallas. He thinks he’s a Dallas Star.”
Another factor from Sharp’s injury is the fact that the Dallas Stars will have to turn to younger players to fill the void, specifically Jason Dickinson. For the final eight games, it looks as though one of the Stars’ best prospects will get an extensive chance to prove himself. This season, he has 30 points in 55 games. Last season, he scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game with the Stars.
Based on morning skate in New Jersey, it looks like Dickinson will start the afternoon on a line with Radek Faksa and Devin Shore, making the line extremely youthful and filled with speed. They will definitely be fun to watch as the Stars close out a disappointing season. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m. from the Prudential Center.
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As for Sharp, you can’t help but wish him all the best. He would be a tremendous asset for the Dallas Stars next year if they can get him at a good price. After all, how could you not want him in your corner?