Shawn Horcoff: Dallas Stars Season Ending Report Cards
By Josh Clark
So sorry to keep you all waiting! Moving is truly a horrible thing when the computer gets packed up too!
Here’s the next report card and analysis on the next player in number order, #10 Shawn Horcoff:
Shawn was brought in this season with high hopes and expectations. But that was not what we completely saw. And some of it was not his complete fault.
Season recap:
Shawn started the season mainly on the second line paired with Erik Cole and Ray Whitney and sometimes Rich Peverley. But the almost 36 year old forward found himself falling in the line ranks after finishing at the Olympic Break with 7 goals and 9 assists and finishing the regular season with 0 goals and 4 assists. It was a rough path for him this year no doubt but his stats cannot be pinned entirely on him after being sent to the fourth line and averaging about 8 minutes on the ice per game for about the last 25 games.
Playoff recap:
Though a tough road was paved in the regular season, Shawn overcame it and performed fantastically in the postseason. With 1 goal and 5 assists while still on the fourth line, he proved that he is still a trustworthy forward. He was especially useful in Game 4 at the AAC when he tallied two key assists, one to Fiddler for the equalizer at 2 and one to Goligoski who netted the 4th of the game that sent Anaheim packing looking for a way to shut Dallas down in Game 5, especially Horcoff’s hot hand. Though Game 5 was a beating, Horcoff still found a way to net a goal on Andersen. In Game 6, Horcoff found another assist to Daley on the break that started a short timed happy massacre and ended in the flooding of green face paint and tears (next year, people). Horcoff made up for his absence in the regular season using the playoffs.
Contract situation:
Horcoff’s salary for last year was $4,000,000, making him the 6th highest paid player on the Stars. His contract expires next year in which he will be a UFA and be bale to do as he pleases. His salary drops next year to $3,000,000 and his cap hit is $5,500,000.
In my opinion:
In my opinion, Horcoff is still a rather valuable antique that could prove useful in the long run next year. But my name’s Josh Clark, not Jim Nill.
Just in case anyone in their right mind was thinking this, I’ll knock this possibility out now, the Stars DO NOT and WILL NOT buy out his contract and he DOES NOT need to be sent to the minors (I hope no one thought this). And no, Horcoff has no off-the-ice antics, unless you think that enjoying time with his wife and kids or having one brown eye and one green eye is cause for trouble, then by all means voice your opinion in the comments!
The bottom line on Shawn Horcoff:
The Dallas Stars acquired Shawn Horcoff, the former Oilers captain and 2nd line center, for Philip Larsen (do y’all even remember him anymore?), with good intentions. Though his season stats looked murky at best, he proved himself to be a valuable asset in the games exceeding Game 82.
The Stars could keep him in Big D for his last year and see what happens. If we’ve learned anything from Jaromir Jagr, it’s that age does not matter by any means whatsoever. Could the playoffs demonstration he put on mean that he’s hungry to play as well as he did then in the year to come, or was it just a fluke and will the Stars be wasting a valuable $3,000,000?
The Stars could look to trade him, but they might have some trouble in getting anything decent in return. Not many teams are going to be looking for a 35 year old forward with a hot and cold personality when on the ice unless they are 100% sure they are going to make a Cup run tin 14-15. Also, the one year deal left on his contract won’t make him any more attractive to teams when adding this to the rest of the mix.
If the Stars were looking to trade him, they could try adding on a minor league name for someone else average, perhaps a RW (we need em) like Brian Gionta or Dustin Penner (especially Penner from WSH, a team looking to sort of rebuild for just this offseason and be back in the fight come October).
They could also try and send him to a team in need of a veteran for their potential playoff team for a draft pick or two and open a good amount of cap space to perhaps pick up a big name FA defenseman like Dan Boyle or Matt Niskanen. Both these names could amp the Stars struggling defense and hopefully turn them into a team that can fire on ALL cylinders and using that strength to carry them to the Cup.
So there’s the facts and my opinions. Overall, I think that the Stars would probably be best with keeping him because of how well he can create chemistry with 0ther teammates on and off the ice. If they were wanting a big name like the ones above, there are plenty of other people (that I will get to in later editions) that could possibly be sent for them. If it comes down to Horcoff only, they might have to do what they have to do. But that will be their choice.
This team is on the way to an AMAZING future and getting there faster than anyone ever expected them to. A New Star Is Rising for sure but they need a few more little additions here and there to complete the Cup caliber squad. Horcoff might be a possible key, might not, depending on how bad he wants to be. Jim, you hold the cards, and we trust in you completely (I mean look what he’s done already).
Feel free to leave your own opinions in the comments and GO STARS.