Dallas Stars Future: Ales Hemsky Must Step Up In 2015-2016

It was a little over a year ago that veteran forward Ales Hemsky signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Dallas Stars organization. In light of the trade Dallas made for center Jason Spezza, Hemsky joined the Stars as another talented addition to their top six.

Hemsky has quite the career trailing him. At the age of 31, he already has 12 NHL seasons under his belt with three different teams. After an extensive career with the Edmonton Oilers, Hemsky was traded away to the Ottawa Senators. After just 20 games in the Ottawa organization during the 2013-2014 season, Hemsky became a free agent and moved on.

After hearing that short-time teammate Jason Spezza had been traded to Dallas, Hemsky had an easy decision in front of him as he chose to join the Stars.

Throughout his career, Hemsky has proven to be a reliable winger. Before joining the Dallas Stars, he had played in 672 games, scoring 146 goals and tallying 494 points. His points per season average sat around 46, leaving him as an enticing addition to any offensive scheme.

But the 2014-2015 season was not an eventful one for Ales Hemsky. After a slow start to the year, he did not score his first goal as a member of the Stars until November 28th, 2014. At the end of the season, Hemsky ended up tallying only 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games. This was a step down from the preseason hype surrounding him and his supposed chemistry with Spezza.

But his disappointing performance was due to a handicap. For a good part of the season, Hemsky dealt with a nagging hip injury. He still played 76 games, but endured pain through most of them. On exit interview day, Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill let the media know that Hemsky would require hip surgery to solve the problem. Hemsky is currently recovering and doing well.

“It’s been pretty good,” Hemsky said. “It’s been two months and I was here after the surgery for a month and a half for rehab with the people here. Then I went home for a month or so and it was good. Now I’m back and ready for the next step. I skated yesterday for the first time with Jamie [Benn] and the guys, so it’s going pretty well.”

With a repaired hip, Hemsky will be able to go all out on the ice instead of being restricted. It could not have come at a better time, either. The Dallas Stars have added more firepower to their already dangerous offense this past season by trading for Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp. The veteran winger has won three Stanley Cups in the past six years, all with the Hawks. His presence will certainly be felt, and hopefully mold the Stars offense into the best throughout the NHL.

With the assumption that Sharp will settle in on the second line, the expectations will be high for Hemsky to be able to communicate and cooperate as the right winger. Hemsky is excited for the possibility to play with Sharp, though.

“Obviously he’s a great guy,” Hemsky said of Sharp. “He’s got a lot of experience and has won two or three Cups. He’s shown all those years that he can play left or right wing like he said. I think he will help us a lot. It’s a new year, and he can score and play. It’ll be fun.”

He is also excited about the other pickups Jim Nill made this offseason, especially with the experience they will bring into the lineup.

“It’s huge,” Hemsky stated. “They have the confidence because they went through it. There are a lot of ups and downs during the season, but they know how to deal with it and how to help the other players get over those downs. It will be really helpful.”

Wherever Ales Hemsky is playing in the lineup in 2015-2016, he will need to be on the top of his game. With the expulsion of all immediate injuries, an increase in production is expected. It’s time for Hemsky to meet the challenge.

Next: Dallas Stars Introduce Sharp: Full Press Conference Coverage

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