Dallas Stars: Fitting Dan Hamhuis Into Defensive Scheme
By Josh Clark
The Dallas Stars have a significantly new look to their defensive lineup this season. One new player needs a spot in the top six, but where does he fit?
It took about three hours on July 1, but the Dallas Stars finally made the move they needed to in acquiring new defenseman Dan Hamhuis.
The unrestricted free agent had just finished up a six-year stint with the Vancouver Canucks and was in search of a new home when the Stars found him.
It’s still unclear if Dallas had Hamhuis at the top of their list going into the free agency opening, but one thing is clear: he’s been on the Stars’ radar for a while. Back on February 29 at the trade deadline, Stars GM Jim Nill reportedly made a hard push to acquire Hamhuis, but Vancouver’s asking price was apparently too high. The Stars decided to settle with Kris Russell instead.
But now the Stars have Hamhuis locked down on a two-year, $7.5 million for nothing in return. That’s a solid deal for a tenured defenseman.
The question now is where the veteran Hamhuis will fit in the Dallas Stars’ defensive scheme. The better question might be in regards to what the Stars’ defense will look like this year.
The Stars blue line underwent some significant change this offseason. They traded away the rights to their top veteran Alex Goligoski and lost Jason Demers and Kris Russell to free agency. Just like that, Dallas was missing three of their six regular starters.
2015-16 Stars’ defensive starting unit:
Alex Goligoski – John Klingberg
Kris Russell – Jason Demers
They managed to re-sign Jordie Benn, who was put into the “seventh man” role as the 2015-16 season drew to an end. Benn will more than likely not only receive a full-time starting spot this season, but a bigger role as well.
John Klingberg, Johnny Oduya, and Stephen Johns are the only three returning starters. Add in Hamhuis and Benn and that leaves just one empty spot to be filled. The Stars have three young candidates with the opportunity to fill it: Patrik Nemeth, Jamie Oleksiak, and Esa Lindell.
None of the these three players have played an entire season of NHL hockey, but Nemeth has the most experience over the past two seasons. He has played stints with Dallas over the past three years, while Oleksiak has played games in Big D over the past four seasons.
Meanwhile, Lindell has only played four NHL games, all which occurred during the 2015-16 season with Dallas. He has proven through AHL play and in the World Championships that he is prepared to take on an NHL roster spot.
Out of these three, the Dallas Stars would most likely pick Nemeth, at least to start the season. He has proven himself to be an effective and smart defender over the past three seasons, and gives the Stars a size advantage (though not as large as Oleksiak’s). That decision has yet to be made though.
If they do go with Nemeth, that gives the Stars a defensive lineup of Klingberg, Oduya, Hamhuis, Benn, Nemeth, and Johns. How do these players fit into a three pair set?
Let’s get a couple of definite things out of the way first.
For one, John Klingberg does not need to be moved from the first pairing. The 23-year-old Swede has taken the NHL by storm with his play over the past two seasons. His mixture of offensive power and defensive finesse is a combination that very few defensemen possess. He’s been towards the top of the Norris Trophy voting for two straight years, and is considered one of the ten best D-men in the league.
Secondly, it would not be smart to break up Oduya and Johns on the second pairing. Johns is still adapting to the NHL style of play and needs a veteran nearby to help him out if he stumbles. He loves to use the forecheck with his big frame, but that comes at a risk. Sometimes a quick forward can sneak by a hit, leaving Johns out of position. That’s where Oduya steps in.
The two had strong chemistry towards the end of the year and into the playoffs and can effectively play a good number of minutes each game, so why try to fix it if it isn’t broken?
That leaves Hamhuis two options: first or third pairing. A multi-faceted player like him does not need to be skating last pairing minutes. It’s likely that Benn and Nemeth will round out the third line, so that really only leaves Hamhuis one option.
But that’s okay, because Dallas could be getting a dynamite pairing with Klingberg and Hamhuis.
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Hamhuis has many traits that make him a respectable and threatening defender. For one, he can snipe the puck if the timing is right with his wicked snap shot. He’s also a physical defenseman at 6-1, 209 pounds. He loves to join in on the offensive rush, can play special teams, and provides a leadership presence on the ice with younger players (he wore one of the A’s in Vancouver last year).
This will perfectly compliment Klingberg’s strengths. While Hamhuis is a big, physical defender, Klingberg is small and loves to move the puck and aid in the offensive zone. He has tallied 98 points in 141 NHL games. Klingberg can play on both offense and defense, but ultimately prefers the offensive side of things. That’s where Hamhuis can step in and control the defensive side of things.
Last year, the Dallas Stars’ top pairing of Goligoski and Klingberg was consistent for the most part, but still had some troubles here and there. That was primarily due to the fact that they are both offensive defensemen and neither possessed a physical edge. Hamhuis has all the qualities necessary to complete the top pairing and turn it dangerous.
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There’s no doubt that the Stars will need some time to adjust next year on defense. They’ve seen a major shift this offseason, and will sport a new lineup next year. It has a chance to be even more impressive than last year’s group, and Hamhuis will be a key to the team’s success. His influence could carry Dallas through the playoffs, as long as he plays it right.
At the age of 33 and with 12 NHL seasons under his belt, you can bet that Hamhuis is itching for his first Cup. Can he get there this season and bring the Dallas defense with him?