Dallas Stars: Evaluating Effect Of Trades
The Dallas Stars did what they had to do before the trade deadline, and not much more. Here’s a rundown of the problems the Stars still need to solve and how the new acquisitions could help or prevent a Stars turnaround.
We’ve seen it over and over in the first few paragraphs of the recap articles about every trade the Dallas Stars made up until this trade deadline: we put ourselves in this position. In other words, these moves were avoidable. But we can’t go back and undo the past. So the best we can do now is take a moment to evaluate if, overall, these moves will be good for the Stars or not.
First of all, let’s consider the issue that got the Stars into this mess in the first place: poor play this season. While it seems to have roots in every zone of the ice for the Stars, it really all starts in the defensive end. Jim Nill moved many defensive players off the team prior to the season starting in favor of bringing in bigger bodied, more aggressive-style skaters. After all, it seems like the Central Division gets bigger and badder every season- all teams have to keep up.
It seemed like a good idea then, and seemed to have some good results early on; the Stars were getting more physical, serving more of an intimidating presence. But, one can’t overlook the fact that, as imperfect as the Stars’ defense was last season, something about it worked to a much higher degree than it does now.
What happened? Well, Nill booted the puck-savvy, smaller, more skating-skilled defensemen and replaced them with big lumbering bodies. Don’t get me wrong; big can be good. But lumbering cannot. Because of this choice, gone is the defense in which the light-footed John Klingberg and his two-way style flourished. Now, the Stars have heavy skates on the blue line that just can’t move as fast or as fluidly as the defense was able to before.
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And like everything in hockey, that change set off a chain reaction. The first domino to fall was, obviously, goaltending.
More responsibility has fallen on the shoulders of Lehtonen and Niemi, and the pressure of cleaning up the defenses’ mess has gotten so extreme at times that Ruff has resorted to switching them in and out at will, at a pace enough to give some of us whiplash. The result of this is ultimately weakened goaltending, as neither goalie ever gets enough time between the pipes to develop sufficiently confident play.
The next domino to fall was the offense. When your defense isn’t quite defense-ing right, and the goalie can’t keep up with the demand, who’s left to fill in? The only other guys left on the ice, the offense. Here you see the cause for the Stars’ great offensive drought of 16-17.
The forwards had to pull back to make up for the lack of mobility and range in the defensive end. When you have forwards splitting time between trying to defend and trying to score, they’re not only going to score a lot less, but they’re going to get burned out very quickly. Sound like a familiar scenario to anyone?
It’s clear that the Dallas Stars have a problem. And it’s obviously clear to them, too, as they realized what their moves would have to be up to the trade deadline. Another criticism of these trades in the midst of the Stars’ current woes is that the Stars have been systematically moving the older, wiser, veteran players out to make room for young prospects.
Dallas Stars
Youth is good. New blood is good. But you have to strike a delicate balance. Youth with no leadership is reckless and may result in high energy, but it’s a science experiment that will eventually blow up. All veterans without young players to temper them can end up fresh out of steam and passionate play. All that to say, you really need both.
But the Stars are trending toward a mostly prospect-driven team. Nill keeps referring to the fact that he’s placing his trust in the kids coming up in the system, but we’ve seen some of the most promising prospects that the Stars have been grooming for years struggle right along with the rest of the Stars this season. Prospects alone are not the answer.
What is the answer is to strike that balance of veteran and prospect, and to strike another balance between size and strength on the blueline and agility and speed on the blue line. The Stars’ defense encountered problems last season because it was all small and fast, while this season the Stars’ response has been to completely overhaul instead of finding the balance.
So here’s the question we’re all thinking: will the trades mean anything? Will they help fix this problem, even in a small way? Well, let’s look at the players that the Stars have brought into the fold recently, contrasted to what they have given up.
The first real ground shaking that occurred for the Stars trade-wise was early in February, when they traded two prospects, both forwards, to Arizona in exchange for two more prospects, a goalie and a defenseman.
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Then, of course, you have forward Patrick Eaves’ departure to Anaheim in exchange for draft picks.
The next upheaval happened at the end of February, when Nill shipped defenseman Jordie Benn off to Montreal and brought in defenseman Greg Pateryn to take his place.
Next to go was defenseman Johnny Oduya, who was sent back to Chicago in exchange for forward Mark McNeill.
And the last piece to fall was the trading of Lauri Korpikoski to Columbus, and the acquisition of defenseman Dillon Heatherington in exchange.
First of all, let’s take note that it’s overwhelmingly defensemen coming in and the mix of forwards and defensemen going out. It’s obvious that Nill is trying to make a defensive change, but the worry here is that he’s going for that overhaul approach again instead of trying to strike a middle ground.
But, let’s not assume anything. After all, you never know when you’re going to end up with another Jamie Benn– in the most defensive interpretation of the metaphor, of course.
Obviously, all the prospects coming into the Stars system will stay just that for now- prospects. The goalie and defenseman from Arizona as well as Dillon Heatherington will be continuing to develop with the Stars’ AHL affiliate.
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However, one face-palm detail in the whole prospect-acquisition scenario? The word Nill chose to describe Heatherington was first and foremost not fast, agile, or smart, but “big.” Only time will tell if that is his only prevailing virtue, but at first glance, it doesn’t seem to promise much middle ground for the Stars’ future.
Unfortunately, it seems like a very similar boat we’re in with Greg Pateryn. Although his road to the NHL seemed not all that far off from Jordie Benn’s, Pateryn is described primarily as “a big defenseman with good strength” who “isn’t a great player when he has the puck.” Out of Nill’s own mouth, he’s a “big, heavy body.”
I’m not going to negate the possibility of improvement, but I am going to negate the possibility of improvement happening as quickly as the Stars need it to in order to form a well-rounded defensive core with agility, smarts, and strength. So that’s two strikes.
At this point, it seems a little futile to me to think that adding another forward to the mix would fix the problem that is only being fed by the addition of more of the same old style of defenseman that’s causing the problem in the first place. But again, the Stars are in a position they did not want to be, and because of that, they obviously aren’t free to make the decisions that would pull them out of this spot.
Mark McNeill, though, could be a gainful addition. Hockey News calls him a good two-way player comfortable at multiple positions. If the Stars are going to add a forward right now, it should be one more suited to the increasingly defensive role that the forwards are having to take on- a role that, from the rest of the Stars’ trade moves, doesn’t seem like it will change any time soon.
McNeill clearly isn’t going to be an offensive powerhouse, but his all-zone mentality could prove beneficial to the Stars, at least in the current position in which they find themselves. But the downside? He’s going the prospect route, too.
Straight on to Austin, bypassing Dallas altogether. Perhaps his skills could benefit the Stars in the future, but that’s also debatable, as Mike Heika refered to McNeill as the “long-shot prospect-“one stuck seemingly perpetually in Chicago’s AHL affiliate. But the point is that the Stars will not see any of him now, when they need a change the most.
Next: Eaves' Possible Return To Dallas Would Be Mistake For Stars
Here’s the bottom line: the Dallas Stars aren’t where they want to be. And that makes it nearly impossible for them to do what they need to do to change that. As difficult as it was to see all kinds of players traded away- veteran, consistent, and still somewhat new- for more prospects and bulky defensemen, the Stars are making do with what they have currently.
Although they didn’t win last night, the Stars’ realization of the true down and out nature of their position seems to be spurring them to more intense play. At the end of the day, that’s all we can ask. In Jim Nill do we still trust? Well, let me get back to you on that one.