Dallas Stars: Five Players Most Likely To Improve Under Ken Hitchcock
It’s widely believed that last season, the Dallas Stars simply lost respect and will for head coach Lindy Ruff. Which of these players can improve the greatest under the new regime?
On Thursday morning, the Dallas Stars confirmed reports that they had appointed veteran National Hockey League bench boss Ken Hitchcock to head coach of the Dallas Stars.
The rumors of Hitchcock, formerly a Stanley Cup champion with the Dallas Stars, rejoining the underperforming organization were prevalent. The firing of Lindy Ruff directly after the season finale on April 8th opened the door for Hitchcock.
Hitchcock, the owner of the fourth-most head coaching wins in NHL history, has a reputation for being extremely difficult to play for; the 67-year-old implements a heavily defensive system based on discipline and maturity.
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However, given his previous success with the Stars of old – featuring league superstars Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen, he deserves a chance with the newest crop of talent after 15 combined years away from Big D.
With the various systemic issues that arose from the Lindy Ruff-led staff, many of Dallas’s top dogs underwhelmed this season, something Hitchcock vows to change. But who, out of this talented core, can take the biggest leap under Hitch?
#5 – FORWARD, TYLER SEGUIN
He remains one of the best and most consistent offensive centermen in hockey, but 2016-17 was Tyler Seguin’s lowest-scoring year with Dallas, although it isn’t his fault.
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What Ruff attempted to emulate was a system that seperated Seguin and his partner in crime, Jamie Benn. Hitchcock stated at the American Airlines Center on Thursday that he views Seguin, and only Tyler, as the number one center on the team.
How will this help? Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have combined to create the highest-scoring duo in the NHL since 2013-14, and under Hitchcock they will be reunited. Seguin will improve vastly, not only by possessing the role of Jamie Benn’s linemate once more, but by playing his natural position: center.
We saw Seguin play on lines centered by Jason Spezza, Radek Faksa, and even Devin Shore, but with Hitchcock on the bench, Seguin will be playing down the middle.
Hitchcock also noted that he desires a form of Tyler Seguin that plays in all roles, even the penalty kill. While Seguin isn’t particularly a bad defensive player, a system led by Hitchcock will help straighten out some D-zone wrinkles #91 may have.
#4 – DEFENSEMAN, STEPHEN JOHNS
After a sensational showing late last year that carried into a massive playoff performance, Stephen Johns regressed mightily this season, all under Ruff’s system that was meant to reduce risks taken.
Johns is at his best when he can roam the offensive zone and make up for any mistakes with physicality, something he did exceptionally well in the AHL with the Texas Stars. Hopefully Hitchcock’s defensive system allows him to press up the ice.
The Wampum, Pennsylvania native was forced to chip it up the boards or dump the puck in and change, which is the opposite of how you’d want a 6’4″ man with extremely stout skating abilities to play.
Hitchcock, when at his last job in St. Louis, handled physically large defenders well. Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, and Kevin Shattenkirk all succeeded with him, and Johns is comparable to those three men.
#3 – DEFENSEMAN, ESA LINDELL
On Thursday, Hitchcock mentioned Esa Lindell when he was asked about his plan with this defense, citing his size and his puck-moving abilities. The issues under Ruff for the young Finnish defender were the same as what the aforementioned Johns faced: lack of confidence and not being able to play his own game.
In his rookie season, Lindell became a relatively strong number-two defender, alongside John Klingberg he played most of his games. Lindell’s defensive game was asked to be world-class right out of the gate, given his alliance with premier offensive-blueliner and turnover prone Klingberg.
t was less than that. Lindell struggled with breaking the puck out to forwards and with using his 6’3″ frame in the corners of the D zone.
However, as it was stated in the previous slide, the work Ken Hitchcock has done before with defenders of Lindell’s variety will help the Finn.
Expect him to remain alongside Klingberg, this time using his underrated speed and improving his stick skills.
#2 – FORWARD, JAMIE BENN
Jamie Benn had a less than ideal 2016-17 season, one in which the former Art Ross Trophy winner tallied just 69 points. This was caused in part to a nagging hip ailment, something that has nothing to do with coaching, but also something that has everything to do with such:
Benn was often lined up with a borderline mediocre player and number one center, Cody Eakin. Eakin had three goals in 60 games; three whole goals.
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The main thing that will help Jamie in returning to his Hart Trophy finalist form is Ken Hitchcock putting the lofty left winger with true A1 center Tyler Seguin, as the two have combined for over 500 total points over the past four seasons.
As Hitchcock is devoted to creating a new Tyler Seguin, one that develops a more responsible, mature defensive game, Jamie Benn will likely spend less time in his own zone. When you have a world class wrist shot like Benn, you should get to deploy it at all possible times.
#1 – FORWARD, VALERI NICHUSHKIN
A lack of top six solidarity was one of the most problematic features of the 2016-17 Dallas Stars, and Valeri Nichushkin could potentially return and increase the size and speed of the lineup.
The Stars’ 2013 first-round Draft pick did not see eye to eye with former head coach Lindy Ruff, and therefore left to pursue a bigger role within his home country of Russia with CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League. That’s what he got, and in 36 regular season games, Nichushkin earned an All-Star appearance with 11 goals and 13 assists.
The Stars were fine with sending Nichushkin to Russia knowing they’d recover the big Chelyabinsk native with a more mature demeanor, one that’s ready to take on the National Hockey League and commit to an NHL system and contract.
It remains to be seen, but Ken Hitchcock has a particular fondness for big, physical wingers like Val, and Hitchcock could be just the guy to drag Nichushkin back to Dallas.
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We’ve seen Russian KHLers make the jump to the NHL recently, such as Artemi Panarin, Alexander Radulov, and Vladimir Sobotka, with them turning out to be steals for their respective franchises. Val Nichushkin could very well become that for the Dallas Stars.