Dallas Stars Will Rely On Forward Depth In 2017-18 Season
With the preseason coming to a close, and the regular season right around the corner, the Stars are aiming to solidify Dallas Stars hockey. That means establishing lines and figuring out the team’s identity.
The Dallas Stars have previously been a defensive team and most recently were an offensive powerhouse. Now, they’re in the predicament of redefining the team and its style of play.
Most likely, they’ll become the best of both worlds. Dallas will still have the offensive upswing to their game – it’d be impossible to remove this with the offensive skills of their roster – but offseason moves don’t make it a stretch to assume that defense will play a big part in their identity as well.
As a result, there will be a greater focus put on Dallas’ depth forwards because the big name players will have to focus more energy in their own zone than under previous Stars systems.
Radek Faksa
As one of the great up-and-coming forwards on the team, Radek Faksa will have increased responsibilities this season. He has a few years under his belt and seems to have a good idea of where he fits on the Stars.
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More over, he’s a defensively capable forward with the skills to contribute significantly offensively too. That combination will fuel his role on the team and make him a key component to their overall success.
Plus, if the preseason says anything about Stars special teams, Tyler Seguin taking part in penalty killing might lead the way for Faksa to earn more offensive zone time being that Seguin will need a break. Expect for No. 12 to pass each test with flying colors, just as he has throughout his young career thus far.
Antoine Roussel
Dallas’ most well-known pesky player, Antoine Roussel, is always a hot topic. He certainly falls under the umbrella of depth forwards, and his role will be further expanded in the 2017-18 season.
His physical style of play is difficult to ignore and, again, with the Stars looking to be trending toward a more evenly split offense-defense game, No. 21 will be key. As the team adapts to the newcomers – including head coach Ken Hitchcock – Roussel’s role will continue to evolve.
He has developed into a quality veteran forward on the team with years under his belt. Roussel is a success story younger forwards can look up to, and his dedication to play in every zone is something everyone on the team can strive to achieve.
Plus, he’s proven his ability to contribute offensively in big games, which is something the Stars will need. Roussel had that rather iconic goal a few years back against the Chicago Blackhawks just when the team needed it most. Expect more of the same this year from the French-native.
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Moving Forward
Depth forwards have almost always been a big factor in hockey, but this year with the changes the Stars have endured they’ll be a key to success. Without commitment from every man sporting the Stars’ emblem, Dallas’ season will end before it even begins.