This past summer, the Dallas Stars spent a lot of time and effort roping in some strong new recruits. Those recruits have already made their presence known in the first three games, and that bodes well for the team’s future success.
It’s hard being the new kid in town.
When someone is introduced to a new public community or lifestyle, it can take some time for them to adjust. They have to get acquainted with a new lifestyle, new people, and a new way of going about things. The Dallas Stars have learned that lesson firsthand over the past few seasons.
The team has been known for bringing in a mass of new talent in each passing offseason since Jim Nill took over as GM in 2013. This new talent is expected to help better the Stars in one way or another, but that can take time.
When Dallas traded for Patrick Sharp in the 2015 offseason, he was expected to make an immediate impact on the top line. But Sharp didn’t tally his first point until the fifth game of the year. His first goal didn’t come along until the ninth game of the 2015-16 season. Sharp ended the year with an impressive 20 goals and 55 points, but it took him a few games to catch fire.
Dallas Stars
Ales Hemsky also struggled upon moving to Dallas in the 2014 offseason. After tallying an assist on opening night in the 2014-15 season, Hemsky went pointless for a 15-game stretch. The winger did not score his first goal in a Dallas uniform until game 22.
The point is that even the most talented players can experience some moving pains when joining a new team.
With that being said, there was plenty of reason to worry about the Dallas Stars going into the 2017-18 season. The Stars spent the 2017 offseason stacking their lineup with new talent after a disastrous 2016-17 campaign. Dallas needed help on offense, defense, goaltending, and special teams. Luckily, they met each of their glaring needs through the different players that they acquired.
They started the offseason by trading for and signing veteran starting goaltender Ben Bishop. Nill followed that move up with a trade for veteran defender Marc Methot. And once July 1 hit, the Dallas Stars signed Tyler Pitlick, Martin Hanzal, and Alexander Radulov. All five of these players were expected to be starters in the Dallas lineup upon acquisition.
But as the season opener neared, it was brought into question whether these new players would have an immediate impact or not. Bishop struggled in preseason play, Radulov and Methot were rather quiet in their own play, and Pitlick and Hanzal were expected to provide more of a depth presence in the bottom six.
Now that we are three games and almost one week into the Dallas season, it’s clear that those worries were all premature. Each one of the new additions to the Stars’ lineup has already contributed in some significant way in the early portion of the 2017-18 season.
On offense, both Radulov and Hanzal are already on the board with points. Radulov has two assists and Hanzal scored an empty net goal on Tuesday night. Both have provided a physical presence (especially Radulov) for Dallas in the offensive and defensive zones and are playing a sound offensive game. They create chances with their lines and keep a consistent presence on the ice through their effort.
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Though forward Tyler Pitlick has yet to get on the board, his contributions have come via special teams. Pitlick has played a significant amount of time on the penalty kill for Dallas. The Stars have taken 16 penalties since the beginning of the season, and Pitlick has been out there to kill each and every one of them.
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His contributions on special teams have not gone unnoticed. Pitlick is fast, aggressive, and will do whatever is necessary to clear the puck out of the zone. As a result, he has Dallas sitting as one of the best PK teams in the league.
On defense, Marc Methot has yet to find a point, but that isn’t necessarily his forte. Methot has contributed on the penalty kill along with Pitlick and also provides Dallas with a much-needed size upgrade on the blue line. At 6-4, 233 lb., Methot has the ability to provide physicality in the defensive zone. He already has six hits on the year and is a proven defensive force for Dallas.
And finally we have the goaltending. Ben Bishop currently owns the fifth best save percentage in the league with a .955. He has stopped 42 of 44 shots through 103:58 of play, including a 43:58 shutout of the Vegas Golden Knights on opening night. He had to leave the first game early due to injury, but came back strong in game three against the Detroit Red Wings.
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Each new Dallas Stars player is off and running in their own respective way. They are contributing in different areas and helping better the team as a result. They required little to no adapting time and already seem to be in full function. That bodes extremely well for the future if they can keep it up.
It’s difficult being the new kid in town. But if you know how to hold yourself up, acclimate quickly, and do your job, you’ll fit right in.