Dallas Stars: Assessing Their Fourth Line Options For Opening Night

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The Dallas Stars offense looks stocked, if not overloaded, with options for their opening night roster. But with the limited number of spots, how might their lineup fill out, specifically on the fourth line? Here’s a look at the different players that may be vying for the final spots.

Overstocking at a certain position can be a good problem to have in hockey. But it can also create a bit of unwarranted chaos. It all depends on how the team handles it. And it will be interesting to once again see how the Dallas Stars handle it in the coming season.

Over the past few summers, the Stars have wasted no time in bringing in veteran talent to add to their already stocked roster. These talents may be veteran defenders that fill a particular need or goaltenders with a winning pedigree.

But, it’s quite often the forward position that gets the majority of attention from GM Jim Nill. Players like Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza, Patrick Sharp, and Alexander Radulov have all been acquired over the years in an attempt to bolster and promote the Dallas offensive cause.

And while these additions have produced some positive results, they also come with a small snag. That snag is the issue of cramming the roster and leaving no spots open for young and developed talent to get a crack at the NHL level.

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While it does breed competition, it can sometimes be difficult watching four NHL-ready prospects fight for one spot because the rest of the roster is locked up on NHL contracts for 2-4 years.

Dallas has managed to make it work to an extent in the last few seasons. But this year, they will be faced with that same challenge and expected to make it work while getting the offense to maximize its potential.

And so, the battle for fourth line spots will commence in the coming weeks. Through training camp and the preseason, a handful of Dallas Stars will grit it out in an attempt to lock up one of the open spots in preparation for opening night.

On offense, it’s assumed that the Stars’ first three lines are set for the most part:

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov

Mattias Janmark – Jason Spezza – Valeri Nichushkin

Blake Comeau – Radek Faksa – Tyler Pitlick

But the fourth line is a tossup. Both players that have spent extensive time with Dallas and ones with little NHL experience could be in the running for the limited spots. And it should be noted that most of the players in the running can play both at center and on the wing.

With Martin Hanzal on injured reserve until at least mid-November, it seems as though all three slots will be up for grabs. And for skaters like Devin Shore, Brett Ritchie, Gemel Smith, Remi Elie, and Jason Dickinson, that means an opportunity to get in the starting lineup. There could very well be other options in the mix as well, like Roope Hintz.

But here is a look at what each of the five players listed above brings to the table and which ones might be the most effective choices to make the roster.

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