Dallas Stars: Assessing Their Fourth Line Options For Opening Night

1. Devin Shore

There’s really very little reason to doubt Devin Shore’s status for opening night. He’s only one of two Dallas Stars to play in each of the past 164 games (two straight seasons) and served primarily in a depth role throughout that span.

In addition, he signed a two-year deal this summer that carries an AAV of $2.3 million.

Everything seems set up for Shore to once again be a regular starter in Dallas and play in a multifaceted role.

But will he be a starter for the entire season? That likely depends on his performance and his ability to have a bounce back year.

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The 2017-18 season was not a friendly one to the 24-year-old forward. After putting together a promising rookie campaign in 2016-17 with 13 goals and 33 points while playing a depth role, Shore was given a bigger role in 2017-18. But he didn’t necessarily capitalize on it.

Though he played in all 82 games last season, he barely cracked the 10-goal mark with 11 and posted 32 total points. He skated over a minute longer on average than his rookie season and served on both the second unit for both the power play and penalty kill.

But the lack of scoring and production wasn’t necessarily what caught most people’s eyes. Instead, it was the glaring -30 rating that turned out to be the worst mark of any player in Dallas Stars franchise history.

Shore had some serious issues with puck possession and defensive solidity last season and it ended up showing on the stat sheet. And as a result, his ability to produce on offense was handcuffed to an extent.

Maybe it has to do with the system or maybe it has to do with his usage. Either way, Shore will get a clean slate and an opportunity to right the ship in the year ahead.

He’s a versatile player that can fill in plenty of roles as well as play all three positions on offense. His career face-off win percentage is spotty (46.7 percent) but he’s proven to be a reliable center when playing in a depth role. In addition, he also brings a new element to the wing when slotted in on either side.

With Hanzal’s absence from the lineup, Shore might be a solid choice for fourth line center. But there may be other options that cause him to slide to the wing.

Either way, expect to see Shore in the opening night lineup, serving as a 200-foot player and potentially giving the Dallas Stars a valuable depth presence that they so desperately need on offense.