Day one of training camp is in the books for the Dallas Stars. It was a day filled with learning and promise, but also showed some potential flashes of what the season could look like, including initial line combinations.
The Dallas Stars spent the first day of 2018 training camp acquainting themselves with the Jim Montgomery era. And while it wasn’t an automatic acclimation, it was a promising day one.
The newest head coach of the Stars spent his first day at the helm working on specific areas of the team’s overall strategy, teaching new philosophies, and examining each player’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, players took the opportunity to adapt to the wants of their new coaching staff and focus on specific areas.
It’s all a part of the process that comes with significant offseason change. With a new coaching staff, new schemes, and new players, it’s only natural to take some time to adjust. But that’s what training camp is for.
But it’s also a time to try new things. And Montgomery wasted no time in trying to plan ahead for the 2018-19 season. In addition to working on directional and strategic situations, the Stars also used their first day to experiment with some initial line combinations.
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Now, there is a disclaimer here. After all, it was only the first day of camp. There are still two more sessions and six preseason games to get through before a roster is finalized and a true starting lineup can be crafted.
But for the first day of training camp, it was nice to see Montgomery already trying out different scenarios in hopes of finding something that will work in time for opening night.
The 60-man roster was broken up into three different groups, with each group skating for a little over an hour with the coaching staff. And while the groups may look to be randomized, there is a certain method behind each of them.
Throughout the first day, the Stars debuted different lines and defensive pairings with their expected NHL players. These were the created lines on offense:
Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov
Mattias Janmark – Jason Spezza – Blake Comeau
Valeri Nichushkin – Radek Faksa – Tyler Pitlick
Devin Shore – Jason Dickinson – Brett Ritchie
Gemel Smith – Roope Hintz – Remi Elie
In addition, the defensive pairings looked like this:
Miro Heiskanen – Stephen Johns
As a whole, each of these lines debuted in a different group. But the point is that these players were put in the same group to be on the same line.
And if there’s one thing that these lines and pairings preach, it’s balance and promise. Now, many fans and media members projected many of these initial lines months ago. But, that doesn’t mean they don’t form a solid lineup.
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On day one, Montgomery spent some time talking to the media about his lineup from the first day. He pointed out that not only does he like allowing players to build chemistry together, but also to keep them together for confidence reasons as the season goes along. On Friday, they began building and reigniting some potential chemistry.
The first line is an obvious choice. Benn, Seguin, and Radulov wreaked havoc on the NHL as the Dallas Stars’ top line last year, combining for 103 goals and 229 points.
The second line is where things get a little interesting. While many projected Janmark and Spezza to be paired together considering their history together, Valeri Nichushkin was the expected right wing choice. Instead, Blake Comeau, one of the newest additions to the roster, was slotted in beside Spezza. He’s a versatile winger that can play on both sides and provide size and a scoring punch, so it looks like a good mixture.
The third line is where Nichushkin comes in, skating alongside Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick. Faksa and Pitlick worked incredibly well together on the third line and penalty kill for the Dallas Stars. Adding Nichushkin gives them even more size and forecheck confidence, which should play to their advantage.
One of the biggest questions that the Stars will face in training camp and the preseason revolves around how their fourth line will pan out. They have a handful of young talent vying for the final three spots, leaving plenty of room for battles and competitions. On day one, Shore, Dickinson, and Ritchie made up the bottom three.
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Dickinson is a natural center and does well at the position, while Shore and Ritchie are skilled wingers who are both trying to bounce back from rough 2017-18 campaigns. It’s a good balance of size and energy for the fourth line. But close behind were Smith, Hintz, and Elie skating on an extra line in a group and attempting to make a statement.
On defense, Montgomery stuck with the usual first pairing of Lindell and Klingberg. The duo has built a strong bond over the past two seasons, serving primarily as the Stars’ top defensive unit. They offer a nice balance of offensive pressure, defensive IQ, and overall communication.
The second pairing includes Miro Heiskanen and Stephen Johns. This might end up being one of the most consistent pairings for the Dallas Stars in the 2018-19 season if they end up using it. Pairing Heiskanen’s offensive superbness and terrific skating skills with Johns’ shutdown abilities and impressive size and speed, the Stars could have a goldmine on their second pairing.
And finally, the Methot and Honka pairing offers a balance of brute physicality and offensive focus. As projected, Polak skated as a seventh defender, pairing up with Gavin Bayreuther, who is one of the Texas Stars’ top defenders.
Day one taught the Dallas Stars a lot of new philosophies and mindsets. But it also gave them a chance to begin building chemistry in preparation for the season ahead.
If the lines shown on day one ended up serving as the opening night lineup, the Dallas Stars should be in good shape.
Not bad for the first day.