Dallas Stars Focus On Defense In Latest Round Of Roster Moves

With the regular season only one week away, the Dallas Stars are in the process of trimming their roster down to 23 players. They took another step in that direction today, moving three defensemen down to the AHL.

The Dallas Stars entered Thursday morning with 35 players still on their training camp roster. And while that may seem like a lot, it’s only a fraction of the 60-man list that they began camp with back on Sep. 14.

With every training camp and preseason comes a chance for each NHL team to assess their organization from top to bottom. That all starts with the players and prospects.

Which players are ready for NHL action and can fill voids in the top lineup? Which ones are knocking on the door but need a little more AHL time? And which ones still need to take “the next step” with play in the ECHL or junior leagues?

All of those questions are answered on a player-by-player basis. The roster begins as a large mass, but each assessment helps trim it little by little.

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On Thursday, they made another adjustment to the roster after more decisions. But in this case, they focused solely on the defensive side of things.

The Dallas Stars began their day of movement by waiving defensemen Dillon Heatherington and Reece Scarlett.

Heatherington spent the majority of the 2017-18 season as a top-pairing defender with the Texas Stars. But he did make his NHL debut with Dallas in January. He ended up playing six NHL games last season, tallying an assist and a +3 rating. At the age of 23, the second-round pick still owns a high ceiling and put on an impressive performance as a big-bodied, physical defender last season.

Scarlett was traded to the Dallas Stars organization in November 2017 from the Florida Panthers and spent his season with the Texas Stars. The 25-year-old will likely begin the 2018-19 season as an AHL starter.

Both were waived due to their contract situations. If they both clear waivers (which they likely will considering it’s still the preseason), they will be assigned to the Texas Stars.

Dallas followed this move up by assigning 2014 sixth-round pick John Nyberg to Texas as well. The 22-year-old signed his entry-level deal with the Stars organization last summer and made his AHL debut during the Texas Stars’ Calder Cup Playoffs run this past summer. He made a relatively smooth transition to professional play and should be an AHL regular in the coming season.

Assuming that Heatherington and Scarlett clear waivers, the Dallas Stars roster should sit at 32 players going into Friday morning. That includes 20 forwards, nine defensemen, and three goaltenders.

Dallas will be back in action on Friday night with their second-to-last preseason matchup of the year when they visit the St. Louis Blues. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Go and is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

The Dallas lineup for Friday night mirrors more of an “opening night lineup” with 13-14 of the players being assumed NHL starters.

The Stars have one week to get their lineup down to 23 players and are taking the proper steps to get there. They will likely cut six more forwards, two defenders, and one goaltender on their way to that magic number. Which players end up being moved is anyone’s guess.