Dallas Stars: Justin Dowling Gets AHL Call-Up Instead of Denis Gurianov

The Dallas Stars had an open roster spot to fill, and chose Justin Dowling as the one to make the trek up I-35 to join the team.

The vacancy in the line-up came after the Dallas Stars sent Roope Hintz down to the AHL on Saturday.

Justin Dowling was undrafted, but after spending time with the Idaho Steelheads in 2012-13, he earned an AHL contract. That season, he helped the Texas Stars to their first Calder Cup.

After the 2013-14 season, the Stars gave him a two-year, two-way deal, then a one-year extension, followed by his current two-year extension which expires next summer.

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This will be Dowling’s second season spending time in the NHL, after playing nine games in the 2016-17 season during a few call-up stints.

During those nine games, he did okay, putting up two points. He wasn’t meant to stay up long-term that season, and didn’t impress management enough to change that, but he’s done well in his time in the AHL.

Last season, when the Texas Stars made their run to the Calder Cup Finals, Dowling was second on the team with 17 points. He’s third on the team this season, at 6 points in seven games.

Dowling is a center, something the Dallas Stars have an abundance of on the team already, and he’s been centering the top line for the Texas Stars. If he draws into the line-up, he could take Hintz’s spot as the fourth-line center.

If neither Alexander Radulov nor Valeri Nichushkin is ready to go for Tuesday night’s game against the Kings, he’ll be on the roster for that night. Jim Montgomery said on Saturday that Radulov might be ready, but probably not Nichushkin.

Even if Radulov is ready, Dowling may still slot in, with someone else coming out instead. Gemel Smith may find himself healthy scratched again, but Montgomery may also use the opportunity to scratch someone who’s underperforming to send a message to them.

The decision to call up Dowling over Denis Gurianov is certainly a surprising one for most fans. Most people were expecting Gurianov to get the call, and with good reason. With Radulov and Nichushkin as the injured players right now, pulling up another winger to step in seems like the logical choice here. He’s even Russian, as well.

Gurianov has also had a solid season so far in the AHL and has improved significantly in his recent play. He’s got 5 goals and 7 points in seven games, and could potentially provide more offensive firepower for a team that is in serious need of some.

The Stars could still end up calling Gurianov up at some point, especially if Nichushkin’s recovery ends up taking longer than the team expects. If he goes on IR, another roster spot would open up for Gurianov. That’s obviously not ideal for the Stars, who need everyone healthy as quickly as possible, but it’s a possibility that may come to pass.

For now, we’ll see how things play out with the Stars tomorrow when they take on the Kings in their second of a three-game homestand.