Dallas Stars: Five Surprise Players From The 2018-19 Season
By Josh Clark
3. Roope Hintz
When the Dallas Stars needed a young forward to step up and help resolve their depth scoring problems, Roope Hintz initially didn’t look like the answer.
The rookie made his NHL debut on Oct. 4, 2018 when the Stars kicked off their 2018-19 campaign against the Arizona Coyotes. And after an impressive 2017-18 season and playoff run with the Texas Stars and a strong showing in the preseason, it seemed as though Hintz was ready to make a quick impact at the NHL level.
That didn’t happen (well, not immediately at least). After just five starts through the first two weeks, Hintz was sent back down to the AHL for further development. He was called back up one month later and played in nine more contests before being sent down for another month.
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And after posting two goals and three points in his first 14 NHL games, Hintz was called up yet again on Dec. 29, 2018. The rest is history.
Hintz ended up turning in an impressive 2019 slate, posting seven goals and 19 points in his final 44 games of the regular season. That all added up to nine goals and 22 points in 58 regular season games along with 87 hits and a 54.3 face-off win percentage (second-highest on the team) in an average of 14:03 skated per game.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for the center. In his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut, Hintz recorded five goals and eight points in the Stars’ 13 postseason contests. He not only made a sizable contribution to the Stars’ attack, but also made a name for himself across the NHL.
The interesting thing about the 22-year-old second-round pick from 2015 is that he seems to possess a perfect balance of size and speed. At 6-3, 215 lb., he’s one of the bigger forwards in the Dallas lineup and isn’t afraid to impose his will on the forecheck or back check with a heavy hit. He’s also known for getting in shooting lanes and using his frame to block shots and break up passes.
On the other hand, there’s a good chance that he’s the fastest skater on the Dallas Stars roster. Even though he’s 215 pounds, he knows how to get up and go when needed. Whether that’s barreling into the offensive zone and gliding past defenders to set himself up for an open chance at the net or surging back to the defensive zone to break up an odd-man rush, Hintz was always ready to make a play with his feet.
As a result, he helped churn the Dallas offense along and gave it new life as the playoffs began.
It was an impressive rookie showing for a young center that should be a regular face in the Stars’ top-six for years to come. That’s a big win for the Dallas Stars top-six, especially considering the chemistry he has built with Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alexander Radulov, and Mats Zuccarello.
Speed kills.