Two-way player emergence
Hintz showed more than offense last season as he developed more into a true, two-way center. His ice time increased by nearly 4 minutes from the previous season as he increased in on-ice responsibility. Hintz exceeded 18 minutes per night in 2020-21 because he gained his coaches’ trust in multiple situations.
"“He’s made so many leaps and bounds since he first came into Dallas, and now he is I think one of the most underrated players in the NHL…The way that he skates, his big body, he can shoot, he’s got great vision, great IQ, he’s very responsible defensively. When he’s out of the lineup, it’s a huge loss for us. When he’s in the lineup, it makes us a better team.” – Blake Comeau"
Hintz killed penalties on the second power-play unit while also winning nearly 50% of key face-offs. The centerman was usually on the ice during the most crucial situations to include final minutes, overtime periods, and the shootouts.
Hintz’ production during the season was impressive, considering the eventual disclosure of his injury severity. Without injury, we expect Hintz to further cement himself as a Stars top two-way threat.