The Dallas Stars are in the middle of a six-game losing streak right now, heading into tonight's game against the Washington Capitals. Things are just really gloomy around the locker room right now, and it's sad to see after the start the Stars had this year. However, some good news came earlier this morning when the Stars signed Justin Hryckowian to one of the most team-friendly contract extensions I've seen in some time.
The reason the Stars' fanbase should be happy about this contract is that it barely eats into the salary cap and doesn't hinder the Stars from paying Jason Robertson. That contract is probably next on Jim Nill's list of things to do before the trade deadline. The other thing that really makes this contract team-friendly is that Hryckowian is the type of teammate that you want in the locker room. He's willing to do whatever it takes to win the Stanley Cup with Dallas this season.
I loved how he battled it out at training camp before the season began. You could tell he was tired of playing down in the AHL and wanted a bigger challenge for himself. When Jamie Benn went down with a collapsed lung, Hryckowian was one of the players at the top of my list to fill that roster vacancy until Benn was healthy. However, more injuries occurred, and Hryckowian played brilliant hockey to the point that it would be detrimental to the Stars to send him back down.
What I'm looking forward to seeing from Hryckowian next season is developing a scoring game to help the bottom six. He could even develop into a top-six scorer in the league if his development continues the way it is right now. However, I'm loving that he's doing a lot of the grunt work on the bottom two lines right now. It's the type of player the Stars need to round out their roster. He's one of those players that other teams will kick themselves for not signing in the future.
In conclusion, Hryckowian will be an excellent addition for the Dallas Stars and their future. I hope that Hryckowian takes out some of the guys to dinner to celebrate. However, the Stars need to focus on the elephant in the room right now: their six-game losing streak. The Stars take on the Washington Capitals at the top of the hour. I hope that Hryckowian decides to pop off after signing his extension today. That would be a fantastic surprise if he added a goal or two tonight.