This week, we have talked about a couple of underdogs that have gone through the Stars' organization. The first one we talked about was Logan Stankoven, who was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline last season. He was a scrappy player despite his height and gave it his all during all of his shifts. The Stars drafted another underdog this summer in Connor Schmidt. He has the potential to become a franchise cornerstone player if he can get a bit more physical.
Today, we are going to talk about another player that you could consider an underdog. The Dallas Stars drafted Ty Dellandreas with the 13th pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He started in Cedar Park with the Texas Stars and had an incredible breakout season, which got the Stars to add him to the roster. However, the coaching staff couldn't find a spot for him on the roster every night, and he became one of those players who ended up in the suite.
Now that wasn't a knock against the type of player that Dellandrea was with the Stars. Dallas Stars Writer Mike Heika wrote an article in April of 2024 that talked about how Dellandrea was always upbeat and cheered on his teammates despite not being in the lineup. That is the ideal hockey teammate that most teams want to have on their roster. However, the Stars' system didn't fit the style of his play, and Jim Nill traded him to the San Jose Sharks. It was the right move to give Dellandrea a chance to get into the lineup every night.
That is one of the things that I love about Nill. If a player or prospect doesn't fit the Stars' game plan or system, he will try to help them find a team willing to give him a shot at making the roster every night. It's why the rest of the NHL GMs respect Nills and why he won three Jim Gregory Awards. He gave Dellandrea a chance to continue his NHL hockey career without having to send him down to the Texas Stars.
Dellandrea is fitting in well with the Sharks. He's a part of their rebuild, and they could be heading towards the playoffs with the offseason that they had. While the Sharks are long shots from being a wildcard contender, Dellandrea continues to be that underdog teammate that he was with the Stars in San Jose. I wish nothing but the best for Dellandrea as he continues his hockey career with the Sharks. Dellandrea will be remembered in Dallas for being willing to do whatever is asked of him, even if it means being a healthy scratch.