OT Stars Hockey

[Bmurph]

Well we all know the defense is questionable at best most nights, but 7 goals against is fucking terrible!

 

[WilltheThrill]

Tonight's 7-6 loss was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I'm done with this season. I will continue to watch them just because I love the team so much and I would never turn my back on them. But I'm not putting another ounce of emotional investment into this abysmal train wreck of a season. You can't score 6 goals at home, twice blowing 2-goal leads in the 3rd period, and lose. You just can't.

Kari's got to go. He's just flat-out bad too many nights. While it's true that his defense in front of him doesn't help him much, he just lets in way too many soft goals and can't hold leads to save his life. Elite goalies are expected to play larger than life, carry their teams, and steal some games. Kari does none of those things. The talent which made him the #2 overall pick once upon a time is there. He displayed it fairly regularly last season and once or twice this season. But he's just far too inconsistent to be counted on as a true #1 goalie for a playoff team. Atlanta finally got tired of his inconsistent play and poor physical shape which is why they traded him to Dallas. I'd say he's just about worn out his welcome here now too. If he hasn't figured out how to be a consistent top performer in the NHL by now, he never will. I say let Enroth start from here on out and see what he's capable of doing. Start preparing for the future. Think long term. Find out if he's capable of being a reliable backup at the very least.

Seguin, Spezza, Benn, Klingberg, Nichushkin, Ritchie, and Roussel. Those are the only guys I care about keeping. They can trade anyone else before the deadline and I won't lose any sleep over it.

 

[Bmurph]

More shitty 3rd period hockey

 

[RevSader]

Holy shit how do you give up 6 goals in 20 minutes?

 

[Bmurph]

Holy shit how do you give up 6 goals in 20 minutes?

to the Wild

 

[ESPN Refugee]

Tonight's 7-6 loss was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I'm done with this season. I will continue to watch them just because I love the team so much and I would never turn my back on them. But I'm not putting another ounce of emotional investment into this abysmal train wreck of a season. You can't score 6 goals at home, twice blowing 2-goal leads in the 3rd period, and lose. You just can't.

Kari's got to go. He's just flat-out bad too many nights. While it's true that his defense in front of him doesn't help him much, he just lets in way too many soft goals and can't hold leads to save his life. Elite goalies are expected to play larger than life, carry their teams, and steal some games. Kari does none of those things. The talent which made him the #2 overall pick once upon a time is there. He displayed it fairly regularly last season and once or twice this season. But he's just far too inconsistent to be counted on as a true #1 goalie for a playoff team. Atlanta finally got tired of his inconsistent play and poor physical shape which is why they traded him to Dallas. I'd say he's just about worn out his welcome here now too. If he hasn't figured out how to be a consistent top performer in the NHL by now, he never will. I say let Enroth start from here on out and see what he's capable of doing. Start preparing for the future. Think long term. Find out if he's capable of being a reliable backup at the very least.

Seguin, Spezza, Benn, Klingberg, Nichushkin, Ritchie, and Roussel. Those are the only guys I care about keeping. They can trade anyone else before the deadline and I won't lose any sleep over it.

Agree pretty much with everything. Dallas can't afford to move on from Kari because nobody is going to take on that contract of 3/17m. They're going to give him every opportunity to regain what he was last year and at least what he's been the last 3 years or so. I'm certainly not opposed to Enroth starting especially if he can be better but I see a lot fans (not you) asking contingency plans for Kari's replacement and unless if Nill pulls magic out of his ass Kari's probably going to be here for a while. It's unfortunate the Jack Campbell hope might be pretty close to done as 4 years into it he can't even start for Texas.

Dallas surely has to be in sell now mode at this point. We know Cole and Horcoff will be gone and I do think if they're truly on the market Goose and Daley would have teams wanting their services tho I think the organization would like to see Daley stick around for a little while longer. While he's one of my favorite Stars in a long time I think Fiddler would garner significant interest as well.

I just wonder if they just overachieved last year in addition to capitalizing on PHX's Mike Smith injury and Nashville's down year with Rinne being gone for most of that season. All that being said this team just sucks....no sugarcoating it. Thinking we fans just have to be a little more patient and let the defensive core develop and mature. At least we know the pipeline is solid and the future long term core is already in place...just need a little more patience, tweaking and have the powder dry in case someone has to unload on top Dmen due to salary cap issues and capitalizing that way.

But I know how you feel I'll do my darndest to watch every minute of every game just like you because I just so damn love them so much but it's certainly been an annoying season to watch.

 

[WilltheThrill]

Another day, another loss, another abysmal goalie performance. Enroth appears to be no better than Lehtonen or Rynnas. Some of that fault of course lies at the feet of the defense. And I'm becoming more convinced that Mike Valley is very overrated as a goalie coach. I hate to even openly hope for the following things to come true (because it seems all of my Stars hopes get dashed these days), but these are the only positives I see as possible between now and the start of next season:

• Nichushkin and Nemeth are able to return and successfully re-acclimate themselves to the NHL game so that they'll be ready for next season
• Ritchie gets extended minutes on the top 2 lines to prepare him for that role next season
• The Stars are able to unload Cole, Horcoff, and/or Daley for better-than-expected returns (namely draft picks a round or two higher than projected)
• The Stars lose as many of their remaining games as possible and get the best draft lottery odds possible. They either then win the lottery or trade their 1st round pick along with players or other picks to move up into the top 5 and they draft a franchise-level player.
• They use the majority of their significant available cap space to sign or trade for 1-2 competent (top 4) defensemen.
• They sign a high upside backup goalie who can push and challenge Kari.
• 1 Junior or AHL level player surprises (a la Klingberg) in camp and earns a regular rotation spot (Dickinson, Shore, Elie, Faksa, Honka, etc.).

 

[ESPN Refugee]

I have to think the organization favors still keeping Daley around especially when he's had what 15 or 16 goals this season. Other than that yes I think it's time to unload Cole, Horcoff and entertain offers for guys like Goose and Daley if the deal is right.

Nuke and Nemeth coming back excites the hell out of me and as long as they can get a few games in before the season ends I think it'll benefit them mentally going into the off-season.

The great thing is I don't think the Stars will have to try too hard to lose games because they're just bad and mentally bad out there. For some reason though I thought the draft lottery was going to take place next year rather than this one.

As of now I'm just hoping on the availability of Brent Seabrook in the off season and if there is something that could be made but not sure Chicago would want to trade him within the division or conference if given the choice.

 

[WilltheThrill]

I have to think the organization favors still keeping Daley around especially when he's had what 15 or 16 goals this season. Other than that yes I think it's time to unload Cole, Horcoff and entertain offers for guys like Goose and Daley if the deal is right.

Nuke and Nemeth coming back excites the hell out of me and as long as they can get a few games in before the season ends I think it'll benefit them mentally going into the off-season.

The great thing is I don't think the Stars will have to try too hard to lose games because they're just bad and mentally bad out there. For some reason though I thought the draft lottery was going to take place next year rather than this one.

As of now I'm just hoping on the availability of Brent Seabrook in the off season and if there is something that could be made but not sure Chicago would want to trade him within the division or conference if given the choice.

Agree.

I think the Stars do have some hope in regards to landing a top defenseman or two. Usually that is an almost impossible task. But a handful of teams are going to be up against the cap and will almost certainly have to shed some salary (whether through trades or just not re-signing free agents).

Seabrook (Chicago), Seidenberg (Boston), Wisniewski (Columbus), Phaneuf (Toronto), Sekera (Carolina), and the Phoenix trio (Yandle, Ekman-Larsson, Michalek) could all be available this offseason. Of course Phaneuf would probably cost too much in terms of paying his remaining contract and Ekman-Larsson would probably cost too much in terms of assets the Stars would have to part with to get him, but the point is that the Stars will definitely have options to upgrade their D.

 

[ESPN Refugee]

Agree.

I think the Stars do have some hope in regards to landing a top defenseman or two. Usually that is an almost impossible task. But a handful of teams are going to be up against the cap and will almost certainly have to shed some salary (whether through trades or just not re-signing free agents).

Seabrook (Chicago), Seidenberg (Boston), Wisniewski (Columbus), Phaneuf (Toronto), Sekera (Carolina), and the Phoenix trio (Yandle, Ekman-Larsson, Michalek) could all be available this offseason. Of course Phaneuf would probably cost too much in terms of paying his remaining contract and Ekman-Larsson would probably cost too much in terms of assets the Stars would have to part with to get him, but the point is that the Stars will definitely have options to upgrade their D.

Seidenberg would be great and intrigues me especially that he's a big dude and comes from that Boston system. I gotta think he can be had at the deadline rather easily if we sent offense and skill their way which the organization has plenty of.

 

[Justinkm83]

The great thing is I don't think the Stars will have to try too hard to lose games because they're just bad and mentally bad out there. For some reason though I thought the draft lottery was going to take place next year rather than this one.

NHL announces changes to Draft Lottery format - NHL.com - News

It changes next year again.

 

[WilltheThrill]

Another 3rd period meltdown, another 2-goal lead in the 3rd at home wasted, another extremely poor Kari performance, another shootout loss, another home loss. It's becoming almost automatic.

But they can't even lose right. At least lose in regulation, get the zero points, and improve your draft lottery odds.

 

[ESPN Refugee]

 

[WilltheThrill]

Parks and Rec, well played sir!

 

[Bmurph]

Cole to the Red Wings for what equates to a 2nd round pick and two guys I don't know much about but it doesn't appear they would have been playing for the Wings anytime soon?

 

[Bmurph]

goofy ass goal off JorBenn's skate to send it to OT and they finally get another win in OT.

 

[Justinkm83]

Anybody an insider? If so will you post this article?

Analyzing team prospect hauls at the trade deadline -- NHL - ESPN

 

[WilltheThrill]

Anybody an insider? If so will you post this article?

Analyzing team prospect hauls at the trade deadline -- NHL - ESPN

Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesAnthony Duclair, 19, will be a key part of the Arizona Coyotes' rebuild.






While the 2015 NHL trade deadline didn't bring us any big-name players on the move -- as it did in 2014, with Marian Gaborik, Thomas Vanek, Ryan Miller and Roberto Luongo moved -- there were some notable prospects shipped off to other teams during the flurry of deals that ended Monday afternoon.

While I contributed to the Trade Grades series written by colleague Craig Custance, here are some extended thoughts on the prospect hauls by certain teams.

Note: For the sake of relative brevity, I considered trades starting with the Evander Kane swap through the deadline.









Anaheim Ducks

Mike Sgarbossa, C: Sgarbossa was trending up for a few years as an amateur and a first-season pro, but he hit a bit of a development wall the past two campaigns. When he's on his game, Sgarbossa is creating for his teammates and displaying impressive offensive creativity. But his physical game isn't great, he's not a world killer defensively, and he hasn't shown enough offense in the AHL to warrant another NHL call-up (played a few games early in his pro career for the Avalanche).









Arizona Coyotes

Klas Dahlbeck, D: Dahlbeck is a very good skater who defends well due to his skating, size, physicality, and hockey IQ. In talking to scouts about him over the years, he's a player who has been pointed to as someone who has consistently improved significantly. He's not an overly skilled player with the puck, but the 23-year-old could project to be in the bottom part of an NHL lineup soon.






Anthony Duclair, RW: Duclair was ranked 12th in my midseason drafted prospects update, as he is one of the best forwards outside the NHL currently. Duclair has trended up significantly during the past two seasons.

He's an elite skater with high-end offensive skill and good vision, and he can dazzle on any given shift. His all-around game isn't perfect, but he has continued to work on those areas while showing great competitiveness on the ice. Duclair, Max Domi and Brendan Perlini combine to give Arizona one of if not the best collection of young forwards outside the NHL.





Maxim Letunov, C: Letunov was ranked 66th in my 2014 draft rankings, and he has been among the top scorers in the USHL most of the season. He's a very skilled playmaker who displays a high level of offensive IQ. He has some areas to work on, like his physical game -- he has a thin frame, to put it charitably -- and defensive play. His skating is just OK, but some scouts point to a lack of lower-body strength as the issue there. If he pans out and works on these issues, he has top-nine potential. Letunov will head to Boston University next season, just in time to not play with Jack Eichel.









Boston Bruins

Paul Carey, LW: Carey isn't a particularly high-upside prospect, but he's a very good skater who works hard, has defensive value and possesses decent enough offensive IQ to make a few plays. He has a chance to forge out a career at the bottom of a lineup, although as a 26-year-old replacement player, that would be about as good as he gets.





Zack Phillips, C: Phillips was a first-round pick by the Wild in 2011 and was a top player in the QMJHL for a few seasons. His puck skills and vision have always impressed, but the other attributes of his game have left room for improvement. His skating -- especially his first few steps -- is subpar, and he's not the best player off the puck either. Theoretically, he's a prospect with upside, but he has so far to go to become a top-nine NHL player that such an outcome should be considered unlikely.









Buffalo Sabres

Jason Kasdorf, G: Kasdorf was blocked in a stocked Jets system at goalie, behind guys like Connor Hellebuyck and Eric Comrie. Kasdorf is an OK prospect, though I haven't been too impressed when I've viewed him over the years. However, he has size and decent athletic ability. Frankly, he's more of an organizational filler prospect at this point. Buffalo doesn't have a ton of great goalies in its system, but Andrey Makarov and Linus Ullmark are certainly ahead of him.









Carolina Hurricanes

Roland McKeown, D: McKeown becomes the second-best defense prospect in the Carolina system behind Haydn Fleury, in the top three to four in the team's pipeline. McKeown will be a candidate for the lower end of my top 100 drafted prospects when I update them this summer.

McKeown is a great skater with significant two-way hockey IQ. He's a skilled puck mover who never seems overly flashy but makes a ton of good plays all over the ice. He can be a little risky at times, but for the most part, he makes a lot of positive contributions. He should be a real candidate for Canada's world junior championship team next season.












Dallas Stars

Mattias Backman, D: Backman has been up and down as a prospect. Coming into the season, there was some expectation that he would contend for a spot on the NHL club, but he struggled in his transition to North America. Backman is a mobile, smart two-way defender with size who is lighting up the SHL as a 22-year-old. His physical game and offensive upside remain question marks as an NHL prospect, and as a best case he projects onto the lower end of an NHL roster.





Mattias Janmark, C: Janmark is a highly skilled forward with the puck who shows good offensive IQ. He has been a quality scorer the past three seasons in the SHL and is currently a top-20 scorer in that league. He's not a great skater or defensive player, but he makes a lot happen when he has the puck. If he rounds out his game, he could be a top-nine forward in the NHL.





Both prospects don't jump to the top of the organization by any means, but they are real prospects. They share some similarities in that they at times show NHL ability but have notable question marks on their projection.

 

[WilltheThrill]

So tonight puts an end to a pretty disappointing season for the Stars.

BUT, as of right now, with his 2 goals in the first period, Jamie Benn has overtaken Sidney Crosby and John Tavares for the overall scoring lead. No Dallas Star has ever won the Art Ross Trophy, so at least we might have that to celebrate.

Other season-ending observations:

The Good
Jamie Benn
Tyler Seguin
A finally healthy Val Nichushkin
Jason Spezza
Antoine Roussel
Patrick Nemeth

The Pleasant Surprises
Patrick Eaves
John Klingberg (best d-man by a mile)
Jason Demers

The Decent (Worth Keeping)
Vern Fiddler
Cody Eakin
Alex Goligoski

The "Meh"
Shawn Horcoff
Colton Sceviour
Jordie Benn (only as a 7th option)
Jhonas Enroth
Travis Moen

The Still Developing
Brett Ritchie
Curtis McKenzie
Jyrki Jokkipaka
Jamie Oleksiak


The Bad
Ales Hemsky (overpaid, didn't score enough, soft)
Ryan Garbutt (based solely on his dirty play hurting the team)
Trevor Daley (team-worst Corsi% and team went on a huge winning streak with fewer GA the day he got injured)
Kari Lehtonen (WAY too inconsistent and let far too many very soft goals in)

 

[WilltheThrill]

And the Captain does it! Tavares scored twice in the 3rd period to pull back ahead of Benn by 1 point. So Benn, not to be outdone, scores two more points in the final 3 minutes of the season (on an empty-netter even) to secure the regular season scoring title and Art Ross Trophy. Plus the scumbag Bruins miss the playoffs on the final day of the season. For a season filled with so much negativity, at least it ended on a great note.