Mike Heika / SportsDay 9 hours ago 
Why the presence of Miro Heiskanen next season could either be a help or hindrance to Julius Honka
Throughout the offseason, SportsDay's Mike Heika will be breaking down members of the 2017-18 Stars. To see more players, click this link.Stars player profilesJulius HonkaPosition: DefensemanHeight: 5-11Weight: 186Age: 22 (Born Dec. 22, 1995, Jyvaskyla, Finland)Shoots: Right2017-18 stats: 42 GP, 1G 3A, 4Pts, -1, 14 PIM2017-18 cap hit: $863,3332018-19 status: Under contract for a cap hit of $863,333Did you know: Honka won a gold medal with Finland in 2014 at the World Juniors.What he did well: Honka was patient in managing a difficult situation and seemed to put in the work in practice to get...
Defending Big D 14 hours ago
Dallas Stars Season Grades: Stephen Johns
Allowed to play through his mistakes, Johns seems to have turned a corner. Stephen Johns just turned 26 on April 18th, which means two things: Johns was the fourth-oldest member of the Stars’ defense corps this season, behind Dan Hamhuis, Marc Methot and Greg Pateryn; it also means that, assuming the UFAs walk, Johns will be the second-oldest defenseman on the team next season. So as much as we’ve been trained to talk about the Stars’ “young defensemen,” Johns is rapidly exiting that territory. That said, this was only his third season in the NHL, having gone to college and all....
Defending Big D 16 hours ago
Stars Announce 2018 Draft Ticket Info
Draft tickets will go on sale for Stars season ticket holders on April 30 and will be available to the general public on May 7. The Dallas Stars announced today the details for securing tickets to the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The draft will be held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Round One will be held on June 22 and Rounds Two through Seven will be held on June 23. On Monday, April 30, Dallas Stars season ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets for Day One (June 22) and Day Two (June 23). Fans that are Partial Plan Holders will be able to purchase tickets on Wednesday, May...
Mike Heika / SportsDay 19 hours ago 
How secure is Julius Honka's job this summer?
Mike Heika, Stars beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered your questions about the team in a live chat recently. Here are some highlights:Who are some centers or scoring depth that the Stars could look to adding this offseason?Heika: I need to get a list going. There are some UFA options, and some players who are under contract for teams looking to make changes, so look forward to a future list.Eric Staal took a pay cut last year and joined the wild and scored 40, could the stars use a vet who will take a pay cut and be useful as that or is it time to rely on...
Defending Big D 22 hours ago
Wednesday Links: Y Kant U Defense, Big D?
The Stars have plenty of young talent, so why do they struggle to develop it? Plus, the Texas Stars go to Round Two, the Steelheads go to Game 7, and yet there’s more. The Dallas Stars’ extra-thin blueline has been an area of need ever since Sergei Zubov packed up his skates and headed home to Russia. After a near-interminable series of drafting and signing hits and misses – plus one epic lottery win (o hai Miro Heiskanen) – they now have a stable of talented young defensemen, both in Big D and in the pipeline. So why in the world did Stephen Johns languish in 2016-17? Why did the...
Mike Heika / SportsDay Apr 24, 2018 
Stars found a gem in Tyler Pitlick, but has bargain winger put injury bug behind him?
Throughout the offseason, SportsDay's Mike Heika will be breaking down members of the 2017-18 Stars. To see more players, click this link.Stars player profilesTyler PitlickPosition: Right wingHeight: 6-2Weight: 202Age: 26 (Born: Nov. 1, 1991, Minneapolis, Minn.)Shoots: Right2017-18 stats: 80 GP, 14G, 13A, 27Pts, +9, 34 PIM2017-18 cap hit: $1 million.2018-19 status: Under contract for $1 million.Did you know: Pitlick played parts of four seasons with Oklahoma City in the AHL when he was in the Oilers organization.What he did well: He was a really solid linemate for Radek Faksa and a consistent...
Derek Neumeier / Defending Big D Apr 24, 2018 
Dallas Stars Prospect Update: Phillipe Desrosiers Fighting Hard For His Place In The Organization
Elsewhere: Ondrej Vala’s team takes series lead, Jason Robertson on verge of elimination The path to the NHL is an incredibly challenging one to embark upon for players of all positions, but it is especially difficult for a goaltender. The reason why comes down to simple mathematics: there just aren’t as many positions available for goalies as there are for forwards and defensemen — usually just two per team at all professional levels of the sport. That difficult reality is the same even for players that were high draft picks, as Dallas Stars prospect Philippe Desrosiers can surely...
SportsDay Apr 24, 2018
Keep 'em or leave 'em: Vote on what you'd do with Stars forward Antoine Roussel
The Dallas Stars have six unrestricted free agents that played in games during the 2017-18 season. They are...-- Goalie Kari Lehtonen -- Defenseman Dan Hamhuis -- Defenseman Greg Pateryn -- Left winger Antoine Roussel -- Left winger Curtis McKenzie -- Goalie Mike McKennaToday we'll be voting on whether you want the Stars to keep Hamhuis or let him leave in free agency. Here's a quick breakdown of his most recent season, as well as his total time in Dallas.[Scroll to the bottom to cast your vote!]Antoine Roussel2017 stats: 73 games played | 17 points [5 goals, 12 assists] | Plus-1 104...
Defending Big D Apr 24, 2018
Dallas Stars Season Grades: Kari Lehtonen
A tale of two very different goalies — who happen to be the same person. Kari Lehtonen has bounced between good, quality seasons and severely underwhelming ones throughout his tenure with the Dallas Stars, which has made him quite the polarizing figure across the fanbase. So it’s perhaps fitting that, in what might have been Lehtonen’s final year in Dallas, the veteran goalie gave the team two very different performances during the season. The first Lehtonen was a former 1A/1B starter that transitioned seamlessly into his new role of backup goaltender behind Ben Bishop. He had played...
Defending Big D Apr 24, 2018
Dallas Stars Season Grades: Martin Hanzal
Martin Hanzal wasn’t very good, but his usage and contract are far worse. On the surface, there were good reasons to trade for Martin Hanzal. Dallas was coming off a season in which their penalty kill that was the worst in 20 years. As long as Hanzal could play more than 60 games, he’d be good for 40 points, while bolstering the two-way play of the new system. And Dallas really needed someone to fill in Cody Eakin’s critical 12-point spot from last season. There were also good reasons not to trade for Hanzal. Not only had he never played the full 82 games, but he had frequently...
Mike Heika / SportsDay Apr 24, 2018 
Why do the Stars struggle with developing young defensemen?
Mike Heika, Stars beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered your questions about the team in a live chat recently. Here are some highlights: Patrik Nemeth played pretty well in the playoffs. What do you think is Dallas' biggest struggle with developing young defensemen?Heika: I think they needed to pick the one or two they wanted and then trust their development. There was too much forcing the player to prove himself (especially against another young defenseman) and it created, in my opinion, an environment where the player was afraid to make a mistake. They also...
Defending Big D Apr 24, 2018
Tuesday Links: Tyler Seguin Is An Athlete And A Gentleman
Dallas’ top center is just as valuable off the ice as he is on it. Plus, firings and hirings, we have a Game 7, and more! The Dallas Stars put out a press release yesterday that they have nominated Tyler Seguin to be their candidate for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is given to the NHL player “who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” (Fun fact: the trophy is also the name of a How I Met Your Mother episode.) We highlighted some of Seguin’s charitable and community work when he was...
Mike Heika / SportsDay Apr 23, 2018 
Radek Faksa was one of Stars' best in 2017. Could he become Dallas' second-line center?
Throughout the offseason, SportsDay's Mike Heika will be breaking down members of the 2017-18 Stars. To see more players, click this link.Stars player profilesRadek FaksaPosition: CenterHeight: 6-3Weight: 216Age: 24 (Born: Jan. 9, 1994, Vitkov, Czech Republic)Shoots: Left2017-18 Stats: 79 GP, 17G 16A, 33Pts, +21, 36 PIM2017-18 Cap Hit: $2.2 million ($2.0 million actual salary)2018-19 Status: Under contract for $2.2 millionDid you know: Faksa moved away from his mother at the age of 11 and lived in a team apartment to play for nearby Trinec until the age of 17.What he did well: Pretty much...
SportsDay Apr 23, 2018
Player grades: Points were there for Jamie Benn, but no playoffs for Stars. Vote on the captain's season here!
The exercise is simple. Grade how you think every member of the Dallas Stars -- including head coach Ken Hitchcock and GM Jim Nill -- performed during the 2017-18 season.Some notes:-- We're including all players who appeared in more than 20 games and finished the years with the Stars.-- We'll be releasing player grades posts from now with Marc Methot all the way until May 18 with Brett Ritchie.-- Cap hits via spotrac.com.Jamie BennPosition: Left wing Stats: 82 games played | 79 points [36 goals, 43 assists] | Plus-20 2017 cap hit: $9.5 million Notable: The captain played in all 82 games for...
Mike Heika / SportsDay Apr 23, 2018 
What's the biggest question the Stars must answer this offseason?
Mike Heika, Stars beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered your questions about the team in a live chat recently. Here are some highlights:If things don't go well with his third head coach, do you think that's it for Jim Nill?Heika: Yeah, this is the biggest decision he will make. He needs to hit on the right coach. He has some great choices out there, so I think the patient approach is a good one. I think what he really needs to do is embrace his vision for the style of play he wants and then select a coach who shares that vision.Which player/prospect over the...
