DALLAS, Texas — Ten years after winning the Stanley Cup, there’s no doubt the Dallas Stars are ready to move forward from the dismal, injury-ridden 2008-09 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2001-02 season. With a newly restructured management staff led by General Manager Joe Nieuwendyk, the team has plenty of personnel decisions to make. Nieuwendyk has announced that he plans to avoid costly free agents and build through the amateur draft, where this year the Stars have the number eight selection overall. This is the first time since 1996 that they hold a top ten pick. An area of particular focus is the defensive core. A priority for Nieuwendyk will be what to do with the Stars own free agents. In particular, defensemen Sergei Zubov, 38, and Darryl Sydor, 37, who are both unrestricted this summer. One of Nieuwendyk’s biggest decisions will involve Zubov, who underwent two surgeries on his hip last season and played just 10 games, and 56 games in the past two seasons due to injuries. With a 2008-09 salary of $5,350,000 and a questionable shelf-life, unless he agrees to a substantial pay cut, this may be the end of Zubov’s career with the Stars. Sydor, who was acquired in mid-November and was able to settle down a struggling defensive corps, earned significantly less, at $2,500,000. But while Sydor may be an affordable veteran, he does not anchor the Stars’ blueline. That job has fallen to Stephane Robidas, 32, who became the number one defenseman with Zubov out, and although he out-performed the rest of the defensive core, it was a fair performance by NHL standards. Robidas had a career high 23 assists but managed just three goals, down from nine last season. After becoming a dangerous weapon on the power play in 2007-08, he scored 10 goals with the man-advantage in the regular season and in the playoffs. Robidas managed just one power play goal all season. The rest of the Stars’ defense had a poor start but improved steadily as the season progressed. Trevor Dailey managed a career high 25 points (7 G, 18 A). Marc Fistric and Niklas Grossman were a formidable pairing with both improving steadily as the season progressed. Matt Niskanen started slow, but became stronger on the blueline as the season progressed. Andrew Hutchinson, acquired via trade with Tampa Bay on Nov. 30th in exchange for Lauri Tukonen, was a solid seventh defenseman. Granted, it was a poor year for the team overall, but 2009-10 will require a defensive overhaul if the Stars plan to make a run for the cup in the near future. The Stars’ top defensive prospect remains the undersized Ivan Vishnevskiy, who was taken with their first round pick (27th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. Vishnevskiy, an offensive defenseman, impressed the Stars’ fan base with two assists in just three games. Currently with the AHL’s Peoria Rivermen, he just may be the heir to Sergei Zubov’s spot on the roster. Philip Larsen, Mike Bergin and Trevor Ludwig are also looming in the shadows but the cupboard is otherwise bare in regards to defensive prospects.
Oliver Ekman Larsson (photo courtesy of the NHL)
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