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Dallas Stars Daily Links: The Stars Say Goodbye to Patrick Eaves, Get Win Anyway

It’s a bittersweet moment that we all saw coming. Plus, Dave Strader goes national on Sunday’s broadcast, and Mumps 2: The Mumpening is an actual thing now.

By Kathleen Tibbetts
NHL: Arizona Coyotes at Dallas Stars
The 17th Victory Regiment, parading the colors.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday, the Dallas Stars said goodbye to a player who, all on the quiet, has become a team pillar and a fan favorite when they traded RW Patrick Eaves to the playoffs-bound Anaheim Ducks.

The Stars feel pretty much the same way you do. (Is that comforting? It might be oddly comforting.) [Stars Inside Edge]

"He's one of the most unselfish guys I've ever played with. A great teammate and a great guy. That was tough news to hear," Stars captain Jamie Benn said of the Eaves deal. "We put ourselves in this situation. I wish we hadn't put ourselves in this situation."

For his part, Eaves told NHL Radio he’s ready to do what his new team needs him to do, pretty much as he’s done in Dallas. [SportsDayDFW]

"You just know you're going to have a tough time every time you play against the Ducks," Eaves said. "It's a team I'm joining and I'm really excited about that, just because of the way they play and the way they're positioned in the playoff hunt."

Stars GM Jim Nill has known Eaves longer than almost anyone, and his message was simple:

"I told him, 'Go there and win the Stanley Cup. You deserve it,'" Nill said.

Elsewhere, Julie Dobbs talked to Jason Spezza after the game and reported this:

Eaves, an overproducing winger and pending UFA on an exceptional-value contract, checks many, many boxes for the Ducks. [Sports Illustrated]

Fun fact: Did you know that even before he plays a single game in Disney Land, Eaves is the highest-scoring Duck this season who is not named Rickard Rakell? [ESPN]

Yet there are people who think a conditional second was an overpay for the majestic Maj. Eaves. Some of them are Ducks fans. [Anaheim Calling]

With a top scorer gone, and the post-bye week malaise the NHL has experienced generally, it may have been too much to ask for the Stars to bring home the home win. But that’s exactly what they did with their 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. The Captain even tied The Major’s goal tally for the season to date.

While Razor worked on his lollygagging, the Stars worked on whatever helped them to snap the bye-week curse.

Tomorrow’s matinee against the Boston Bruins will be televised nationally on NBC, which means the entire country will get to hear Dave Strader back on the job.

Eaves is one of those players who can make almost any team better – but there are other trade-deadline targets who could actually make some teams worse. Dom Luszczyszyn takes a look.

Also at THN: USA Hockey helped Patrick Kane become the player he is today. Ryan Kennedy has an overview of the program’s current status. [THN]

They’re baaaaaaack: Five Vancouver Canucks are showing symptoms of mumps, and now we’re all flashing back to the Outbreak of 2014.

Shall we take some cold comfort in the knowledge that #Kevin will almost certainly get to the Stanley Cup playoffs this year? With their 4-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, the Calgary Flames won their second game in as many nights and are now officially on a roll. [Matchsticks and Gasoline]

Here’s a little perspective on the Flames’ winning streak.

Meanwhile, if you can’t stand the NHL’s standings format, Greg Wyshynski has some hate just for you.

The NHL Draft lottery giveth, and it taketh away, as the Montreal Canadiens can attest.

Finally: One last time for one of the greatest beards in hockey. We’ll miss you, Patrick.