Dallas Stars Daily Links: New Teammates Bring More Than Skill to the Table

When teams say they bring in a player due to “leadership” and other intangibles, many fans tend to roll their eyes. But when a team brings in a player that makes the team better AND improves the locker room? That’s the holy grail right there.

Take the Dallas Stars, for instance. Last year, they grabbed the big fish of Free Agency in Alexander Radulov, who turned out to energize his fellow teammates in addition to putting up big points. And the Stars seem to have found a similar spirit this past offseason in fellow Russian Anton Khudobin:

“We do play a game, and he’s one of the guys that recognizes that,” Stars coach Jim Montgomery said. “His energy and enthusiasm, and his love and passion of the game is infectious.”

...

“I try to have fun,” Khudobin said. “If you enjoy it, then you will enjoy everything, all of the processes and steps, and then it is fun for everybody.”

Kuhodbin isn’t the only one finding his place. Blake Comeau, who also signed this past offseason, is also having a positive impact on his new teammates, and not always in the way you’d expect it:

In a recent practice, Comeau put hard checks on his teammates against the boards during drills. That’s something you don’t always see in the NHL.

”I’m a fan of that, especially right now when we’re trying to increase our competitive levels,” Montgomery said. “How hard he works and how hard he competes -- that’s why he was such a valuable asset to get in the offseason.”

You can read more in Mike Heika’s piece here.

About Last Night...

The Stars won their third preseason game last night! They prevailed over the Minnesota Wild once again in a 5-3 victory, led by a two-goal performance by Jamie Benn.

Speaking of the captain, here’s what he had to say in the post-game, specifically about linemate Roope Hintz:

Here’s what the rookie had to say about his own two-point performance:

Even coach Jim Montgomery had high praise for the young forward:

You can read more about the game in Sean’s 20/20: [The Athletic]

Around the League

In case you’re still wondering about some last minute trade targets...

Or, at least that was the case until later in the evening, when Vegas announced a seven-year extension for Shea Theodore. [@GoldenKnights]

The Stars have been placed into DownGoesBrown’s “Middle-of-the-Pack Divsion” in his season preview: [The Athletic]

It’s official everyone: Seattle is building a hockey arena:

How do the Stars’ forwards stack up against the rest of the league? Greg Wyshnski ranks each of the teams’ forward core: [ESPN]

Presented to you with no context:

Okay, you can have your context: the Philadelphia Flyers have a new mascot. And all jokes aside, he’s absolutely terrifying. So distract yourself from the horror with this:

Completely unrelated: here is a look at some of the most absurd mascots in NHL history: [NBC Sports]

Finally...

Here’s a cool little story involving Radulov, a replica jersey, and one lucky fan: