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Dallas Stars Daily Links: John Klingberg Is Bullish on Ken Hitchcock

Posted on by Kathleen Tibbetts

If you’re wondering how John Klingberg will adjust to his famously demanding new coach, the official answer is that he can’t wait to jump into Ken Hitchcock’s defensive system.

Tim Campbell of NHL.com interviewed several European NHL players during their recent media tour, and he spent quite a bit of time with today’s Dallas Stars birthday boy (be sure to send Johnny Defense a happy-25th tweet).

“I’ve been talking to him a little bit and I’m really excited for this season to come,” Klingberg said Thursday as part of the European Player Media Tour. “We have played St. Louis a lot, a division team, a rivalry team, and I told him when he called me this summer that it’s great that you’re coming because you guys in St. Louis were (very) hard to play against.”

As the Stars’ reigning leader in blueline ice time, Klinger says he’s looking forward to making all those minutes count just a little more:

Klingberg, who led the Stars in average ice time last season (23:21 per game), said he was more than happy to embrace the style of a coach who pushes players and is very detailed in his defensive system.

“I want our team to be better defensively and I think he’s going to make our team better defensively,” Klingberg said.

There’s more under the link. [NHL]

#MoreStars

Combining tighter defense with their known creativity is part of the Stars’ recipe for returning to the playoffs, according to Craig Morgan (although “just stay healthy” is Job 1). [FanRag Sports]

Quick reminder: Single-game tickets go on sale tomorrow.

ICYMI, the full Stars #31in31 treatment is now concatenated on NHL.com for your viewing pleasure.

From Mike Heika’s Monday chat at The Dallas Morning News, some discussion of where the much-missed Mattias Janmark could fit int the Stars’ new lineup.

You may still have time to send in a question for today’s Heika chat: It goes live at 2 p.m. Central time. [SportsDayDFW]

Not even an injury-fraught down year for Jamie Benn could keep The Captain out of the top five on the NHL Network’s Top 20 Wings list. (Try not to retch when you see Brad Marchand two places above him.)

From Cedar Park

Jason Dickinson was part of Stars Day on Pro Hockey Talk, and Jason Brough plots his path to the NHL.

Around the league(s)

In previously-on-#NHLTopPlayers, the net chose the top 10 in well, net – from Carey Price to Pekka Rinne. [NHL]

Speaking of the top 10 goalies, Matt Murray let his beloved Newfie, Beckham, eat out of the Stanley Cup during his day with the trophy. [NHL on NBC]

TSN number-cruncher Travis Yost says the Montreal Canadiens made one of the better bets of the off-season on former Star Aleš Hemský. [TSN]

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has won three Stanley Cups in six years, and he wants to get back to winning them, please and thank you. [Sportsnet]

The Detroit Red Wings have noted the use of their logo by a Michigan white-nationalist group styling itself “The Detroit Right Wings,” and the team’s lawyers are not amused.

Neither is the NHL, which has vowed to “vigorously pursue” its discontinuation, as well as “other remedies, as appropriate.”

The Walt Disney Company is buying a majority (75 percent) stake in streaming company BAMTech. What will it mean for NHL.tv and access to its content?

Hot 2017 prospect Kailer Yamamoto has made it official and signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers.

Fellow Washingtonians Tyler Johnson and Derek Ryan couldn’t wait to wish him well.

Meanwhile, the Oil still haven’t renewed their deal with RFA Leon Draisaitl, and David Staples suggests it’s because he’s not worth as much as perhaps his agents think he is. [Edmonton Journal]

Could there be anything to Staples’ notion that Edmonton could cut bait on Draisaitl and trade for Matt Duchene? James O’Brien has a few ideas about how the Colorado Avalanche can boost the trade value of both Dutchy and Gabriel Landeskog.

And with rumors circulating that the team is trying to sign Jaromir Jagr, Jonathan Willis tries to measure how much effort they should put into it. [Oilers Nation]

NCAA hotshots Will Butcher and Alex Kerfoot aren’t the only ones intending to pursue free agency when their exclusive rights expire. Gavin Lee has assembled a long list of college draftees who will be testing the market as of August 15 – minus Nashville Predators prospect Teemu Kivihalme, who’s already signed with Oulun Kärpät.

Sad news: Coach and GM Bryan Murray, a veteran of five different NHL teams who won the 1984 Jack Adams Award with the Washington Capitals and coached the Ottawa Senators to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, lost his battle with colon cancer on Saturday, August 12. He was 74.

Finally

In the latest Vintage Game of the Week, the 2005 lockout ends with a comeback victory for the Stars over the Los Angeles Kings, thanks to the heroics of Sergei Zubov, Stephane Robidas and Philippe Boucher. Enjoy.

Talking Points