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Dallas Stars Daily Links: Man Of Steel

Stars center Sam Steel may not be known to rack up a lot of points, but his impact goes far beyond that.

Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images

Dallas Stars center Sam Steel may not be known to rack up a lot of points, but his impact goes far beyond that.

Anyone that follows sports knows that a championship roster is comprised of many different pieces that fit together; that bring out the best in one another. Every team has their stars, but comprising your team of effective role players is just as important to make it all come together.

Sam Steel is the epitome of that for the Dallas Stars. Steel’s true value is his versatility: the ability for coaches to move him up and down the lineup and sit back knowing he will make a difference. D Magazine‘s Sean Shapiro wrote a nice piece covering Steel’s contributions to the team’s success. Here is an excerpt from that article:

“At roughly the halfway point of the season, the 26-year-old has become the Stars’ unsung hero, a utility tool who kills penalties at an elite level and has helped elevate the offensive games of rookies Mavrik Bourque and Logan Stankoven. One NHL scout who works for a Western Conference team told me Steel’s game is most impressive because of his routes and arrival times. The skill is still there, but as the scout noted, Steel is always in the right spot, no matter the situation. As Dumba put it, Steel has what it takes to adapt and survive in the NHL, especially as a player who has never rivaled his scoring production as a junior. “

With the Stars pressed with cap space, Steel is providing a true bang for the buck, costing the Stars only $1.2 million this season. Fortunately (and unfortunately) for the Stars, Steel is playing above his value and will likely find himself skating in another uniform next season given looming financial commitments the Stars will likely be making with Wyatt Johnston this offseason, and possibly Jason Robertson in a couple years. Steel is fully aware of the cap space constraints, but is also trying to earn a payday for himself so there are no hard feelings. Fortunately for Steel, may well play for a contract on a Stanley Cup contending team.

You can read the rest of Shapiro’s article here.


Stars Stuff

Thank you to all who showed up for a great cause!

Here’s your next chance to make a difference!


Around The Central

We have a few Central Division foes on the slate tonight:

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning take a trip to the Windy City to face off against the Chicago Blackhawks.
  • Our intra-division matchup tonight features the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Utah Hockey Club.

In other news:

Forsberg stays hot:


The World of Chel

Forgot there were games on last night? Well if you did, here is what you missed:

Official memo from the Oval Ovi Office:


Finally

Here’s your chance to watch the game with fellow Stars fans and perhaps meet up with anyone from DBD Nation who attends!

Talking Points