When the Dallas Stars re-signed defenseman Roman Polak, perhaps the biggest question that came to mind was, “where in the lineup will Polak to play?”
Polak wasn’t meant to play top-four minutes this season but ended up playing them anyways. This time around, the hope is that he won’t have to:
“He shouldn’t be playing No. 4 minutes, he shouldn’t have to,” [Jim] Montgomery said. “But if we could slot him and have him and Jamie Oleksiak playing against (Patrick) Maroon in the (Blues) series, then I think we’re in a much better place.
Polak gets a lot of heat for his awful possession stats, but that’s also to be expected for defensive defenseman. Besides, he also brings in intangibles, and you can’t put a price on that:
“He’s someone who helps you win,” Montgomery said. “The life and energy he gives to our team is something analytically that you can’t judge. I’m ecstatic to have him back.”
You can read more from Mike Heika here.
Stars Stories
Bob Sturm walks down memory lane to the 1999 Stanley Cup in his latest mailbag:
Our resident sports nerd, @SportsSturm, answers your questions on everything from archiving old games to buying EPL tickets to the future of sports media. https://t.co/T7OS6rAhUe
— The Athletic (@TheAthleticDFW) June 7, 2019
Sean Shapiro is looking for some Film Room ideas, so fire away!
What film room topics would you like to see tackled this summer? Working on building up a story list for the offseason.
— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) June 8, 2019
ICYMI, yesterday was Detroit Red Wings legend Mike Modano’s birthday!
Happy Birthday to @dallasstars legend, @9modano!
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One of the greatest to ever lace them up. pic.twitter.com/rfDotSwWsR— #StanleyCup on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) June 7, 2019
Around the League
Jordan Binnington might win the Stanley Cup as a rookie, but how does he stack up against past first-year goaltenders in the postseason?
Where does Jordan Binnington’s playoff performance rank among rookie netminders since the beginning of the Original Six era? @THNJaredClinton with more:https://t.co/A3Z0WZzTCg
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 8, 2019
Speaking of the Stanley Cup Final, the St. Louis Blues will be down one Ivan Barbashev for Game 6:
St. Louis’ Ivan Barbashev has been suspended for one game for an Illegal Check to the Head on Boston’s Marcus Johansson. https://t.co/CVEqVANQ7a
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) June 7, 2019
There have been some controversies during the playoffs, which is nothing new to the NHL of course:
Which controversial moments in Stanley Cup final history gets you the most fired up? We looked at some of the more notable examples.https://t.co/p6sIdwuIbU
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) June 8, 2019
Down Goes Brown recaps the past week in his typical comedic fashion in this week’s Grab Bag:
From earlier: Keys to victory for the Blues and Bruins the rest of the way. Plus Derek Sanderson gives one of the wildest interviews ever, a stolen trophy idea and lots more in the Friday Grab Bag. https://t.co/SY6bOgGYbB pic.twitter.com/PKbkG79eoz
— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) June 7, 2019
Finally, Jeff Skinner is officially off the market. Eight years, $9 million AAV:
IT’S DONE!
We have signed forward Jeff Skinner to an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million: https://t.co/X4sumuHW7H pic.twitter.com/Wwzk9qbPSk
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) June 8, 2019