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Dallas Stars Daily Links: What Valeri Nichushkin’s Departure Means for the Stars

Posted on by Melissa Flandreau

After news broke that Valeri Nichushkin reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the KHL’s CSKA Moscow, Mike Heika examined what it means for the Stars going forward. And while Heika thinks that losing Nichushkin won’t hurt the team too much, he does point out that it gives us the opportunity to look at the franchise’s “inner workings.” Here’s what Lindy Ruff had to say about Val’s departure.

“A guy like Janmark came in and played so well, same with Faksa and Johns. They forced us to make decisions. Other young players didn’t do that,” Ruff said. “I take a lot of pride in how I communicate with the players, and I really think I did that with Val. Some decisions are hard for coaches.”

That said, Ruff said he wanted to coach Nichushkin again, and said he expects big things from the forward in the future.

“I’d be more than happy to have him back, because I really like what he has to offer,” Ruff said.

There’s more on Nichushkin at the link. [SportsDayDFW]

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The Stars announced their roster and schedule for training camp, which starts on Friday.

Denis Gurianov, the Stars’ first-round pick in the 2015 draft, has been impressive in Traverse City. [Stars Inside Edge]

And speaking of Traverse City, the Stars prospects defeated the Blues 5-3 in the tournament’s fifth-place game. Sean Shapiro has the recap. [Wrong Side of the Red Line]

The folks over at On the Forecheck take a look at how the Predators stack up against the Stars. [On the Forecheck]

Mike Heika recently held his weekly chat and offered his take on the Stars’ championship window and who he views as the team’s most valuable veteran. [SportsDayDFW]

Things did… not go well for Team USA last night. They lost 4-2 to Team Canada.

That win for Canada also means…

No flash? No problem. Team Sweden, who shut out Finland 2-0 yesterday, doesn’t mind playing a “boring” game. [Sportsnet]

ESPN’s CGI ads at the World Cup could have a lasting impact. [Forbes]

The NHL’s Las Vegas team has already sold out its season ticket deposit. [CBS Sports]

You can expect the Stars—and the rest of the league’s teams—to see their website get a redesign. [Broad Street Hockey]

Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will miss the rest of the World Cup, reportedly due to a concussion. [The Hockey News]

The Senators are hoping to shake things up on the blue line this season. [TSN]

And finally, here are a few happy prospects to get you through the day.

Talking Points