The injury Stephane Robidas suffered against the Chicago Blackhawks last week was devastating on both a logistical and emotional level. When his long-time teammate Trevor Daley went down against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a very similar fashion, Stars fans could only look on in horror and wonder what an already thin blueline would look like without it’s two most prominent veterans.
Outside of Sergei Gonchar and Alex Goligoski, the Stars are basically sending out what could be considered a really stacked Texas Stars lineup on defense for the next little while. Bad news for most, but a really great opportunity for guys like Jamie Oleksiak and Kevin Connauton, who have an opportunity to really grab their destiny by the horns and never look back.
Daley’s injury has been diagnosed as a high-ankle sprain. Anyone who has been around this sport for any period of time knows that that can be a debilitating injury for any player, let alone on that relies so heavily on their wheels like Trevor Daley. Much like how I shared an old article about the Stamkos injury as a way of discussing the road to recovery Stephane Robidas would be facing, today we’re going to look at an old injury suffered by Colby Armstrong to put the Daley setback into perspective. [TheStar.com]
If anyone is going to step up and fill the offensive shoes of Trevor Daley while he is out, its going to be Kevin Connauton. The talented young rearguard has only played in a couple NHL games, despite being on the Dallas roster for the entire season. He’s had some success playing on a pair with Sergei Gonchar so far, and is looking to finally secure his place in the lineup, while the veterans recover. [Rant Sports]
Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News takes a look at the options the Stars have on defense, reminding us that this isn’t all going to fall on the shoulders of just Jamie Oleksiak and Kevin Connauton, but also Jordie Benn and potentially Aaron Rome, if all else fails. [Dallas Morning News]
The Stars have made progress in leaps and bounds since Jim Nill has taken over. Their fast and aggressive playing style may not be winning as many games as fans would hope, but it has certainly been getting attention around the league. Former NHL goalie, Kevin Weekes, had a nice write up about the progress the Dallas Stars have shown, and gives some props where they are due to some of the overlooked players down the lineup. [NHL.com]
Vincenter Lecavalier will not be in the lineup for the Philadelphia Flyers when they face off against the Dallas Stars this afternoon, and we may have the winter storms that have ravaged the Metroplex to thank for that. The Flyers had to skip a practice due to the weather yesterday, keeping Lecavalier from testing out his injured back. Without a solid practice to see where he’s at, he remains on the shelf. [Philly.com]
From a player that was almost a Dallas Star, to two guys who’ve already been through town en route to their new clubs: Luke Gazdic has been such a hit with the Edmonton Oilers since being claimed from the Stars at the start of the year that they’re even giving the tough guy some minutes on the powerplay. It’s always nice to see players like that rewarded with big opportunities. [Rotoworld]
In Pittsburgh, former Star Jussi Jokinen is being relied on to help fill the void left by Evgeni Malkin’s injury. Those are tremendous shoes to fill, but as long as they’re wanting someone to fill in for Malkin’s spot on the shootout card, Jussi is most definitely the best man for the job. [TribLive]
Is the Canadian dollar back on the decline? After basically propping up the NHL’s struggling market for much of the post-lockout world, could a less powerful Canadian dollar derail all that? Last time the Canadian Dollar took a major hit, it led to the Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, and almost the Houston Hockey Oilers. [Canoe]
This week at my personal Stars blog, The Other 6 Seconds, I discussed a number of topics, including Valeri Nichushkin’s potential availability for Team Russia at the World Junior Hockey Championships. What’s better for his development? Top 6 minutes in the NHL for the Dallas Stars, or being the go-to monster behind a potential Russian medal bid? [The Other 6 Seconds]