Patrick WilliamsFeatures Writer for TheAHL.com
NHL promotions for AHL MVP Mavrik Bourquerookie of the year Logan Stankoven and all the best going forward Oscar Back It was among the many changes the Texas Stars faced coming into this season.
But what hasn’t changed is the Stars station in the Central Division, which is a group of teams that have been putting pressure all season long. The new mix works so far, with Neil GrahamThe team started 8-4-0-0.
Other losses from the 2023-24 roster include a goaltender Matt Murrayprotector Derrick Pouliotand the other leading hand, Fredrik Karlström. Murray came to Milwaukee, one of the Stars’ enemies; the Admirals ended Texas’ season in each of the final games of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
But there was help to come. Dallas management immediately began working on restructuring the organization and acquired two of the AHL’s top names on the free agent market, who moved on. Cameron Hughes again Kole Lind after the pair made back-to-back trips to the Calder Cup finals with Coachella Valley. Hughes is an excellent two-way player who set career highs with 25 goals, 57 points and a plus-25 average last season; Lind is the catalyst who posted 30 goals and 91 penalty minutes in 2022-23.
Dallas also signed a defenseman Kyle Capobiancowho won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s top defenseman last season with Manitoba – another division rival – while leading all AHL defensemen with 42 assists and 54 points. They went out and got some solid goaltending help from the former AHL All-Star Magnus Hellberg.
Dallas’ draftees in Texas include defensive backs Lian Bichsel again Christian Kyroutheir top two picks in 2022, but as the organization often does, they also added some overlooked talent, such as going undrafted. Justin Hryckowian with an entry-level degree from Northeastern University. A two-time Hockey East forward of the year, Hryckowian came on the roster late last season and dressed in seven playoff games, making for a smooth transition this fall that resulted in 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 12 games to match. in the leading group.
And then there is Arthur Hyryone of those well-trained players from the top European leagues that Dallas seems to get quite often. Like Back and Karlström, Hyry comes to Texas already with a wealth of experience, including three years on the Finnish circuit. After a good performance in training camp, he responded with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his first 12 AHL games.
Graham has always been a coach who places more weight on process than results, although the club’s strong results may help reinforce that growth mindset.
“What makes me sad is that we all see areas where we need to grow,” said Graham. “Where we had a positive in terms of winning, we have to continue to improve areas of our game, and our team was accountable and really coachable at the beginning. We all understand that it’s a process, and everyone seems really motivated to grow.”
The Stars advanced to the Calder Cup Finals in their first season back in 2010, won the Cup in 2014, and made seven appearances in the 2018 Finals. Missing the postseason is rare at Cedar Park, and Dallas has long emphasized the importance of winning over player development. That development plan has paid off, too, with Bourque, Stankoven and Backa the latest additions to a Dallas roster — one that could be in the running for a Stanley Cup — that also includes Texas graduates. Thomas Harley, Roope Hintz, Esa Lindell, Jake Oettinger again Jason Robertson. I mean long time captain Jamie Benn got his first taste of professional hockey as a 20-year-old by recording 26 points in 24 games during the 2010 AHL postseason.
But it’s one thing to sign talent. It’s another thing entirely to take that talent and turn it into a Calder Cup-capable team. The early season schedule doesn’t allow the Stars much time to build familiarity, solidify plans and begin the jelling process following a new offseason of significant change. A two-game trip to Colorado in early November, where they were outscored 10-3, was a big factor in the season. The Stars have won five of six times at home, and in their most recent trip to Iowa on Saturday, they rallied from a 5-3 deficit the night before and scored five goals in the third period to win 8-4. in a rematch.
Now the teeth are smooth for the Stars, who face the enemy Rockford three times this week. Then it’s a six-game stretch in the Pacific Division, visits to Ontario, Coachella Valley and Henderson. Among all the changes in the first season, there may be one of the biggest changes to come. Last season Dallas had a salary cap that makes recall difficult; this season Graham is ready to see more movement between the two clubs, something he welcomes.
“It’s good for our guys to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Graham said, “and if we do our job, we’re consistent in our habits, there’s an opportunity. Just then I saw the boys pushing each other. They were happy when each other’s name was called, but it also indicates that it could be whoever is next, and there is something to be said for that.
“The boys want to win here. They want to play hard here, but they also know it can pay off with Dallas. “
In the American Hockey League for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams and currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for the league’s top scorer in 2016.
