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Dallas Stars vs.

Florida Panthers

Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013

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Stars-Panthers preview By Mark Stepneski Oct. 3, 2013 Florida Panthers at Dallas Stars Thursday October 3 7:30 p.m. TV: Fox Sports Southwest Radio: The Ticket 1310 AM/104.1 FM About the Stars It’s a new beginning for the Stars, who have a new GM, new head coach, several new players and new uniforms this season. “It’s fresh. That’s the word that comes to mind,” said defenseman Trevor Daley. “There are a lot of new faces, not just in the dressing room but upstairs too. I think everybody is excited. Everybody is starting fresh and there is a good vibe around here.” Among the Stars’ new players is Tyler Seguin, acquired in a blockbuster trade with Boston in July. He’ll center the Stars’ top line with Jamie Benn and Erik Cole on the wings. Valeri Nichushkin, the Stars’ first round pick (10th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft, will be in the lineup as well. So will the newest face on defense, veteran Sergei Gonchar. Kari Lehtonen is expected to start in goal for the Stars. Dallas plays its first two games at home, including a tilt against Washington on Saturday. Injuries: F Rich Peverley (irregular heartbeat) and D Aaron Rome (hip) are out. About the Panthers There’s a lot new this season with the Florida Panthers, who finished last in the NHL last season. They have a new owner in New York businessman Vincent Viola and ten new players on the roster. Among the new players this season is goaltender Tim Thomas, who will get the start in goal on Thursday.

"I think there's a positive energy," Thomas told reporters on Wednesday. "They're really looking forward to growing and getting better in the organization. I think new ownership brought a very positive direction to the team." The Panthers made a series of moves over the past week, signing Thomas, defensemen Ryan Whitney and Tom Gilbert and forward Brad Boyes and trading for forward Krys Barch. Jonathan Huberdeau, the 2013 Calder Trophy winner, and Aleksander Barkov, the second overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, are expected to play on one of Florida’s top lines along with Boyes. The Panthers’ first four games of the season are on the road. Injuries: D Ed Jovanovski (hip), F Sean Bergenheim (hip/abdomen), C Nick Bjugstad (concussion), RW Steve Pinizzotto (hip) and G Scott Clemmensen (knee) are out. Series Notes *This is the first of two meetings between the Stars and Panthers this season. *The last time the two teams met was Nov. 15, 2011, when Florida won 6-0 at American Airlines Center. *The Stars are 11-8-6 all-time against the Panthers, including 4-4-4 at home. Statistical tidbits *The Stars were 5-0-2 in the preseason, including a 2-0-0 mark vs. Florida. *The Panthers were 3-1-3 in the preseason, and were 0-1-1 vs. Dallas. *C Tyler Seguin led the Stars in preseason scoring with 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists) *D Erik Gudbranson (3 goals, 3 assists) and D Brian Campbell (0 goals, 6 assists) led Florida in preseason scoring with 6 points each. *Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen is 13-6-4 in his career vs. Florida with a 2.52 goals against average and .923 save percentage. *Panthers goaltender Tim Thomas is 2-1-1 in his career vs. Dallas with a 1.49 goals against average and a .953 save percentage.

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Stars ready to go By Mark Stepneski Oct. 2, 2013 Dallas Stars coach Lindy Ruff has been through a lot of opening nights during his coaching career, but that doesn’t mean he sees Thursday night’s season opener against Florida as routine. “I’m psyched. I can’t wait. I am disappointed that we have one more night to go. It’s fun. You have that anxiety to get it going,” Ruff said. “It’s not just another game. It’s the start of something really new. It’s something really exciting. I don’t look at it as just another game. It’s a lot of different guys that we’ve put together and a lot of guys that have gotten along well together as a team. I am excited to see that develop.” The players are no different. They went through a full practice in Frisco on Wednesday, and are ready to get going as well. “We’re sick of practicing,” said captain Jamie Benn. “After a month of training camp, we are chomping at the bit here. We’re ready to go.” There’s a lot of excitement and optimism surrounding the Stars with all the offseason changes. There’s a new coach in Ruff, a new GM in Jim Nill, several new players and a new logo and new uniforms. “I think everybody is excited. Everybody is starting fresh and there is a good vibe around here,” said defenseman Trevor Daley. “The last five years aren’t where we want to be. When you have a drought like that, change usually comes. I am pretty excited about it.” The Stars will be looking for a good start, not only in Thursday’s game against Florida but over the first part of the season as well. Getting off to a good start can put crucial points in the bank and provide some early season confidence. “You definitely want to be at the top of your game on day one,” said Benn. “That’s what we are going to do. We want to be hot from the start, get some wins, get some confidence and go from there.” “A good start is very important, especially with the Olympic year,” said Daley. “You want to get off to a good start because once you get past that Olympic break it’s a sprint to the finish. It would be a benefit to go into that Olympic break with a good lead.”

A good start has been a talking point since the Stars hit the ice in Fort Worth to open training camp almost three weeks ago. “We’ve been trying to get off to a good start since day one of camp,” said Ruff. “From the scrimmages, we talked about playing well and practicing well, and going through the preseason we talked about getting off to a good start. We’ll talk again, making sure that when we play for real that we do the right things that are going to help us win.” And the first opportunity to do that comes Thursday night at American Airlines Center. Notes *Ruff said defenseman Trevor Daley (upper body) is expected to play Thursday vs. Florida. “He looks like he is ready to go,” Ruff said. “I fully anticipate him playing tomorrow night.” *Forward Rich Peverley (irregular heartbeat) won’t play Thursday, but Peverley said he expects to be available for Saturday’s game against Washington. *Defenseman Aaron Rome (hip surgery) practiced with the team on Wednesday. It was his first practice since having a procedure done on his hip last month. “Today was more get out with the guys and have a little more fun, and then conditioning after,” Rome said. “I felt good. I felt like it was a step in the right direction.” Rome is a couple weeks away. Wednesday’s practice lineup Here’s how the Stars lined up in practice on Wednesday. Benn-Seguin-Cole Whitney-Eakin-Chiasson Horcoff-Fiddler-Nichushkin Roussel-Mueller-Garbutt/MacDermid Peverley (injured) Goligoski-Gonchar Dillon-Robidas Benn-Daley

Rome (injured)-Connauton Lehtonen Ellis

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Dallas Stars 2013-14 season preview By Mark Stepneski Oct. 2, 2013 Overview There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the Dallas Stars heading into 2013-14 after an offseason of significant change. That change swept in new management headed by GM Jim Nill, and a new head coach in Lindy Ruff. The roster has a new look with the additions of centers Tyler Seguin, Rich Peverley and Shawn Horcoff, defenseman Sergei Gonchar and backup goaltender Dan Ellis. “If you look at all the successful teams, they are built a certain way,” Nill said. “You have to be good in the net, you have to have a good goalie. You’re defense has to be very good. You have to have some puck movers, you have to have some size back there and you have to be good down the middle. You have to have good center ice men.” Nill beefed up the center position in one day, acquiring Seguin and Peverley along with defense prospect Ryan Button from Boston for forwards Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith and Matt Fraser and defense prospect Joe Morrow. He acquired Horcoff from Edmonton for defenseman Philip Larsen and a seventh-round pick in 2016. He added to the defense by acquiring the rights to Gonchar for a draft pick and then signing him to a two-year contract. Nill dipped into the free agent market and signed Ellis, a dependable veteran who will backup No. 1 goaltender Kari Lehtonen. The Stars will add some youth to the mix as well. Forward Alex Chiasson, who scored six goals in seven games late last season for the Stars, is on the roster. So is highly touted Russian forward Valeri Nichushkin, the team’s first round pick (10th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft. Both Nichushkin and Chiasson have been mentioned as possible Calder Trophy candidates. Defenseman Kevin Connauton, acquired from Vancouver last season in the Derek Roy deal, has cracked the roster as well. Throw in a new logo and new uniforms, and the Stars are bristling with newness in 2013-14. “To me it’s like a fresh start,” defenseman Stephane Robidas said. “We’re starting from scratch, it’s new. We’ve got a new GM, new coach, new jerseys and new players. It’s a lot of new things, but it’s all positive and certainly interesting. I think we are headed in the right direction.”

The Stars also find themselves playing under the NHL’s new alignment for the 2013-14 season. They’ll be in the Central Division along with Chicago, Colorado, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg. “The alignment is great. It keeps you in your time zone more often,” said Ruff. “The rivalries are important. I think the fact that the fans get to see every team is important, too.” Along with the all the change and newness, there is a sense of optimism that the Stars can get back to the playoffs, a place they haven’t been since 2008. Their five-year postseason drought is the longest in franchise history. “It’s something we always talk about before the season starts and during the season,” Lehtonen said. “We’ll just have to go out there and execute and play well.” The playoff format changes this season with realignment. The top three teams from each of the four divisions qualify along with two wild card teams from both the Western and Eastern Conference. Those wild card teams are the top two finishers outside of the division qualifiers in each conference. Ruff said not much changes as far as making the playoffs – eight teams make the cut in each conference. “You’ve got to be one of the top eight, and that’s the way I look at it,” Ruff said. “It doesn’t matter how you cut it, you’ve got to be in there.” “Not making the playoffs for five years is not what we want,” said left wing Jamie Benn, who was named the team’s new captain during training camp. “With the players we brought in and the people surrounding them, it’s our time to do it and this is the year.” Forwards There were big changes to the forward group, and there will be change for a couple of key members of the group as well. With the additions of Seguin, Horcoff and Peverley, Jamie Benn will move back to his natural position of left wing after spending a couple of seasons playing center. Seguin, who had played right wing during his time in Boston, will move back to his natural position of center. Benn and Seguin will play together on the Stars’ top line. “Every day I feel like I am learning more about him as a player,” Seguin said. “He’s a great player to play with, we’re having a lot of fun out there and hopefully we can do some damage.” Erik Cole is lined up on the right wing with Seguin and Benn to start the season.

Although Horcoff and Peverley also were brought in to beef up the center position, it appears as though the Stars will start the season with Cody Eakin, Vernon Fiddler and Chris Mueller at center behind Seguin. Eakin, who had a strong camp and preseason, is expected to center the second line with Ray Whitney and Chiasson to start the season. Horcoff and Fiddler are expected to be joined by Nichushkin on the third line. Mueller, Antoine Roussel and Ryan Garbutt have made up the fourth line in practices leading up to the opener. Lane MacDermid is in the mix as well. Peverley is out to start the season as he continues to get treated for an irregular heartbeat. He is expected to return for the second game against Washington. Once Peverley returns, Ruff will have more options. Overall, the Stars have some speed, skill and size in the forward group. Ruff believes the Stars should have a balanced attack. “Through the preseason, I’ve liked the depth of scoring,” Ruff said. “We’ve been able to get production, really, from the top twelve. The top nine has been good, but even Roussel, where he’s been at, has chipped in a couple. Mueller has been able to chip in. If you want to be one of those teams that wants to get into the top ten in scoring, you need depth. You can’t rely on one line. I like the fact that we haven’t relied on just one line. Even when we had a light lineup, with few veterans, our youth scored for us.” Defense Gonchar was the big addition to the Stars’ defense, which otherwise will look a lot like last season’s. “I didn’t mind our defense,” said Nill. “Maybe we could use a little bit of size, but I liked our speed and our puck moving. We made a change to try to improve on that.” Gonchar will help the Stars ability to move and possess the puck. He’ll be a boost to the power play as well. He’ll provide leadership and guidance to younger players, especially his countryman, Nichushkin. “He’s a special player. There are not too many players like that in the league,” Robidas said of Gonchar. “He’s got poise with the puck, he’s got a good shot and he always makes that good first pass. He’s really creative offensively. He’s going to help our power play.” Gonchar will likely be paired with Alex Goligoski to start the season. Robidas has been skating with Brenden Dillon leading up to the opener. Trevor Daley, who suffered an upper body injury in the preseason, appears ready to play and has been practicing on a pair with Jordie Benn, who played 26 NHL games last season.

Connauton, a slick skating offensive defenseman, looks as if he’ll start the season as the seventh defenseman. Aaron Rome will miss the start of the season due to hip surgery. The Stars defense will be a key part of the team’s attack, being more aggressive at times to help generate offense. Robidas thinks the Stars have a good mix on the blue line to handle things at both ends of the ice. “I think we have good mobility, we have all guys who can skate well,” Robidas said. “We’ve got some size. We’ve got a little bit of everything. With Gonchar and Alex, we’ve got guys who can run power plays and move the puck and shoot it. Even a guy like Trevor, he’s a proven player. We’ve got guys who can move the puck and support the attack. We can defend well with our speed. We’ve got a couple of bigger guys like Brenden and Romer and even Connauton is a pretty big boy. We’ve got a good mix of youth and experience.” Goaltending Lehtonen and Ellis both had solid training camps and preseasons. Lehtonen posted a 2-0-1 record with a 1.97 goals against average and 93.1 save percentage. Ellis was 2-0-0 with a 1.20 goals against average and 95.5 save percentage. “They were really good. I am happy with both of them,” said Stars goaltending coach Mike Valley. “Not only with their performance and the way they’ve been practicing and their work ethics, but also how they have jelled together and really seem to complement one another. It’s really nice to see. They’re close on and off the ice. It’s a good tandem.” This will be Lehtonen’s fourth full season with the Stars and the first year of a five-year, $29.5 million extension he signed just prior to last season’s lockout. Lehtonen’s been a rock for the Stars, and he’s carried the team at times. Now, it’s time to take it one step further. “The next step is pretty obvious. It is to lead us into the playoffs,” said Valley. “Even more so, rather than looking at the big picture, it is to be really consistent all year and we hope that he can stay healthy for the season as well. But the next step is to get your team into the playoffs and lead them.” Ellis, a Dallas draft pick in 2000 who played with Carolina last season, is expected to give the Stars a solid veteran presence in the backup position. The backup position has been a sore spot for the Stars the past couple seasons, and the hope is Ellis will provide some stability. “It’s huge,” said Valley. “You need two, arguably three good goaltenders because you do have injuries and you do have things that happen, and sometimes there is nothing you can do about it. But you have to have two solid guys that can win you a

game any night. The team has to have confidence in both guys. To have Danny Ellis come in and show that he can play and show that he can be a guy you can rely on is huge.” Special Teams The Stars special teams were so-so last season. The power play ranked 18th in the league at 17.0 percent. The penalty kill was 17th at 81.0 percent. The additions of Gonchar and Seguin should be a boost to the power play. The Stars likely will go with four forwards and one defenseman when they have the man-advantage. It’s a look they rolled out in the preseason and one that Ruff liked. “We’re going to continue that,” Ruff said. “Looking at the number of players and the right-handed shot options that we have with that fourth guy, dropping a Chiasson or dropping a Ray Whitney down as one of your flankers on the power play is just a good look for us. It’s not as good a look when you bring a defenseman in there and he’s a left-handed shot and can’t one-time pucks. It’s a look we want those guys to be comfortable with and a look we want to try.” On the penalty kill, Ruff wants to use guys like Seguin and Jamie Benn to keep his top players involved in all facets of the game and not sitting on the bench in key situations. “It’s too long for your best players to be sitting. There are going to be games where they need to be out there competing in those shorthanded situations. It keeps their motor running,” said Ruff. “One of my responsibilities is to turn them into guys that can be in real tough situations. On the flip side of it, you get opportunities on the penalty kill and if your best players are on the ice they can turn those opportunities into shorthanded goals for us. I’d like to see our top guys kill.” Coaching Nill was methodical in his search to find a replacement for Glen Gulutzan, who was dismissed as head coach of the Stars in May. Nill said he was looking for a guy with experience and Ruff, the longtime coach of the Buffalo Sabres, fit the bill. “Experience was a very important part of it. Past history, situations they have been in, and longevity is a big part of it. Lindy really had all those,” said Nill. “Lindy was the first guy I interviewed and he was at the top of my list. I loved what he said. He’s got a calmness to him, a confidence. He’s the coach, he’s in charge and he knows what to do. He’s been in different situations. He’s been to the Stanley Cup Finals, he’s had to deal with an organization that’s gone through bankruptcy, he’s dealt with good teams, bad teams, teams struggling, teams overachieving. He’s seen it all and if you’ve been through those life experiences you know how to deal with them.”

Joining Ruff on the staff will be James Patrick, the former NHL defensemen who spent seven seasons working under Ruff as an assistant in Buffalo. He’ll handle the team’s defensemen and the penalty kill. Curt Fraser returns as an assistant coach. Fraser will handle the power play and work with Ruff on the forwards. Valley returns as the goaltending coach. Outlook Nill’s work since taking over as GM has been impressive. He’s acquired a top young player in Seguin, who is still only 21-years-old and has just scratched the surface of his potential. Put Seguin and Jamie Benn together and you have two of the top young players in the game. There’s more young talent in Chiasson, Nichushkin, Dillon, Eakin and top prospects like Jamie Oleksiak, Brett Ritchie and others who are knocking on the NHL door. “Where I am excited is that we have a group of players who are 20-25 who are going to be the core of our team in the next two or three years,” said Nill. “They are all going to be growing up together.” Throw in an experienced coach such as Ruff and the stability in ownership that Tom Gaglardi has brought to the organization, and the future looks bright for the Stars. Does that future hold a playoff spot in 2013-14? Like past seasons, it’s going to be a dog fight. The Stars should be right in the middle of things, as they have been the past few years. A lot of things will have to go right. They’ll have to stay relatively healthy. When there are injuries, the players they bring in from the Texas Stars will have to contribute. Seguin will have to deliver as a No. 1 center. They’ll need a big season from Jamie Benn. They’ll need a big season from Lehtonen as well. Ellis will have to take some of the load off Lehtonen, deliver when he gets the nod in net. Gonchar will have to come in and provide a boost to the defense. The kids will have to contribute. The Stars will need some depth scoring to take the pressure off the top line. The special teams will need to keep up their end of the bargain. The Stars aren’t operating in a vacuum. There are six other teams in their division and 14 other teams in the conference fighting for a spot in the playoffs as well. It should be no different than the past few years. It will be tight, with just a few points separating who gets in and who gets an early vacation. A tough break here or there or a few good bounces here or there could make a difference.

But with Nill and Ruff at the helm, the Stars might be in a better position than in past years to weather the ups and downs of the long NHL season, and put themselves in a position to secure a playoff spot instead of let one slipping away. Prediction: Fourth in the Central Division, Wild Card playoff spot

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On the Radar: Out of the Blocks By Josh Bogorad Oct. 2, 2013 After a long and eventful summer, the 2013-2014 NHL season is finally underway. The puck dropped on a brand new season Tuesday night, and while the Stars don’t officially open their campaign until Thursday when they host the Florida Panthers at AAC, the start to this long-awaited season is finally upon us. Following an off-season filled with change in just about every area imaginable, there is naturally no shortage of storylines surrounding the season ahead. The most talked about of those stories will be covered in abundance – both on this site and others. How will Jamie Benn perform in his first year as Stars captain? Will he and Tyler Seguin live up to their potential in their new roles at wing and center? Will the combination of new GM, Jim Nill and Head Coach, Lindy Ruff be able to lead a revamped Stars team back to the post-season in their first season in Dallas? These are all questions burning to be answered. They will receive plenty of coverage, and remain intriguing questions to follow throughout the year. But in this feature, each week we’ll scratch beneath the surface to look at some of the other, less-publicized stories that Stars fans will want to keep an eye on. Every Wednesday, we’ll visit a series of topics pertaining to Dallas’ upcoming week. While there are more than enough interesting plots to follow with this year’s Stars team, our goal is to bring something new to fans each week. Whether you bleed Victory Green, or are simply green to the Stars and hockey, we hope you find some interesting areas to follow all season long. Now, here is a look at a few items that should be “On Your Radar” for the opening week. Out of the Blocks Quickly If history is any indication, look for the Dallas Stars to make an immediate statement in the opening month of the season. New Head Coach Lindy Ruff is notorious for having his team prepared from Day 1 of the season. Ruff prides himself on reinforcing work ethic and determination. Throughout pre-season and training camp, “compete” drills, focused on puck battles and game-like scenarios, have been a mainstay. More than results of games, in the pre-season Ruff has said he looks to see what other teams say about playing his team in exhibition games. Hearing opponents admit that they were outworked and outhustled by his team are a badge of honor for the first-year Stars Coach. While other clubs may be progressing into game-shape, Ruff expects – and demands – his club be there come opening night. His results throughout his career suggest it has worked. In his last ten seasons as Buffalo Sabres Head Coach, Ruff had a sub-.500 record in the opening month only twice. Over that span, his teams went a combined 57-37-9 for a winning percentage of .597. He’s gone 7-2-1 in his last 10 season openers. On Thursday night, the Stars host a young team with a lot to prove this season in Florida. Then on Saturday, the

Washington Capitals will already be playing their third game, while Dallas will be entering only its second. Despite facing opponents who are exuberant and settled into the season, watch for Dallas to take the game to both teams and try to assert the aggressive, workman-like effort of their bench boss. It is also worth noting that the Stars have had plenty of success in recent season openers as well. They have won three straight, have points in five in a row, and in nine of their last ten. Ruff is hoping his history, coupled with that of Dallas, is enough to keep the trend going. Foreign Territory With players like Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin leading the way, there is no doubt that the Stars have a young nucleus. While guys like 41-year old, Ray Whitney and 39-year old, Sergei Gonchar lift the Stars average age to the middle of the pack in the NHL, most would still consider them a young team. However, it’s not always age, but rather experience that’s worth noting. On the recently announced opening night roster, two players have yet to make their NHL debut entering this season. They are 18-year old, first-round draft pick, Valeri Nichushkin and 23-year old defenseman and former third round pick, Kevin Connauton. However, an additional eight players on the current roster have fewer than 82 games of NHL experience (equal to one full season). They are as follows: Cody Eakin – 78 Ryan Garbutt – 56 Brenden Dillon - 49 Antoine Roussel - 39 Chris Mueller – 37 Jordie Benn – 29 Lane MacDermid – 14 Alex Chiasson - 7 Of the ten players with less than a full season of NHL experience on their resume, over half appear poised to be everyday players for Dallas this season. In many cases, they figure to be a large piece of the team as well. Throughout the preseason, Eakin and Chiasson have joined the nearly two-decade elder, Whitney on the second line. With Rich Peverly and Aaron Rome ruled out for opening night, but Peverly expected to come back as early as Saturday, the battle for inexperienced Stars to stay on the roster, as well as keep their place once on it, will be an ongoing one. For at least a handful of players, opening weekend will be a chance to make a statement either for or against their case. The Return of Ovi One of the best things about the new NHL realignment is the return of each team visiting every building at least once during the regular season. The big payoff for hockey fans is that you no longer have to wait to see the best players in the league like you’re waiting for Halley’s Comet. Stars fans will get a glimpse at one of the best

around in the opening weekend when reigning NHL MVP and last year’s league-leading goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals invade the AAC on Saturday. It will be just the fourth ever trip to Dallas in nine seasons for the recent Sochi Olympics torch bearer. It’s also his first since December of 2010. For Stars fans with terrific memories, they might recall that Ovechkin played a big role in that game, but not one he normally plays. Ovechkin was held without a point in a 2-1 Stars win, and was ruled to have interfered with Dallas goaltender, Andrew Raycroft, to negate a would-be, game-tying goal for the Caps with 7.6 seconds left. The incident was a bit of a telling play for Ovechkin, as he hasn’t had his best statistical games in his visits to Dallas. In three combined games at AAC, Ovechkin has just one goal and one assist, and his Capitals are 1-2. (Keep in mind that two points in three games is a heck of a pace for most players, but Ovechkin averages well over a point per game in his career, and scores a goal more than once every two games on average.) Ovechkin’s lone-goal in Dallas came in his rookie season in January of 2006. While Stars fans haven’t necessarily seen Ovechkin at his peak, there is no denying he is still one of the best of his generation. Even though, thanks to the realignment, it will now be an annual occurrence, this is Ovi’s only regular season appearance in the Lone Star State this season. That is reason enough to make sure you’re there to take in one of the best in the business. Grab a ticket, get to the game, and enjoy the show. Whether he’s at his sharpest or not, he is a worthwhile attraction any time he’s in town. Special Teams Switch Up It won’t take long for Ruff to put his stamp on this team, but if you’re looking for something to point at immediately to showcase there’s a new man in charge, you need look no further than special teams. Whether the Stars are playing a man up or a man down, the men in green will look different when there’s a power play with Ruff behind the bench. Since the curtain was lifted in pre-season, the Stars Head Coach has deployed a four-forward power play unit. He said it was not an experiment, and he plans to continue that into the regular season. Perhaps it’s because of the eight defensemen on the roster, only Stephane Robidas is a right handed shot. Or perhaps it’s because he feels his best offensive weapons are forwards, and wants his most potent arsenal out there for the man-advantage. Likely it’s a combination of both, but at least for the start of the season, get ready for a steady diet of forwards on the power play. We’ve already seen players like Jamie Benn, Chiasson, and Whitney play point so far, and expect that to continue now that the games count in the standings. On the other end of the special teams spectrum, look for a change at penalty killing forwards as Seguin and Jamie Benn will be utilized this season. Neither has had a ton of shorthanded experience in the NHL, but Ruff simplifies his explanation in his decision by saying he wants his best players on the ice more often. He adds that long stretches of inactivity for his top forwards, if the Stars get into penalty trouble, is damaging to them and the team in the scope of the game. Plus, he says he expects their awareness and speed to yield shorthanded chances when out there on the PK unit. Much like the power play, Ruff is not

exclusive in his reasoning for the change and confident in his decision. Look for the new-look power play and penalty killing units to be on display this week. After a six-month off-season filled with major headlines one after another, the focus finally turns back to the games this week. We hope you now have a few more things to look for in the Stars first two contests of the season. Enjoy opening week, and be sure to check back next week and all season long to find out what is “On the Radar.”

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How the 2013-14 Dallas Stars were built By Mark Stepneski Oct. 2, 2013 Here’s a look at how the 2013-14 Dallas Stars were built. The list includes the 22 players on Dallas’ active roster along with the two NHL players on the team’s injured non-roster list. Of those 24 players, four were drafted by the Stars, ten were acquired via trade and ten were signed as free agents. Draft (4) Jamie Benn, LW: 5th round (129th overall) 2007 Alex Chiasson, RW: 2nd round (38th overall) 2009 Trevor Daley, D: 2nd round (43rd overall) 2002 Valeri Nichushkin, RW: 1st round (10th overall) 2013 Trade (10) Erik Cole, RW: Acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Michael Ryder and a third-round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. (2/26/13) Kevin Connauton, D: Acquired from the Vancouver Canucks along with a second-round pick in 2013 for center Derek Roy. (4/2/13) Cody Eakin, C: Acquired from the Washington Capitals along with a second-round pick in 2012 in exchange for center Mike Ribeiro. (6/22/12) Alex Goligoski, D: Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for left wing James Neal and defenseman Matt Niskanen. (2/21/11) Sergei Gonchar, D: Acquired from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2013. (6/7/13) Shawn Horcoff, C: Acquired from Edmonton in exchange for defenseman Philip Larsen and a seventh-round pick in 2016. (7/5/13)

Kari Lehtonen, G: Acquired from Atlanta in exchange for defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy and a fourth-round pick in 2010. (2/9/10) Lane MacDermid, LW: Acquired along with forward Cody Payne and a first-round pick in 2013 in exchange for right wing Jaromir Jagr. (4/2/13) *Rich Peverley, C: Acquired from Boston along with center Tyler Seguin and defenseman Ryan Button in exchange for forwards Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser and defenseman Joe Morrow. (7/4/13) Tyler Seguin, C: Acquired from Boston along with center Rich Peverley and defenseman Ryan Button in exchange for forwards Loui Eriksson, Reilly Smith, Matt Fraser and defenseman Joe Morrow. (7/4/13) Free Agency (10) Jordie Benn, D: Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2011 Brenden Dillon, D: Signed as a free agent on March 1, 2011 Dan Ellis, G: Signed as a free agent on July 5, 2013 Vernon Fiddler, C: Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2011 Ryan Garbutt, LW: Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2011 Chris Mueller, C: Signed as a free agent on July 8, 2013 Stephane Robidas, D: Signed as a free agent on August 5, 2005 Aaron Rome, D: Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2012 Antoine Roussel, LW: Signed as a free agent on July 2, 2012 Ray Whitney, LW: Signed as a free agent on July 1, 2012

Dallas Morning News

Stars more than ready for Thursday season-opener vs. Florida By Mike Heika Oct. 2, 2013 The Stars are champing at the bit to get this New Star Rising. I mean think about it: *Lindy Ruff was head coach in Buffalo for 16 years. This is his first chance to try to see if he can do it someplace else. *Jim Nill has never been a GM before. Sure, he had a hand in decisions in Detroit, but he has made the final decisions in Dallas. This is his roster. This is his team, and he has to be hungry to see how it does. *Tyler Seguin had to listen to all sorts of criticism after his trade in Boston, and all he could do was just soak it up and use it for conditioning motivation. But he gets a chance to prove people wrong starting Thursday. *Jamie Benn has always been an important cog for the Stars, but not a leader. When he was named captain, this became his team _ and you can sense he carries that weight. *Shawn Horcoff and Sergei Gonchar are more soft-spoken, but each was let go by his old team, and each would like to prove he still is an elite NHL player. *And Valeri Nichushkin pushed hard to get to the NHL at age 18, and we’ll finally get a barometer on just how close or far away he might be. “It’s not just another game,” Ruff said. “It’s the start of something really new, something really exciting. I don’t look at it as just another game, it’s a lot of different guys who we’ve put together, and it’s a lot of guys who have gotten along really good together as a team, and I’m excited to see that develop.” Ruff said one of the interesting things about this start is that the Stars have to watch NHL games on Tuesday and Wednesday before getting their season opener. They also have had plenty of practice time, and they’re getting bored with that. “It’s definitely time to get going,” said Tyler Seguin. “We’re excited. We’ve been waiting for this.”

“We’re sick of practicing,” said Seguin linemate and new captain Jamie Benn “We’re ready to go. You definitely want to be at the top of your game on day one. That’s what we are going to do. We want to be hot from the start, get some wins, get some confidence and go from there.” The lines looked the same again, and this is what we expect to see on Thursday vs. the Panthers at American Airlines Center. Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Erik Cole Ray Whitney-Cody Eakin-Alex Chiasson Shawn Horcoff-Vernon Fiddler-Valeri Nichushkin Antoine Roussel-Chris Mueller-Ryan Garbutt Alex Goligoski-Sergei Gonchar Brenden Dillon-Stephane Robidas Trevor Daley-Jordie Benn Kari Lehtonen C Rich Peverley (irregular heartbeat) and D Aaron Rome (hip surgery) are on IR. LW Lane MacDermid and D Kevin Connauton are expected to be healthy scratches. The hay could not be more in the barn right now. In fact, they’ve filled the barn, put some in the silo and have a bunch on a truck that’s headed to Leduc, that’s how much hay the Stars have piled up. “It’s been an incredibly smooth transition,” Ruff said. “From the first exhibition to the last exhibition game, we’ve seen a lot of good things. The players have bought in, they’ve worked extremely hard. We had a really good training camp by a lot of players, and that’s made the transition smooth.” “You would like to give the pre-season some weight, that it’s an indication of which direction you are heading,” Ruff said. “It’s been a fun pre-season. In the beginning we scored a lot of goals, and in the end we were defending well and not giving up many.” And now it’s time to see if they can do it when the records count. “I’m psyched. I can’t wait,” Ruff said. “I’m disappointed that we have one more night to go. It’s fun. You have that anxiety to get it going.”

Dallas Morning News

Dallas Stars vs. Florida Panthers preview: Tyler Seguin must get the best of ex-teammate Tim Thomas By Mike Heika Oct. 2, 2013 Key matchup: Tyler Seguin vs. Tim Thomas Stars center Seguin and Panthers goalie Thomas were teammates on the 2011 Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins and know each other’s moves. They’re each getting a fresh start with a new team. Key number: 7 The Stars scored first in all seven preseason games and went 5-0-2. They were 16-5-2 last season when scoring first and 6-17-2 when allowing the first goal. Injuries Stars: C Rich Peverley (irregular heartbeat) and D Aaron Rome (hip surgery) are out. Florida: LW Sean Bergenheim (hip), C Nick Bjustad (concussion), D Ed Jovanovski (hip) and G Scott Clemmensen (knee) are out. Notable The Stars are 11-8-6 all-time against the Panthers. … Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen is 13-6-4 all-time against the Panthers with a 2.52 GAA. … Stars winger Ray Whitney has 35 points (12 goals, 23 assists) in 42 career games against the Panthers. … Florida’s Aleksander Barkov (second) and the Stars’ Valeri Nichuskin (10th) each were taken in the first round of the 2013 draft and are expected to make their NHL debuts. 7:30 p.m. (FSSW; KTCK-AM 1310)

Dallas Morning News

Dallas Stars’ vaunted Russian rookie Valeri Nichushkin just wants a chance to be himself By Mike Heika Oct. 2, 2013 Valeri Nichushkin has trouble speaking English, but there’s no doubt he understands what’s being said. In fact, it seems the 18-year-old Russian winger understands everything. Nichushkin is in a new land trying to make it in a new league and accomplish something few others his age have. And yet he seems to have a determination and confidence that’s stronger than even his most ardent supporters. “He says he doesn’t want to be anyone else, that he only wants to be Valeri Nichushkin,” said defenseman Sergei Gonchar, the other Russian on the Stars roster, acting as a translator. “All he ever wanted to be is the best person he can be.” But the comparisons come. Nichushkin is a young Russian scorer, and the history of recent NHL players shows that’s a difficult position to be in. One, those players often lean far too heavily on skill and struggle to keep up with the physical play in the NHL. Two, the cultural differences can make it difficult to communicate with NHL coaches. Three, the siren call of open ice and fawning fans in the Russian-based KHL makes it all too easy to leave. History lesson Nikita Filatov was taken sixth overall by Columbus in 2008. He battled with coach Ken Hitchcock, was traded to Ottawa and was back in the KHL by age 21. Alexander Radulov was drafted 14th overall by Nashville in 2004 and seemed a good fit with the Predators for a couple of seasons. But then he signed contracts in the NHL and KHL, and eventually found it easier to play in Russia. Alexander Burmistrov was taken eighth overall in the 2010 entry draft. He played three NHL seasons and had limited scoring success. After last season’s shortened lockout campaign, he decided to head back to the KHL at age 21, and now the Winnipeg Jets have nothing to show for their first-round pick. “It definitely is a special circumstance when you draft a player from Russia, and I think that’s one of the reasons you see people shying away from it,” said Stars general manager Jim Nill. “It’s complicated.”

And yet Nill didn’t shy away from Nichushkin. The powerful 6-4 forward was slotted by many to go higher in the 2013 draft, so when he slid to the Stars at No. 10, there was no way Nill could pass on him. What’s more, Nill has a bit of an ace in the hole. He spent almost two decades in the Detroit Red Wings organization, which has fostered a strong relationship with Russian players, and he has plenty of contacts from that time. “He spends time in Russia and understands the Russian system and any complications that might come up,” Stars president Jim Lites said of Nill. “I feel pretty confident that Jim knows exactly what he’s doing and that we got a heck of a steal with this pick.” Transition to U.S. As soon as Nichushkin was drafted in June, Nill began paving a path for a successful 2013-14 rookie season. He set up training for Nichushkin in Dallas, set up a way for the youngster to stay with an American family and set up English classes. “He’s fitting in very well, and he’s very happy,” said Paul Fletcher, who along with his wife and three children have opened their home to Nichushkin. A longtime supporter of the Stars and a friend to Lites, Fletcher said he had pondered taking in players before. When the Nichushkin situation presented itself, he said it was a no-brainer. The Fletchers don’t speak Russian, but Nill said the immersion helps force Nichushkin to learn English. Fletcher said Nichushkin is attending English classes three to five times a week and making progress. He says there is a lot of pointing, nodding and smiling on the part of both sides. “And we use a lot of Google Translate, too,” he said with a laugh. But what he said is clear in any language is just how much Nichushkin wants to be here and wants to succeed. The problem he has as a parent is he sees the 18-year-old boy in Nichushkin, the one who loves video games, rap music and fancy cars. Nichushkin’s agent, Mark Gandler, stresses the same thing. And so does Nill. “As excited as we all are, that’s one area where we have to remember exactly what he’s going through,” Nill said. “He is just 18, and this is the best hockey league in the world.” NHL or bust Radulov played two seasons in Canadian junior hockey before he joined the NHL. Burmistrov played one. Filatov went down to the minors for 39 games his rookie

season and spoke English because his mother was a teacher in Russia. And yet all three eventually left. Nichushkin’s agreement with his Russian team, Dynamo Moscow, is that he plays in the NHL or returns to the KHL. He can do a short conditioning assignment in the minors, but the expectation is the Stars need to keep him in the lineup or send him back to Russia until they are ready to play him at the NHL level. That’s a lot of pressure on player and coach to perform well. “It’s just one more part of the challenge, but we understood that when we drafted him,” Nill said. “We’re all on the same page, and we’re all going to do what’s best for Val.” Nichushkin already is battling at times. His play has dropped off throughout training camp after scoring two goals and registering nine shots in his first game. “I think he’s tired, but he’s fighting through,” Gandler said. “He is learning how tough this is, and he has to adjust.” When asked if a full 82-game season will be a challenge for Nichushkin, who played 45 games last season, Gandler said yes. “And remember, that was his first 45-game season at that level of play,” Gandler said. “It’s not like he has three or four seasons that he’s building on.” Yet scouts gush over Nichushkin’s talent. He is a solid 202 pounds and fast. He knows how to get to the front of the net. He draws comparisons to former MVPs Evgeni Malkin of Pittsburgh and Alexander Ovechkin of Washington. Forget comparisons Yet he doesn’t want those comparisons. “No, no,” Gonchar says, repeating Nichushkin’s words. “No, I am not trying to be anyone else. Not Malkin, not Ovechkin. Those are superstars. I am just starting.” He also doesn’t want to be compared to Filatov or Burmistrov or Radulov. “It’s disappointing to read that so much,” Gandler said. “He is not other players from Russia, he is himself. He needs to simply be seen as himself.” And that’s one of the reasons the Stars are confident they can succeed where others have failed. The organization has set up a support system, but the player and his mental strength still remain the foundation of this project. “He wants to be here, and I think that’s key to everything,” Nill said. “We know there could be a bump in the road, but we’ve done our work and prepared properly. We

know that the minute he hits a bump, he’s not going to say, ‘I’m out of here.’ He’s going to work just as hard as we are, and that’s part of what makes him special.”

Dallas Morning News

How the Dallas Stars will line up in season opener; 'there’s potential for a lot of scoring from the second line' By Mike Heika Oct. 2, 2013 The Stars are still missing Rich Peverley (irregular heartbeat) and Aaron Rome (hip surgery), and that has allowed openings for younger players. Here is how the team is expected to line up against Florida on opening night Thursday at American Airlines Center: 1 line: Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Erik Cole There’s a lot going on with the top line. Benn has been moved from center (where he played the last three years) to his natural position of left wing (where he was an accomplished goal-scorer at the lower levels). He had four goals in five pre-season games. Seguin is being moved from right wing (where he played the last three seasons in Boston) to his natural position of center (where he was an accomplished set-up man at the lower levels). He had six assists in five pre-season games. Veteran Cole has the speed to keep up with the two skilled youngsters and is hoping to get back to the form that produced 35 goals with Montreal in 2011-12. 2 line: Ray Whitney-Cody Eakin-Alex Chiasson There’s potential for a lot of scoring from the Stars’ second line. Whitney is 41, and yet he is playing some of the best hockey of his life. He has 106 points (35 goals, 71 assists) in 114 games in his last two seasons with Dallas and Phoenix. Last season in a brief run, Whitney helped winger Alex Chiasson score six goals in his first seven NHL games. Expect there to be chemistry between those two players. The scouting report on Eakin’s young career is that he’s more of a checking line center, but he tallied 201 points in 145 games in his last two seasons of junior hockey and had 24 points (7 goals, 17 assists) in 48 games last year with the Stars. He has the speed and skill to become a reliable No. 2 center in the NHL. 3 line: Shawn Horcoff-Vern Fiddler-Valeri Nichushkin This is an odd combination and will probably change once Rich Peverley is healthy and ready to play in Game No. 2. Horcoff is 35 and was acquired in a trade with Edmonton last summer. He has seen his numbers steadily decline and had just 12 points (7 goals, 5 assists) in 31 games last season. However, he is healthy and invigorated by the trade. Fiddler is 33 and one of the consistently good things about the Stars during the past two seasons, and Nichushkin is the wild card. The 18-year-old winger was taken 10 overall in the draft and will get the chance to prove he can

play in the NHL immediately. The Stars expect there will be some ups and down this year, but they hope the ups are spectacular. 4 line: Antoine Roussel-Chris Mueller-Ryan Garbutt When Peverley is healthy, there is a good chance Fiddler slides into Mueller’s place, and that is your fourth line for the season. Roussell and Garbutt don’t have great size, but they have great speed and a lot of grit. Roussel was the darling of last season, as he came out of nowhere to score 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in 39 games. The key to his game is not going too far with his agitation tricks. Garbutt doesn’t appear to have the offensive upside of Roussel, but he’s very consistent. Expect him to show up every day and offer a few key hits and steady defensive coverage. Mueller, 27, in an AHL veteran signed in the summer who should be one of the first players called up whenever injuries strike. 1 Defense pair: Alex Goligoski-Sergei Gonchar On paper, Goligoski has been a very steady defenseman. On the ice, he has some visible holes in his own end. Goligoski led the Stars in average time on ice last season at 22:23 and led the team in plus-minus at plus-4. He also was fourth in points at 27 (3 goals, 24 assists). Still, he plays a nervous game at times. The addition of 39-year-old Gonchar should help Goligoski. The two played in Pittsburgh on the 2009 Stanley Cup champion, so they know each other. And Gonchar brings some size (6-2, 206) to help secure the front of the net. Gonchar also plays the right side, so Goligoski will be able to stay on his natural left-handed side. 2 defense pair: Brenden Dillon-Stephane Robidas For much of his rookie season, Brenden Dillon was the most consistent defenseman on the Stars. The big (6-4, 228) 22-year-old is strong, smart and quick. He also played his best hockey on a pairing with Robidas, who allowed Dillon to live at his house for the first two months of the season. Robidas is slowing at age 36, but he still is a steadying force on the defense and a nice second option on the power play. He played 22:14 last season and was plus-2. He also led the team in hits (136) and blocked shots (93). When the Stars went with just two alternate captains this season, Robidas received one of the A’s (Ray Whitney got the other). 3 defense pair: Jordie Benn-Trevor Daley Daley had neck surgery in the off-season to repair a bone in his spine, and then sat out much of the pre-season with soft tissue issues in his neck and shoulder. He has been durable throughout his career, so he is not expected to miss many games, but the injuries are worth watching. He’ll probably be the anchor on the third pair and be forced to juggle several partners. Aaron Rome (hip surgery) is out to start the season, so Jordie Benn will fill in. The older brother of Jamie, Jordie played 26 games last season and averaged 17:18 in ice time. In addition, newcomer Kevin Connauton

made the roster and will be pushing for games all season, so the team could end up carrying eight defensemen when everyone is healthy. Goalies: Kari Lehtonen and Dan Ellis Lehtonen has been the team’s MVP for the past three seasons, but his numbers did take a dip last season. He finished 19 in save percentage at .916, 23 in wins at 15-14-3, and 32 in goals against average at 2.66. He ranks sixth in salary among NHL goalies this season at $6.25 million, so the Stars would like him to get his statistical rankings into that area. Ellis is a veteran back-up who should provide some rest opportunities for Lehtonen. He has played for three different teams in the last three season (Carolina, Anaheim and Tampa Bay) and last season posted a 6-8-2 record with a 3.13 GAA and .906 save percentage for Carolina. Like Lehtonen, his expectations will be to better those numbers.

Dallas Morning News

Schedule analysis: Dallas Stars will face tough road challenges early on but will spend most of January at home By Mike Heika Oct. 2, 2013 The Stars are moving into a new division this season and have a new way of figuring the playoffs, as well. The Western Conference will be have two divisions instead of three. Dallas is in the Central Division with Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Nashville, Colorado and Winnipeg. The top three teams in each division will make the playoffs, while the last two spots will go to the remaining teams with the best records. Here is the Stars’ schedule with some moments to watch: (Oct.6-10) This stretch of five days without a game is frustrating for the Stars, who want to get going and prove they are a different team than past squads. However, the break will allow everyone to get healthy and also create the possibility that Rich Peverley (irregular heartbeat) and Aaron Rome don’t miss many games. (Oct. 11-12) The Stars’ first back-to-back situation almost ensures that Dan Ellis will get his first start of the season. A spread out schedule is going to test the coaching staff to see if they want to use Ellis more than one game before the next back-to-back comes Oct. 19 and 20. (Oct. 28-Nov. 18) Maybe the most challenging section of the Stars’ schedule, Dallas plays eight road games and two home games over a span of 22 days. While the road can be a place to bond, this segment will test the team’s patience. Playing in Buffalo and Montreal, going back to Dallas for one game, and then heading back East for games against Ottawa, Boston and Detroit will be taxing. (Nov. 5) Tyler Seguin returns to Boston, where he won a Stanley Cup and where he was heavily criticized on his way out of town. (Nov. 9 and Nov. 29) The Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks come to town. (Nov. 13) Shawn Horcoff returns to Edmonton, where he served as captain from 2010-13. (Dec. 29) The return of former captain Brenden Morrow with the St. Louis Blues. (Dec. 31) The traditional New Year’s Eve home game, this time against the Kings. (Dec. 27-Jan. 30) Stars make up for earlier road blues with 13 out of 18 games at home. Included are two five-game homestands.

(Jan. 25) Stars fans should get to see Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and James Neal when the Penguins come to town. (Feb. 9-25) NHL shuts down to send athletes to Sochi, Russia for 2014 Olympic Games. Stars’ participation could be limited to defenseman Sergei Gonchar for Russia. (March 1) Fan favorite Steve Ott returns with Buffalo. (March 28-April 12) Stars go through a stretch where they play four games against Eastern Conference teams and two each against St. Louis and Nashville. With the competition for playoff spots in the West at their most intense, the Stars will need to capitalize on those games against the Predators and Blues.

Dallas Morning News

By the numbers: Breaking down the Dallas Stars' playoff drought, Lindy Ruff's regular season record and more By Mike Heika Oct. 2, 2013 5: Consecutive seasons the Stars have missed the playoffs. That number is actively exceeded only by Edmonton and Winnipeg. 5: Number of Stars players who have won the Stanley Cup. Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh 2009), Alex Goligoski (Pittsburgh 2009), Ray Whitney (Caroline 2006), Erik Cole (Carolina 2006) and Tyler Seguin (Boston 2011). 5: Number of wins in the pre-season for the Stars, who went 5-0-2 and never trailed during regulation. 571: Regular season wins for Lindy Ruff, ranking him 12 all-time. Former Stars coach Ken Hitchcock is 11 at 605. 775: Points for Sergei Gonchar, 18 most all-time among NHL defensemen. Rob Blake is two points ahead in 17 place at 777. Number shuffle The Stars have changed a few numbers from last season. Ryan Garbutt will move from No. 40 to No. 16. Jordie Benn will move from No. 58 to No. 24. Jamie Oleksiak will move from No. 43 to No. 5. And Antoine Roussel will change from No. 60 to No. 21. The switches were suggested by Stars owner Tom Gaglardi, who said he prefers more traditional uniform numbers and feels players who have worked their way up from the minors should get a chance to change their numbers. "I think it looks better, looks more professional, when players have traditional numbers,’’ Gaglardi said. "Plus, it’s a feather in their cap to become a lineup regular, so they should be able to change from numbers they were given.’’ Players who have worn untraditional numbers for years like Erik Cole with No. 72, are not being asked to change their numbers.

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

New Stars coach Lindy Ruff hoping team will ‘compete’ in new system By Travis L. Brown Oct. 2, 2013 DALLAS — The puck drops on the Dallas Stars’ 2013-2014 season Thursday at American Airlines Center. Fans know they will see new “Victory Green” uniforms on the ice, a fresh batch of new faces and a stoic, veteran coach behind the bench in Lindy Ruff. It is easier to quantify the effect those new players will have on the team. New Stars center Tyler Seguin brings scoring (32 points, 16 goals last season) and the experience of a Stanley Cup championship. Defenseman Sergei Gonchar was second on the Ottawa Senators last season in points with 27 and led the Senators in assists with 24. With Gonchar, even the intangibles of his mentoring the Stars’ first-round draft pick Valeri Nichushkin, a fellow Russian, can be added to the equation. However, the effect of Ruff drawing the X’s and O’s is more abstract. Through training camp and the exhibition schedule, both players and coaches said the focus has been on Ruff’s catchphrase — compete. “That’s one of the biggest things he said was to work hard, have fun and bring your compete level every night, and it’s going to help you out in the end,” Stars captain Jamie Benn said. At his introductory news conference, Ruff said returning the Stars to the playoffs for the first time in five years has less to do with a new system and more to do with the attitude and atmosphere that surround the organization. “The one thing is trying to set the bar high enough and hold the players accountable to that level to get them to a certain place that they can have success, but knowing it’s always within reach,” Ruff said. “The type of style we’ve played is a real hard, up-tempo type of game, with a lot of energy inside of it.” The type of game Ruff described translates best on the ice in the form of the forecheck — or in basketball terms, an in-your-face, full-court press.

Much of the Stars’ work in Fort Worth during training camp was centered around finding the best places on the ice to force opponents into turnovers. Through those three days of practices, Ruff said he liked what he saw. “We created a lot of opportunities and spent a lot of time in the offensive zone,” Ruff said. It’s a system — or philosophy, whichever better describes Ruff’s coaching style — that Stars center Shawn Horcoff believes fits this team and its personnel. “We’re going to be aggressive. We want to turn pucks over. We have skill. We want to attack and when we do attack we want the D to join,” Horcoff said. “You need to drive the net and get pucks to the net, if we are going to drive that D is going to be open.” The blue line has been a problem for the Stars during their five-year playoff drought. In last year’s lockout-shortened season in which the Stars played only Western Conference teams, Dallas outshot only three teams in the season series: Columbus, Calgary and Anaheim. In 2011-2012, the last full NHL season, the Stars outshot Columbus, Edmonton and Los Angeles in the Western Conference season series, and only outshot the New York Islanders among Eastern Conference teams they played more than once. Defense will be the mark Ruff hopes to make on this team. “Offensively we’ve been a good team,” Ruff said. “We know we’re going to have to be a better defensive team. We’ve had a couple of [preseason] games where we’re really sound in our own end, and we’ve had a couple of loose games. We have to become a more consistent team. Nobody can tell me that by playing loose in your own end is going to help you win hockey games. The better you play, the sooner you get out, the sooner we get to play on the other end. It’s as simple as that.”

Defending Big D

Gameday preview: Florida Panthers at Dallas Stars By Brad Gardner Oct. 3, 2013 On April 27th, 2103 the Dallas Stars ended their fifth consecutive playoff-less season against the Detroit Red Wings. 158 days later on this October day they return to AAC ice and the transformation from the former date to the latter could scarcely be more complete in its breadth. A new coaching staff and a new general manager in Jim Nill, not to mention the tremendous roster turnover that happened in a very short period of time, all have Tom Gaglardi hoping that his new purchases are indeed steering this franchise in the right direction. The new uniforms and logos, making their television debut tonight, help the re-branding along quite nicely, but ultimately it's about what happens on the ice. "We're sick of practicing," Tyler Seguin told the DMN this week. "We're ready to go. You definitely want to be at the top of your game on day one. That's what we are going to do. We want to be hot from the start, get some wins, get some confidence and go from there." Dallas beat the Panthers twice in the preseason, but never saw much of a full NHL-caliber lineup with which to contend. Tonight will be different as the intensity ratchets up, and Tim Thomas is expected to make his return to the NHL in goal. Florida, meanwhile, had a league worst 5-on-5 GF/GA ratio last season of 0.57, meaning they were outscored at even-strength by very nearly a ratio of 2-1, but boast a young lineup with much in the way of pure skill, and an upgrade in goal. They have a tough climb ahead of them in a very deep division. The Stars find themselves already trailing the Blackhawks, Jets and Avalanche in what is sure to be a tight division race for the final playoff spots. The puck drops tonight at about 7:38pm CDT on Fox Sports Southwest and Spooorts Radio 1310, The Ticket. The Stars: Weeks of practicing, scrimmaging and exhibition play come to a head tonight as the Stars take on an opponent with actual NHL points on the line. Questions when the

group broke camp were abundant, but have since come into focus with over a week to play, and there is very little say that isn't already known. The lineup should look like this, as it has all week... Benn-Seguin-Cole Whitney-Eakin-Chiasson Horcoff-Fiddler-Nichushkin Roussel-Mueller-Garbutt Dillon-Robidas Goligoski-Gonchar Daley-Benn Aaron Rome is practicing (hip) and Kevin Connauton is healthy as well, so after the Stars' five day break following the Saturday contest against Washington the coaching staff will likely be looking at eight healthy defensemen to rotate. Rich Peverley is expected to be available Saturday night for his Stars debut. Kari Lehtonen, of course, will start in game number one. From Stars PR: "The Stars come into Thursday's contest having won each of their last three season openers, and have earned at least one point in each of the last 14 home openers (11-0-3). That's a pretty strong streak to break. Are the Panthers the team to do it? The Panthers: Florida was quiet in July on the free agent market, choosing instead to pick discount names off the scrap heap in this, a lockout affected summer where the salary cap dropped and many would-be players were left to poorly leveraged free agent situations. Tom Gilbert, Brad Boyes and Tim Thomas entered the picture in recent weeks, joining first-rounder Aleksander Barkov and company to make up a pretty skilled Florida lineup. Their projected lines, or something like it: Versteeg-Goc-Fleischmann Hubredau-Barkov-Boyes Kopecky-Matthias-Winchester Upshall-Gomez-Shore Campbell-Gudbranson Kulikov-Weaver Gilbert-Whitney/Gillroy

Injuries: Though he missed six months prior, Kris Versteeg will make his return to the ice tonight after a knee surgery. Bjugstad (concussion) and Ed Jovanovksi (hip) are out on injured reserve. Tim Thomas is scheduled to get the start in goal. Florida has some nice skill on the back end. Crisp breakouts from Kulikov, Campbell and Gudbranson could pose a threat if the Dallas' D "activates," as has been the mantra in the preseason, so keep an eye on the Stars' back-checking. The Panthers got goals against Dallas from Upshall, Shore and Gilbert, all of whom will be in the lineup tonight. Last change will be critical, but does Ruff want to match up specific lines and situations, or roll all four and demand responsibility from each? We'll check it out tonight and report back...

Defending Big D

Dallas Stars, despite youthful reinvention, still League’s fifth oldest team? By Brad Gardner Oct. 2, 2013 With opening night NHL rosters finalized The Globe's James Mirtle compiled his yearly list of average heights, ages and weights today, giving hockey fans a chance to see if the "tale of the tape" matches their perceptions of where the directions and off-seasons of their respective teams are concerned. Such a thing has little bearing on how the season will play out, but you just can't help but take a look. The Dallas Stars are younger than last season, but... barely. They have been packing on the pounds, though, and are trending up in height. Here are the opening night averages for Dallas' teams in of the last three seasons:

Weight Weight Rank Height Height Rank Age Age Rank

2011-2012 199.3 29 72.7 26 28.7 11

LOCK-2013 197.2 29 72.4 28 28.8 5

2013-2014 201.6 23 73.1 22 28.6 5

The Stars were the fifth oldest team in the league last year and they're the fifth oldest team league in the year this season. To begin, anyway. How in the world did that happen with an 18 year-old 21 year-old new-comers taking center stage along with 23 year-old Alex Chiasson and 24 year-old Jamie Benn? Ray Whitney, Sergei Gonchar, Stephane Robidas, Erik Cole and and Shawn Horcoff is how, and that's alright. The defending champions have the 8th oldest roster. The Canucks have the 4th. Youthful talent pointing, presumably, at a bright future is a wonderful thing. Veteran experience is still needed to win. Winnipeg, Toronto, Columbus and Buffalo are among the very youngest in the league, and all could easily miss the playoffs. What should matter to Stars fans is that the "core" here is getting younger. Brenden Morrow, Mike Ribeiro, Brad Richards, Stephane Robidas are giving way to Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Cody Eakin and Brenden Dillon. A changing of the guard is inevitable, of course, but to see the skill level maintained or increased while it happens is the goal.

Take a look at where the points have been coming from. Here are the average ages of the top-five scorers the last three seasons... Season Average Age of Top-Five Scorers 2010-2011 28.0 2011-2012 28.2 LOCK-2013 32 So old Jags and Ray Whitney really drag those numbers up as well, but in two years (or this one?) that number is liable to be in the mid-twenties, indicating a solid group of talent under control for a while, and that actually will be something to give a little credence. Jamie Benn, Valeri Nichushkin, Alex Chiasson, Tyler Seguin and Brenden Dillon average just 21.6. How do you like them apples?

Defending Big D

Dallas Stars defensive pairs look familiar heading into 2013-14 season By Erin Bolen Oct. 2, 2013 There's a lot that is familiar about the Dallas Stars defense on the eve of the 2013-14 season. Sure, the Stars lost Philip Larsen in a trade to the Edmonton Oilers and sent young behemoth Jamie Oleksiak back to the Texas Stars for a bit more seasoning, but five of the six players projected to be in the opening night lineup were a part of the Stars lineup last year. The big addition, veteran Russian defenseman Sergei Gonchar, is an obvious impact player on the offensive end of the lineup. Still, a look at the defensive pairs from Tuesday's practice looks very familiar. Alex Goligoski - Sergei Gonchar Brenden Dillon - Stephane Robidas Trevor Daley - Jordie Benn Kevin Connauton IR: Aaron Rome (hip), who is scheduled to practice with the team for the first time this week. The familiarity isn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, Robidas and Dillon made a very effective pair for the majority of the lockout-shortened season before being broken up in the last few games. The two were the Stars go-to pair in shutdown situations and excelled at moving the puck out of their zone by the end of a shift. If we're reading the Lindy Ruff tea leaves right at this point, it looks like the Stars are going with a fairly traditional defensive set fro the start of the season. Goligoski-Gonchar is an obvious offensive pairing and will likely be deployed on offensive zone draws and against weaker opposition players. The two have been the main power play defensemen as well, though they've been broken up and used with different four-forward sets. Dillon and Robidas, on the other hand, are a quintessential shutdown pair. There's no reason to think their usage will change much, if at all, from last season, where

Dillon was allowed to bring the puck up the ice if the opportunity presented itself, and Robidas was more of a stay-at-home guy. They did an admirable job against some of the top forwards in the league last year. Still, the two pairings are a bit one-dimensional, the offensive set more than the defensive one. While Dillon and Robidas can provide a decent offensive threat, there are some lingering questions about the defensive prowess of a Goligoski-Gonchar pairing. Neither is bad in their own end per se - it's just not the area of the ice that's considered either man's strength. Think back to the "good old days" when the Stars were deploying a fearsome foursome of Richard Matvichuk-Derian Hatcher and Sergei Zubov-Darryl Sydor. What made those pairings so effective was that while each had a decided strength, they were more than competent at the other half of the rink as well. Hatcher, in particular, had 12 goals his first season in Dallas and had five seasons of 30 or more points from the blueline while Matvichuk crossed the 20-point barrier five times. With the quality of forward they were facing night in and night out, that's more than respectable. Can Robidas and Dillon contribute that type of offense while Gonchar and Goligoski hold their own in the defensive zone? Those are the big questions the Stars face if they want to stick with this arrangement of defensemen. The third paring as it stands at the moment is a little more mixed, and there are a number of faces that could rotate through it. Barring a roster move, Daley seems like he should be the mainstay of the pairing. He's a consistent 25-point scorer (and was on pace for around that again last season) with more than 600 NHL games under his belt and provides a generally steady presence when healthy. He battled a shoulder injury during preseason and a neck injury at the end of the 2013 season but is ideally ready to go. For the moment, it looks like Jordie Benn has taken the sixth starting spot over Connauton. Benn played about half the season in the NHL last year and has been a consistent offensive threat in the AHL. Connauton has also had a bit of an offensive touch in the AHL, and it will be interesting to watch him battle Benn and eventually Rome for playing time. With eight defensemen, the Stars might very well dangle someone as trade bait as well. That will be a developing situation as the season moves along, and a lot will depend on the development of players like Connauton and Benn as well as AHL players like Jamie Oleksiak and Jyrki Jokipakka. So do you like the idea of continuing the pairs that were established last season? Would you rather the Stars mix it up and pair offensive-minded defensemen with a

defensive-minded counterpart? Continue the discussion in our comments section below.

Defending Big D

Previewing the Florida Panthers at Dallas Stars will Litter Box Cats By Brad Gardner Oct. 2, 2013 At long last the Dallas Stars 2013-2014 season begins tonight at the American Airlines Center as the Florida Panthers, whom the Stars beat twice in the preseason, come calling. Florida has failed to qualify for the playoffs in 15 of their 19 seasons, falling to a record of 15-27-6 last season, resulting in the second overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft (Aleksander Barkov). They come to Dallas tonight, as will every single team in the Eastern Conference thanks to realignment, looking to escape with two points. We learn a little more about the Stars' opening night foe with help from our SB Nation counterparts at Litter Box Cats. Thanks to Kevin Kraczkowski for answering our questions... *** Brad: While the Stars exited the preseason with exactly the lineup expected as far back as July, the Panthers had a rather newsy September. Brad Boyes, Tom Gilbert, Tim Thomas and Krys Barch all enter the fold (or re-enter). What do fans make of all the late activity? Poor planning, injuries, or just necessary adjustments? Kevin: There was a lot of talk locally about how quiet GM Dale Tallon was on FA day this past summer, especially after the great signing bonanza of 2011. Fans are interpreting this recent slew of unexpected activity as a renewed commitment to make something, ANYTHING happen. Florida's not a huge threat in their new division, at least not yet, but the front office is showing that being dead last is not on the Panther's radar this season. Plus, Scott Gomez! *** Brad: Can you give us an idea of what the lines and the defensive pairings may look like tonight? Kevin: Marcel Goc will center the first line, flanked by Kris Versteeg and Tomas Fleischmann. This decision reunites 2/3d's of the NHL's top scoring line from the first quarter of 2011-12. The Panthers are hoping for a little of that magic to show itself again.

The second line features the last Calder Trophy winner, in Jonathan Huberdeau, with what could be the next, in Aleksander Barkov. The two are joined by recently signed vet Brad Boyes. Shawn Matthias will center Tomas Kopecky and Jesse Winchester, and Gomez will anchor the fourth line with often injured Scotty Upshall (with something to prove) and another youngster in Drew Shore. Defensively, look for power play quarterback Brian Campbell and 21 year old Erik Gudbranson to chew up a ton of minutes. The second pairing of Dmitry Kulikov and Mike Weaver will start a fourth season together, while some permutation of Matt Gilroy, Brad Gilbert, and newly acquired Ryan Whitney flesh out the blue line. *** Brad: Is Tim Thomas going to be "the guy" in the Florida net, or do you expect a back and forth competition as the season wears on? Also, as an aside, really....Do you enjoy "Florida retirement" themed humor? I'm asking for a friend. Kevin: Ha! Who doesn't, amirite? But to the goaltending question: Thomas didn't really get a lot of NHL experience until he was in his 30's, and won Veniza Trophies at 34 and 37 years of age. He may come out of this "hiatus" with a fresh outlook and even fresher legs. If not, Florida has what they think is a very capable "1A" in gigantic youngster Jacob Markstrom. Barring injuries, I think they'll each start at least 30 games. *** Brad: Barkov will be the name many of us are looking for tonight. What can you tell us about his style of game and expected impact this year? Kevin: Barkov just turned 18, but for the past two years has earned valuable seasoning in the Finnish Elite League with Tappara (Finnish for "battle axe"). Last season, he racked up 48 points in 53 games. He has outstanding technical skills and decent size, along with a hockey sense that belies his age. Although he is not accustomed to the more physical aspects of the North American style of hockey, he should be big and strong enough to adapt, and hopefully excel. Look to Litter Box Cats for our answers to some of his Dallas Stars questions soon...

FOX Sports Southwest

Stars ready to kick off Nill and Ruff eras in style By Steve Hunt Oct. 2, 2013 FRISCO --- Nobody affiliated with the Dallas Stars wants to talk about the fact that this is a franchise that hasn't been to the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2008 and keeping the past in the rearview mirror is definitely the right call for an organization that has a new general manager in Jim Nill, a new head coach in Lindy Ruff as well as new players like Sergei Gonchar, Shawn Horcoff and Tyler Seguin. So, not to sound cliché but Thursday night's season opener between the Stars and the visiting Florida Panthers truly is a fresh start for a franchise that won the 1999 Stanley Cup championship. Besides all the changes listed above, the game with the Panthers will also mark the official debut of the Stars' new jerseys, yet another aspect of what is a new era for everyone affiliated with the franchise. Dallas will also have a new captain in Jamie Benn, who is now the unquestioned face of the franchise and No. 14 who will skate on the Stars' top line alongside Seguin and veteran Erik Cole is ready to get this thing rolling. "It's an exciting time for the Stars. It's going to be fun to go out there in new jerseys tomorrow night in front of all our fans in kind of a fresh start for the Dallas Stars," Benn said on Wednesday after practice. Like Benn, Stars defenseman Alex Goligoski is a holdover from the previous eras of

both Marc Crawford and Glen Gulutzan and the man who wears No. 33 and will be paired with Gonchar shares his teammate's sentiment that preseason is now over and it's time to start playing games that really matter, the very thing every member of the roster and coaching staff has been preparing for all summer. "Yeah, I think everyone's real excited. It seems like preseason's kind of dragged on a little here in the last week because preseason games got over and we had to wait a little bit to get to tomorrow. But everyone's excited," Goligoski said. "There's a lot of opportunity for everyone in here. We've got new guys coming in and the guys coming back. I think everyone's just ready to go." Thursday night will also mark the debut for Ruff behind the Dallas bench and the career hockey man admits that anticipation and even anxiety of right before the start of another season is a feeling that he never gets tired of experiencing. "Emotionally I'm psyched. I can't wait. I'm disappointed that we have one more night to go, that we wouldn't be going tonight. It's fun," Ruff said. "You have that

anxiety to get it going. You practice for four days. The players want to play and the coaches want to see the players play." The game with Florida will mark Cole's first opening night as a member of the Stars. He is of course the veteran forward who came over in a trade with Montreal in the early stages of last season for Michael Ryder and even though this will be his first opening night in Big D, it is something he has experienced countless times in his career and as he looks around at the rest of the room, he admits he likes the group Nill and Co. have assembled around him for what he promises will be an interesting season of Dallas Stars hockey. "I really like our group and think we've got a good mix of veteran players and younger players, great goaltending and veteran coaches," Cole said. "I think we've got something here that's going to surprise a lot of people. I think if we can just figure a way to bring it all together, then we're going to be a very effective team." When addressing the media after practice on Wednesday, Ruff said he felt good about how prepared he and his players were for Thursday's opener with the Panthers. But even with that being said, he admitted he can't wait for the puck to drop on his first season as the Stars' head coach because he wants to see how all of their preparations and planning play out once the games start to count. "Well, it's not just another game. It's the start of something really new, something really exciting. I don't look at it as it's just another game. It's a group of guys that a lot of different guys have put together and a lot of guys that have really gotten along good together as a team and I'm excited to see that develop," Ruff said. "For me, it's not just another game. It's another start and a new beginning for a lot of us."

NHL.com

Retooled Stars open season against Panthers By Davis Harper Oct. 2, 2013 PANTHERS (0-0-0) at STARS (0-0-0) TV: FS-F, FS-SW Season series: While many teams open the season against bitter rivals or divisional foes, that won't be the case on Thursday in Dallas. The Panthers and Stars rarely face one another; their last matchup came nearly two years ago, on Nov. 15, 2011. The Panthers dominated that encounter, winning 6-0 behind a three-point night from Kris Versteeg and a 25-save shutout performance by Scott Clemmensen. This is the first of two meetings in 2013-14; the teams won't see each other again until the Stars come to South Florida on April 6. Big story: Which of these non-playoff teams from 2012-13 will get off to a fast start this time around? The Panthers and Stars finished at the bottom of their respective divisions in 2012-13, and both enter this season in an arguably tougher group thanks to realignment. Team Scope: Panthers: After dropping to last in the Southeast Division in 2012-13 following their first-place finish in '11-12, the Panthers spent the summer recommitting to youth in the form of 2012-13 Calder Trophy winner Jonathan Huberdeau and highly-rated rookies Nick Bjugstad and Aleksander Barkov. With the season nearing, however, management opted to add a few veterans to aid the development of that young talent. The Panthers signed Tim Thomas, Brad Boyes and Tom Gilbert off professional tryout contracts, and all are expected to be in the lineup against the Stars. Though he was signed as late as Sept. 26, Thomas immediately becomes the most intriguing storyline in South Florida. The Panthers were by far the NHL's worst in goals-allowed per game (3.54), and neither Jacob Markstrom nor Clemmensen – who split time in net this past season – made a convincing case in the preseason for the starting role. Thomas, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy and Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011, is back in the NHL after taking a year off and should give Florida confidence as they head into a realigned Atlantic Division packed with perennial postseason contenders.

"Tim has really established himself with our team and our organization within a short period of time," Florida coach Kevin Dineen told the Miami Herald. "[Thomas] is a good guy and a real solid player for us right now. He's a great option for us on Thursday night." Stars: After five seasons out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Dallas made big changes this offseason both on the ice and in the front office. The Stars named Jim Nill general manager; he hired longtime Buffalo Sabres bench boss Lindy Ruff as coach. In an attempt to revive a slumping offense, Dallas brought forwards Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley from Boston. The Stars also added veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar to help aid the progress of blue-line prospects Brenden Dillon and Jamie Oleksiak. Seguin has the potential to be the face of the franchise, which will also debut new uniforms and a redesigned logo. The 21-year-old is likely to line up in his natural center position alongside All-Star center Jamie Benn, who was recently named captain. Seguin led Dallas in the preseason with seven points, including six assists. Injury report: Florida's Kris Versteeg missed six months after undergoing knee surgery in March, but the veteran forward played the final two preseason games and has been cleared to start against the Stars. Forward Sean Bergenheim (abdominal) is questionable, while right wing Steven Pinizzotto (hip) is expected back in early November. Bjugstad (concussion) and defenseman Ed Jovanovski (hip) are on injured reserve. … For Dallas, defensemen Aaron Rome (hip) and Trevor Daley (neck) are questionable, as is Peverley (irregular heartbeat). Winger Scott Glennie (knee) is out indefinitely.

NHL.com

Over the Boards: 2013 draft class living up to the hype By Dan Rosen Oct. 2, 2013 It may still be a few years before anyone can determine just how deep the 2013 NHL Draft was, but the early returns are matching the hype that accompanied this year's class. Seven of the top 10 picks survived the final round of training-camp cuts to make the opening-night roster of their respective teams. Six will definitely be in the lineup, with an injury potentially postponing the debut of Carolina Hurricanes forward Elias Lindholm. It's the most top-10 picks to make opening-night rosters since seven members of the 2008 NHL Draft survived the final cuts in their first training camp. That year's rookie class included Steven Stamkos, Drew Doughty, Zach Bogosian, Alex Pietrangelo, Luke Schenn, Mikkel Boedker and Josh Bailey, who started the season on injured reserve and didn't make his debut for the New York Islanders until November. This year the survivors are Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche), Aleksander Barkov (Florida Panthers), Seth Jones (Nashville Predators), Lindholm (Carolina Hurricanes), Sean Monahan (Calgary Flames), Rasmus Ristolainen (Buffalo Sabres) and Valeri Nichushkin (Dallas Stars). "Seven is a lot, but I guess that's a testament to how people felt about the draft," Sabres general manager Darcy Regier told NHL.com. "They felt it was a pretty good draft, a pretty deep draft and it looks like it's holding." It's not surprising that MacKinnon, the No. 1 pick, and Jones, the No. 4 pick, made their respective opening-night rosters. They were expected to be there. Similarly, Sean Monahan made it in Calgary partly on merit because he was impressive in training camp and in part because there was an opening on the roster with Michael Cammalleri (hand) on injured reserve to start the season. It wasn't as clear-cut for Barkov, Lindholm, Ristolainen and Nichushkin. They all played professionally in Europe last season and were going to have to adjust to the North American rink, style, culture and systems. However, their respective general managers all said the same thing; that because they played professionally in Europe last season they had an advantage most 18-year-olds do not have and it likely led to them being ready to play in the NHL this season.

Barkov and Ristolainen played the past two seasons in Finland's SM-Liiga. Lindholm played 60 games over the past two seasons in the Swedish Elite League and Nichushkin played last season in the KHL. "That's a big bonus," Stars general manager Jim Nill told NHL.com when talking about Nichushkin. The advantage all seven rookies can claim is size. MacKinnon, who is arguably the most skilled of the bunch, is the smallest at 6-foot, 182 pounds. Jones, Ristolainen and Nichushkin are 6-foot-4. Jones checks in at 205 pounds, Ristolainen at 219 and Nichushkin at 205, though Nill said he's really 215. Barkov is 6-foot-3, 209 pounds, Monahan is 6-2, 185 pounds and Lindholm is 6-1, 192 pounds. "Size and physicality won't be an issue for [Nichushkin]," Nill said. "He's going to get tired here and there, but I know when he steps into a game he's not going to get outworked physically because he's a young player in a man's body and that helps. He's not overwhelmed at all." At least not yet. Like any rookie, these seven will be watched closely early in the season and there's a chance not all of them make it through a full season. MacKinnon, Jones and Monahan could go back to their respective junior teams while the four European rookies can go to the American Hockey League or return to their home countries. But they're here now and there's reason to believe they're here to stay, which means there's a reason to believe in the hype that accompanied the 2013 draft class. Fehr starts in an unfamiliar spot Eric Fehr was shocked when Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates said he wanted to try him at center during training camp. He was just as surprised at how well the experiment went. Fehr opened the season Tuesday night as the Capitals' third-line center, a position he had never played before in the NHL. The Capitals opened the position for him by trading Mathieu Perreault to the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. "The last couple of years I really focused on being better in the 'D' zone, and that helped me be in this position now where they're confident in putting me down low and letting me play center," Fehr told NHL.com. "It's been a lot of work, but it's been

fun to learn a new position. Being a center, being able to play both ends of the ice, is so valuable these days. It adds another element to your game." Oates said Fehr's versatility was a key factor in his decision to make him a center for the start of this season. He also tried veteran wing Martin Erat at center, but Fehr had a stronger camp and was better in the position than Erat, who could see time in the middle down the road. Fehr's most significant adjustment has been in the faceoff circle. He played in 306 career NHL games as a right wing and took only 22 faceoffs, winning just four of them. He won six of 10 against the Chicago Blackhawks in Washington's season-opening 6-4 loss. "I worked a lot on draws [in training camp]," Fehr said. "That was the biggest concern for me coming in. I never took draws in the past. I've been working with the centermen a lot and they've been teaching me the tricks." Nill continues to praise Nichushkin, other Dallas rookies Nill said he and Dallas coach Lindy Ruff expected Nichushkin to push for a roster spot after watching him play in the Traverse City Prospects Tournament early last month, but a major reason why Nichushkin made it is because of how consistent his work ethic and focus has been since draft day. "We forget these guys are 18 years old sometimes, but he's lived [in Dallas] all summer, he's committed to getting stronger and he's committed to being a good two-way player," Nill said. "Lindy Ruff sat down with him and one thing Valeri said was, 'I know I have to be a good two-way player, what do I have to do?' He's bought into the program, and at that age that's important." Nichushkin isn't alone among Dallas' rookies who may have a big impact this season. Alex Chiasson, who turned 23 on Tuesday, will start the season as a top-six forward. Defenseman Kevin Connauton should be in the top six on the blue line. "Lindy and I were talking the other night before an exhibition game, it was toward the end [of the preseason] and we said we needed to put our most experienced team on the ice," Nill said. "We put it together, looked at it and kind of laughed because they were all basically 24 or younger other than four or five guys. That's why Sergei Gonchar, Shawn Horcoff, [Ray] Whitney, [Trevor] Daley and [Stephane] Robidas are so important to the team. We've got high energy, good speed, but it's important to have these veterans around who are teaching the young kids how to do it." Need work, contact Dale Tallon Panthers general manager Dale Tallon put out the help wanted sign before training camp opened last month and two NHL veterans, Brad Boyes and Tom Gilbert,

knocked on his door hoping for a chance to find work for the 2013-14 season. Tim Thomas came with his resume in hand a few days after camp opened and Ryan Whitney, after playing the entire preseason on a pro tryout agreement with the St. Louis Blues, came knocking last week. It was just as important to Tallon that Thomas, Boyes, Gilbert and Whitney make the team as it was to the players themselves. They want to be in the NHL on guaranteed contracts and Tallon needs them to avoid throwing his top prospects into the NHL fire before they're ready. "We want to make sure our young guys don't get destroyed, that they're ready when they're ready and we don't force them into the lineup," Tallon told NHL.com. "We still have to keep an eye on the present while not destroying our future." QUOTEBOOK Adam Oates Washington Capitals coach Adam Oates talking about why having a full training camp this year was important to him and his team: "The camp was really just an extension of the end of the season. We had a good second half. Guys came to camp knowing what we were going to do, so we didn't have talk too much about it. The best part for me is we had three weeks for everybody to get in shape. Last year we had so many different levels of conditioning because some guys played games, some guys didn't. This year we're all on the same page." Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill talking to NHL.com about center Tyler Seguin: "He's been everything and more than we could ask for. He wants to show the world that hey, whatever was out there was unjustified, that this is who he is as a player. He's been one of the best players on the ice for us since Day 1. He and Jamie Benn are really almost connected at the hip on and off the ice. They have a strong friendship going and they've been dynamic on the ice." Now he thinks he can shield guys like Alex Petrovic, Vincent Trocheck, Colby Robak, Quinton Howden and Jacob Markstrom and still field a competitive team. Kruger can do more Marcus Kruger may be in a fourth-line, penalty-killing role with the Chicago Blackhawks, but the Swedish center wants to deliver more on the offensive end this season. Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville wouldn't be surprised if Kruger forced his hand and pushed his way higher up in the lineup soon. One of the main reasons why Kruger hasn't been given a chance to be the second-line center is because of his PK prowess. Quenneville prefers it when his top

penalty-killing forwards have smaller even-strength roles. However, Kruger is definitely an option to be the second-line center if Michal Handzus gets hurt or struggles early in the season. "I know that we think of him having a real nice fit on that line, but he has that versatility where he can play with any of our top lines, our top guys," Quenneville said. "He sees plays offensively, can make plays and has good patience with the puck. He might not be playing with guys that score a lot of goals, but we're very confident those minutes when he's out there are big minutes for our team." Kruger has 39 points in 125 career NHL games, including 13 points in 47 games last season. He was never a big-time scorer when he played in the Swedish Elite League, but he was a two-way threat and had 70 points in 105 career games with Djurgarden. This and that * Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman should be applauded for his decision to send Jonathan Drouin back to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Drouin, the No. 3 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, can use this season with the Halifax Mooseheads to get stronger in all phases so when he comes to training camp next year his power will match his speed, vision and hockey sense. He now knows what NHL hockey looks like and he should be able to use that to his advantage. He has nothing left to prove in the QMJHL, not after he scored 140 points in 66 games last season, but with another year of development he should be able to step right in next season and be an impact player. Yzerman didn't think he would have a major impact this season and he didn't want to stunt his growth. It's a shrewd move that could pay major dividends down the road. * While Jason Pominville's thoughts on Buffalo's choices to have home (Thomas Vanek) and road (Steve Ott) captains aren't all that significant, it's hard to disagree with him. Pominville, who was the Sabres captain until he was traded to the Minnesota Wild last season, said "it feels a little weird" when Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune asked him about Buffalo's captain situation on Tuesday. He's right, it is a little weird. But it's not the first time the Sabres have done this. Chris Drury and Danny Briere split the captaincy from 2005-07. Pominville was on those teams. * Andrew Ference was the right choice to be the Edmonton Oilers captain.

Maybe down the road Taylor Hall or Jordan Eberle will be wearing the "C" in Edmonton, but Ference can wear it for at least the next three seasons to help usher the Oilers into the next phase of their development. He's a personable, team guy, a proven winner and a community leader. It makes perfect sense. * For a preview of what will be in Over the Boards next week, catch Dan Rosen on NHL Live on Tuesday (5-7 p.m. ET) on NHL Network.