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2009-2010 NHL Season Preview: Dallas Stars

Brandon Worley — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:22:57 -0000

Brad Richards hopes to lead a revitalized Dallas Stars back to the NHL playoffs.

SB Nation is showcasing a special feature for the next week or so as every site manager in the network will be writing a season preview for their respective teams. James Mirtle will also review each team over at his site, From the Rink. It is Dallas' turn today, so be sure to head over there to see what James has to say and to vote where you think the Stars will end up in the Western Conference this season.

The Stars will also be featured on SB Nation's NHL page, which features updated, breaking hockey stories all day long. If you have not checked that out yet, it is worth a look see. (Shameless plug: I'm one of the editors for the new SBNation.com)

Most of the following information we have been discussing all summer, but it's time to put it all together for an official preview.

Season preview after the jump.

Overview:

Last season the Dallas Stars failed to make to make the playoffs for the just the third time since moving to Dallas, and the first time since 2002. A team that had entered the season with high expectations faltered out of the gates, leading to a deep hole in the standings the Stars fought to get out of all season. The Stars rallied around each other and behind some magical play by Marty Turco, made a big run in the Western Conference going from 15th to 4th in a matter of two months. Yet injuries and an exhausted and overworked Turco ultimately led to a late-season collapse, and the Stars found themselves watching the playoffs in April.

Owner Tom Hicks, acting on his own and determined to get things turned around, hired Joe Nieuwendyk to replace Les Jackson and Brett Hull as the General Manager of the Stars. It was a decision that caught everyone by surprise, but it was Nieuwendyk's first move that really shook the organization to its foundation. Believing that sweeping change was needed Dave Tippett was fired and replaced with Marc Crawford, a coach whose style was nearly the opposite of his predecessor.

Now the Stars face a season with more questions to be answered than they have in a long time. Can the Stars improve and succeed with a more uptempo offensive system? Will Brenden Morrow be healthy and ready to lead his team again? Is Brad Richards ever going to live up to the high standards set forth by his salary, and what the Stars gave up to get him? How will Marty Turco perform following the worst NHL season of his career?

In a few weeks, these questions will begin to be answered.

Who's in:

Alex Auld, Karlis Skrastins, Jeff Woywitka

Who's out:

Steve Begin, Joel Lundqvist, Brendan Morrison, Mark Parrish, Tobias Stephan, Darryl Sydor, Sergei Zubov

Team Strengths:

Goaltender: When he is confident and focused, Marty Turco is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. Two seasons in a row he proved that he is capable of carrying a team in the playoffs, and is still the best puck-moving goalie around. His ability to negate the opposition's forecheck, while firing a long and accurate pass up ice is a level of play every team wish they had.

Alex Auld provides the most proven backup Marty Turco has had in a very long time, and will provide the Stars with the ability to rest their starter and not overwork him like last season. He also has the ability to push Turco to play better, since the team will feel confident riding him for several games in a row if Turco falters.

Defense: The Stars will continue to have a young yet talented group of defensemen that played incredibly well two seasons ago. Despite a rocky season one year ago, this defense should improve and become more consistent under the tutelage of Charlie Huddy. Karlis Skrastins provides great veteran leadership on the blue line and is one of the more underrated defensemen in the leage. Many have compared him to Richard Matvichuk in his ability to block shots, a trait this Stars defense has lacked for several years.

Forwards: The biggest strength of this team, the Stars have a stable of solid and talented forwards. Brenden Morrow and Mike Ribeiro form one the most dangerous tandems in the league, while Mike Modano is perhaps the best third line center in the Western Conference. Yet it's the proposed second line combination of James Neal, Brad Richards and Loui Eriksson that will really give the opposition the most trouble. This preseason the trio has terrorized opposing teams and is improving their chemistry daily. A revitalized and healthy Richards will provide great motivation and energy for those around him.

Special teams: This team has the ability to have several shutdown units on the penalty kill. Steve Ott, Toby Petersen, Mike Modano and Jere Lehtinen provide excellent defensive play among the forwards, while Skrastins brings experience and leadership to the PK among the defensemen.

Coaching: Currently, its unknown what this coaching staff can do. So far in the preseason, we've seen some good signs. The Stars rebounded from a poor showing in Colorado to get a solid road victory over a very good St. Louis team. The Stars seem willing and ready to play hard for their new coach. Overall though, this grade is incomplete.

General Manager: Joe Nieuwendyk has shown that he will not hesitate to do what he thinks is right for this organization. He made a very tough decision to not re-sign Sergei Zubov, who was a former teammate and great personal friend. He fired Dave Tippett, which was not a popular move among the Stars faithful earlier this summer. Both tough, but what he felt were needed decisions to make.

Team Weaknesses:

Goaltender: Marty Turco is coming off his worst season in his NHL career, in which he was worn down and reportedly had several feuds with goaltending coach Andy Moog. It's unknown how he will respond, especially considering he is the final year of his contract. At 34, he is nearing the end of the prime years of his career.

Defense: Young, inconsistent and now learning a new system. The Stars failed to significantly upgrade their blue line this summer and the defense will be their biggest question mark all season long.

Forwards: Mike Modano is in what is most like the final season of his NHL career and while he's still healthy and able, he's not the prolific player he once was. Jere Lehtinen has also had trouble staying on the ice in recent years and with the Stars having a lack of right-handed wingers, his health is key to a well-rounded group of forwards.

Special Teams: Without a true power play "quarterback", the Stars have struggled mightily to score with the man advantage. Crawford will try to strategies and systems on the PP, but until the Stars prove they can sore consistently when given the chance this will remain the team's biggest weakness.

Depth Chart:

Forwards:

Morrow, Ribeiro, Brunnstrom
Neal, Richards, Eriksson
Ott, Modano, Lehtinen
Sutherby, Petersen, Barch
Benn, Wandell, Sawada

Defense:

Daley, Robidas
Skastins, Niskanen
Fistric, Grossman
Woywitka, Hutchinson
Vishnevskiy, Larsen

Goalies:

Turco
Auld
Climie
Krahn

Prediction:

There is no way to accurately predict this team will respond to a new coach, a new system and a brand new atmosphere being implemented by Joe Nieuwendyk. On one hand, this is a talented and driven group of hockey players that can win on any given night and be dominant, especially with Marty Turco in net. On the other, this is also a team that is not overwhelmingly deep on defense and has many questions to answer after such a disappointing season last year. With Anaheim and San Jose doing their best to improve, the Stars will have nearly the same team on October 3, 2009 as the did one year ago. Whether that's good or bad is the big question.

If this team stays healthy and Brenden Morrow continues to be the leader we all know him to be, this team has all the ability to make the playoffs. My prediction: 5th in the Western Conference.

What do you think?

Poll

Where in the Western Conference standings do you think the Dallas Stars will finish in the 2009-2010 season?

1

14 votes

2

12 votes

3

21 votes

4

50 votes

5

65 votes

6

56 votes

7

29 votes

8

7 votes

9

6 votes

10

7 votes

11

2 votes

12

0 votes

13

2 votes

14

0 votes

15

1 votes

272 votes | Poll has closed

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Dallas Stars

James Mirtle — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:00:17 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

Browse more photos »

Who's in: Alex Auld, Karlis Skrastins, Jeff Woywitka
Who's out: Steve Begin, Joel Lundqvist, Brendan Morrison, Mark Parrish, Tobias Stephan, Darryl Sydor, Sergei Zubov

Outlook: Much like the Avalanche, the Stars are a relatively new franchise that's enjoyed a lot of recent success but which is in for a bit of a rough stretch.

Owner Tom Hicks, one of a few in financial distress these days, canned two-headed GM monster Les Jackson and Brett Hull in early June and handed the reins to former Stars star Joe Nieuwendyk, a rookie GM only two seasons removed from life as an NHL player. Nieuwendyk's first call in the hot seat was a controversial one, as he turfed long-time head coach Dave Tippett and brought in Marc "Crow" Crawford to attempt to turn things around.

In terms of on-ice personnel, the losses weren't overwhelming, although Sergei Zubov signed in the KHL and a handful of other depth players exited stage left as the team's budget was heavily slashed. The inbox wasn't exactly overflowing either as Karlis Skrastins constituted Nieuwendyk's big buy in free agency. He also pulled off a savvy deal to bring in Alex Auld as Marty Turco's backup, rectifying one of the real faux pas of the two-headed era by giving his No. 1 some support.

Dallas should improve tremendously in goal if nowhere else after finishing 29^th in team save percentage last time around, although the same cast of middling defenders returns in front of Turco, and Crawford is known as anything but a defensive wizard.

Having captain Brenden Morrow in the fold full-time should also do wonders for the team's goal scoring ability, however, and that alone will make the Stars at least a bubble candidate to return to the postseason.

X-factor: Marty Turco

For a more in-depth stars preview, visit Defending Big D
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Stars finish in the Western Conference this season?

1

6 votes

2

2 votes

3

3 votes

4

7 votes

5

18 votes

6

19 votes

7

23 votes

8

18 votes

9

28 votes

10

39 votes

11

25 votes

12

23 votes

13

8 votes

14

6 votes

15

12 votes

237 votes | Poll has closed

Axelsson returns to Sweden

James Mirtle — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:57:53 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Browse more photos »

P.J. Axelsson, who appeared in 797 NHL games (all with the Bruins), has signed a four-year deal with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League, his former club. The signing closes the door on Axelsson's Bruin career, which included 103 goals and 184 assists. Axelsson, the team's seventh-round pick in 1995, established himself as one of the league's best defensive forwards.

"When you look at Bruins history, the classic Bruins, it's lunchpail hockey," said Neil Abbott, Axelsson's agent. "P.J. was a Bruin through and through, true to the core. With his hard work and determination, he gave it his all. I never saw any client work harder and have more fun doing it than P.J. He loved wearing that jersey."

— Fluto Shinzawa, Boston Globe

Axelsson first left Frolunda in 1997, after being drafted by the Bruins in the seventh round in 1995, and he's been in Beantown an awful long time. Playing for an iconic Original Six franchise, he's now 10th all-time in games played as a Bruin and is only 34.

His best-ever season was only 17 goals and 36 points, but Axelsson's been one of the top 20 or so defensive forwards in the NHL for much of his career. The active players this past season who have played their entire career with only one franchise and more games than Axelsson are Mike Modano, Joe Sakic, Nick Lidstrom, Martin Brodeur, Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Daniel Alfredsson, Patrick Marleau, Patrik Elias, Jere Lehtinen and Tomas Holmstrom.

I bet we'll see Axelsson next at the 2010 Olympics.

Another player off to Frolunda is Joel Lundqvist, who played last season in Dallas and is the identical twin brother of Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist.

2009 NHL Free Agency / Teams by Cap Space / Unsigned UFA's and RFA's

Robert L — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:19:41 -0000

This is a listing of NHL teams by order of remaining cap space as of July 4. The Islanders top the list with approximately $23M left to spend. The Sharks have just under $2M remaining. The list is helpful in determining which team are closest to filling out their 2009-10 lineup. As one can see, there is much work to be done at both ends of the spectrum. The numbers figures are based on totals given by NHL Numbers.com.

1 - New York Islanders: $23.265 (18)

UFA: Andy Hilbert C 28, Dean McAmmond C 36, Mike Sillinger C 38, Thomas Pock D 27, Yann Danis G 28, Joey MacDonald G 29.

RFA: Nate Thompson C 24, Jeremy Colliton C 24, Jamie Fraser D 23, Jack Hillen D 23.

2 - Phoenix Coyotes: $21.972 (18)

UFA: Brian McGrattan R 27, Dmitri Kalinin D 29, Ken Klee D 38.

RFA: Nigel Dawes L 24, Joakim Lindstrom C 25, Enver Lisin R 23, Scottie Upshall R 25, Daniel Winnik C 24, Keith Yandle D 22.

3 - Atlanta Thrashers: $19.599 (15)

RFA: Eric Perrin C 33.

UFA: Kari Lehtonen G 25, Colby Armstrong R 26, Jim Slater C 26, Boris Valabik D 23.

4 - Nashville Predators: $17.913 (16)

UFA: Radek Bonk C 33, Scott Nichol C 34, Greg de Vries D 36.

RFA: Ryan Jones R 25, Antti Pihlstrom L 24,.

5 - New York Rangers: $16.436 (13)

UFA: Blair Betts C 29, Mark Bell L 28, Patrick Rissmiller C 30, Paul Mara D 29, Derek Morris D 30.

RFA: Christopher Higgins R 26, Ryan Callahan R 24, Brandon Dubinsky C 23, Lauri Korpikoski L 22, Nikolai Zherdev L 24, Corey Potter D 25.

6 - Anaheim Ducks: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Rob Niedermayer F 34, Todd Marchant C 33, Francois Beauchemin D 29, Bret Hedican D 38.

RFA: James Wisniewski D 25.

7 - Tampa Bay Lightning: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Matt Pettinger L 28, Wade Brookbank L 31, Jason Ward R 30, Marek Malik D 34, Josef Melichar D 30, Cory Murphy D 31, Noah Welch D 26.

RFA: Martins Karsums R 23, Radek Smolenak L 22, Matt Lashoff D 22, Matt Smaby D 24, Mike Lundin D 24, Karri Ramo G 22, Mike McKenna G 26.

8 - Columbus Blue Jackets: $13.313 (20)

UFA: Chris Gratton C 33, Manny Malhotra C 29, Michael Peca C 35, Jason Williams C 28, Christian Backman D 29.

RFA: Jiri Novotny C 25, Marc Methot D 24, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen D 25.

9 - Dallas Stars: $13.193 (19)

UFA: Sergei Zubov D 38, Brendan Morrison C 33, Joel Lundqvist C 27, Mark Parrish R 32, Landon Wilson R 34, Tobias Stephan G 25, Darryl Sydor D 37.

RFA: Mark Fistric D 23.

10 - St. Louis Blues: $12.295 (22)

UFA: Trent Whitfield C 32, Dan Hinote R 32, Jay McKee D 31, Manny Legace G 36.

RFA: Brandon Crombeen R 23, Chris Porter C 25, Steve Regier L 24, Roman Polak D 23, Jeff Woywitka D 25, Marek Schwarz G 23.

11 - New Jersey Devils: $12.129

UFA: Brendan Shanahan L 40, Kevin Weekes G 34, Niclas Havelid D NJ.

RFA: Travis Zajac C 24.

12 - Toronto Maple Leafs: $12.022 (20)

UFA: Brad May L 37, Bates Battaglia L 33, Andre Deveaux C 25, Boyd Devereaux C 31, Jeff Hamilton C 31, Kris Newbury C 27, Ben Ondrus R 27, Jay Harrison D 26, Jamie Heward D 38, Martin Gerber G 34, Olaf Kolzig G 39, Curtis Joseph G 42.

RFA: Jeremy Williams R 25, Justin Pogge G 23, Jaime Sifers D 26, Ryan Hollweg C 26.

13 - Chicago Blackhawks: $11.797

UFA: Aaron Johnson D 26.

RFA: Cam Barker D 23, Troy Brouwer R 23, Ben Eager L 25, Colin Fraser C 24, Kris Versteeg R 23.

14 - Colorado Avalanche: $11.654 (15)

UFA: Joe Sakic F 39, Ben Guite R 30, Brian Willsie R 31, Andrew Raycroft G 29.

RFA: Kyle Cumiskey D 22, David Jones R 24, Cody McCormick C 26.

15 - Montreal Canadiens: $10.454 (16)

UFA: Alexei Kovalev F 36, Saku Koivu C 34, Alex Tanguay L 29, Robert Lang C 38, Mathieu Schneider D 40, Tom Kostopoulos R 30, Mathieu Dandenault D 33, Patrice Brisebois D 38, Francis Bouillon D 33, Marc Denis G 31.

RFA: Tomas Plekanec C 26, Matt D'Agostini R 22, Guillaume Latendresse R 22, Kyle Chipchura C 23, Gregory Stewart L 23.

16 - Los Angeles Kings: $10.285 (21)

UFA: Derek Armstrong F 36, Denis Gauthier D 32, Kyle Calder L 30.

RFA: Jack Johnson D 22, Teddy Purcell R 23.

17 - Washington Capitals: $9.720 (15)

UFA: Viktor Kozlov C 34, Alexandre Giroux C 28, Bryan Helmer D 26, Brent Johnson G 32.

RFA: Jeff Schultz D 23, Shaone Morrisonn D 26, Milan Jurcina D 26, Eric Fehr R 23, Boyd Gordon R 25.

18 - Buffalo Sabres: $8.976 (16)

UFA: Matt Ellis L 24, Dominic Moore C 28, Andrew Peters L 29, Teppo Numminen D 40, Maxim Afinogeno F 29,

RFA: Andrej Sekera D 23, Drew Stafford R 23, Clarke MacArthur L 24, Patrick Kaleta R 23.

19 - Florida Panthers: $8.405 (18)

UFA: Ville Peltonen L 36, Richard Zednik L 33, Jassen Cullimore D 36, Nick Boynton D 30.

RFA: Anthony Stewart C 24, Steve Eminger D 25, Tanner Glass L 25.

20 - Carolina Hurricanes: $8.083 (18)

UFA: Ryan Bayda L 28, Dennis Seidenberg D 27.

RFA: Tuomo Ruutu C 26, Anton Babchuk D 25.

21 - Vancouver Canucks: $7.282 (18)

UFA: Mats Sundin C 38, Jason Krog C 33, Rob Davison D 29, Ossi Vaananen D 28, Curtis Sanford G 29, Michel Ouellet R 27.

RFA: Shane O' Brien D 25. Kyle Wellwood C 26, Jannik Hansen R 23.

22 - Minnesota Wild: $6.296 (20)

UFA: Stephane Veilleux L 27, Krys Kolanos C 27, Marc-Andre Bergeron D 28, Kurtis Foster D 27, Martin Skoula D 29.

RFA: Dan Fritsche C 23, Benoit Pouliot L 22, Kyle Brodziak C 25, Josh Harding G 25.

23 - Edmonton Oilers: $6.404 (20)

UFA: Ales Kotalik R 30, Dany Sabourin G 28.

RFA: Liam Reddox L 23, Gilbert Brule C 22, Ryan Potulny C 24, Rob Schremp C 22, Denis Grebeshkov D 25, Ladislav Smid D 23.

24 - Detroit Red Wings: $5.554 (16)

UFA: Darren McCarty R 37, Aaron Downey R 34, Chris Chelios D 47.

RFA: Jiri Hudler C 25, Ville Leino L 25.

25 - Boston Bruins: $5.340 (18)

UFA: Stephane Yelle F 35, P.J. Axelsson L 34, Manny Fernandez G 34.

RFA: Phil Kessel F 21, Matt Hunwick D 24.

26 - Ottawa Senators: $4.649 (22)

UFA: Mike Comrie C 28.

RFA: Brendan Bell D 26, Brian Elliott G 24.

27 - Pittsburgh Penguins: $3.137 (19)

UFA: Mike Zigomanis C 28, James Connor L 26, Miroslav Satan L 34, Petr Sykora R 32, Janne Pesonen L 27, Philippe Boucher D 36.

RFA: Paul Bissonnette R 24, Tim Wallace R 24, Ben Lovejoy D 25, John Curry G 25.

28 - Calgary Flames: $3.053 (19)

UFA: Todd Bertuzzi R 34, Andre Roy R 34, Rhett Warrener D 33.

RFA: Dustin Boyd C 22.

29 - Philadelphia Flyers: $2.125 (20)

UFA: Josh Gratton L 26, Boyd Kane L 31, Andrew Alberts D 28, Lasse Kukkonen D 27, Martin Biron G 31, Antero Niittymaki G 29.

RFA: Jared Ross C 26, Danny Syvret D 24.

30 - San Jose Sharks: $1.774 (16)

UFA: Claude Lemieux R 43, Jeremy Roenick C 39, Tom Cavanagh R 27, Alexei Semenov D 28, Mike Grier R 34, Marcel Goc C 25, Tomas Plihal L 26, Lukas Kaspar L 23.

RFA: Torrey Mitchell C 24, Thomas Greiss G 23, Brad Staubitz R 24.

Stargazing: Gearing up for the 2009 NHL Draft

Brad G — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:00:29 -0000

Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars news, as well as a look at what's happening around the Pacific division and the rest of the NHL.

Draft week arrives this Monday morning, and Defending Big D will be here for you every day with player profiles and all the links you need to gear up for the big day, culminating in LIVE coverage of Draft Day from the Bell Center by our very own Brandon Worley.

Mike Heika of the The Dallas Morning News raises the following question: Could the best goaltender in the draft be available to the Stars at 38?

Because the Stars used their first overall pick (the 59th overall) to draft goalie Tyler Beskorowany last year, I assumed they would not be interested in taking a goalie at 38th this season, but I asked around and they seem intrigued by the group of net minders available.

There are probably five goalies who will go between 30-50, and the top goalie in the draft might not be off the board when the Stars pick in the second round at 38.

Additional thanks to Mr. Heika for the following:

Kyle Woodlief looks at the goaltender class of 2009
The Denver post reacquaints you with Stars prospect Richard Bachman, a bit old, but well worth the read.

TML Fan Fury brings you a mock draft, with the Stars taking defenseman Ryan Ellis at #8:

Dallas Stars (8th Overall Pick)

Ryan Ellis (Windsor Spitfires, OHL) Defensemen

Ellis is a tremendous power play point man with great vision and calm in the back end. The Stars are looking for Zubov's potential replacement and have found it in Ellis

I wanted to provide links for reading up on Joel Lundqvist's departure, but as of the wee hours of Monday, it seems we're the only English speaking site talking about it. So in case you missed it, Swedish web site Expressen.se reports that Joel Lundqvist has signed a 6 year deal with Frolunda.

Around the Pacific:

The OC Register says Scott Niedermayer is thinking long and hard about his future, and will let the Ducks know as early as this week.
Examiner.com assures Shark fans that Big Joe and head coach Todd McLellan will be San Jose Sharks next year. Could Rob Blake come back and play again for the Sharks?
AZcentral.com: The Stars no longer have to deal with Steven Reinprecht six times a year, as the Coyotes traded his rights to the Florida Panthers. The Coyotes did however sign Petr Prucha to a two year deal.

Around the NHL:

Greg Logan of newsday.com suggests the Islanders take Matt Duchene at #1, not Tavares. While it could be that history will vindicate him, I can't imagine that's a popular opinion amongst Islander fans. Wherever they are.
Tom Hicks' partner in Liverpool ownership crime, George Gillett, has reached an agreement to sell the Canadiens to the Molson family.

Liverpoolfc4ever:

News of the deal comes a little over two weeks after Liverpool's accountants warned of ''significant doubt'' over the club's parent company's ability to continue as a going concern with debt repayments due on July 24.

The company formed by Gillett and Hicks suffered a loss of £42.6m ($70.5m) last year, largely on interest repayments. The pair took out a loan of £350m ($580m) when they bought the club in 2007.

While Hicks and Gillett have been seeking other investors for Liverpool, they have so far come back empty-handed, meaning funds from a sale of the Canadiens could be needed to help cover upcoming payments.

Gillett accomplished what Hicks has yet to with the Rangers: Given himself perceived breathing room to take care of his other situations, mainly Liverpool FC in this case.

And there's always room for a little humor.

Joel Lundqvist signs six-year deal with Frolunda

Brandon Worley — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:59:20 -0000

The Swedish website Expressen.se has reported this weekend that Joel Lundqvist has signed a "unique six-year contract" with Frolunda of the Swedish Elite League. I haven't been able to find this news anywhere else, so I've spent a little while translating the couple of stories that cover his signing.

Basically, he's signed a six-year contract with Frolunda but the financial terms of the contract have not been disclosed. Frolunda General Manager Kent Norberg has refused to comment. There's also a quick mention that the contract is contigent on Lundqvist not signing with an NHL team this summer.

Lundqvist is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. He mentioned to a Swedish television channel earlier this summer that the Stars informed him they will not be offering him a new contract, and that he would most likely return to Sweden to play if he does not sign a contract in the NHL.

One columnist at Expressen.se says that this is a good signing for Frolunda, since Lundqvist will bring good energy and skill to the team. He also mentions that Ulf Dahlen will know how to best utilize him, because of his time coaching with the Stars.

I also went through the comments section and found some interesting reactions. Some were excited about having Lundqvist back in Sweden, while others weren't too happy with the signing since Lundqvist has a history of low scoring numbers and injuries. Hmm.

HockeyExpressen.se - Lundqvist överens om unikt kontrakt

Gunnar Nordstrom - "Joel Lundqvist håller NHL-klass"

FA Centers & the Devils: Yelle, Lundqvist, and LaRose

John Fischer — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:40:46 -0000

This post will conclude the list of suggestions and I suppose this entire feature looking at unrestricted free agent centers for this summer.

We have three remaining suggestions and after taking a quick look at the list of UFA centers at NHL Numbers, I don't believe there is anyone else worth really looking at. Yes, there's Mike Comrie, but he's going to get far too much money for a player who A) has had injury issues during his career and B) has never scored more than 60 points. So I really would not want him as a Devil for these two issues alone. I know this comment mentioned Michael Nylander, but I still stand with my original response to that - no need to restate it again. And I'm not planning on looking at RFAs regardless, as I don't think the Devils would or should go after Phil Kessel or Jiri Hudler and pay them significant salaries along with paying their former teams significant compensation.

Moving on, all three suggestions from R_Adragna and he's got a few that I believe would be best for the Devils' bottom two lines: Dallas' Joel Lundqvist, Boston's Stephane Yelle (who Adragna made an argument for last season at Fire & Ice), and Carolina's Chad LaRose.

Stephane Yelle

#18 / Center / Boston Bruins

Height: 6-2

Weight: 182

Born: May 09, 1974

2008-09 Salary: $750,000

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Stephane Yelle	77	7	11	18	6	32	1	0	2	0	72	9.7

Let's open this up with a fun fact: Yelle was originally drafted by the Devils in 1992. Yelle was traded to Quebec in 1994 along with a 11th rounder in exchange for an 11th rounder, so that's how he got into the league through Colorado.

Some of the arguments Rich argued back on Hell on Ice in 2008 still apply as assets for Yelle. Being a hard worker and able to fill in where needed would be useful on the fourth line. Unlike some of the other versatile forwards looked at so far, Yelle does primarily play at center, which is a big plus. He's strong on faceoffs, winning 52% of the 792 he took for Boston in this past season. While it wasn't as big as Holik's percentage, it's viable as a replacement. The fact that he doesn't take many penalties - no more than 50 in any season of his whole career - makes him a definite upgrade over Holik in that department.

I am thinking of Yelle as a replacement for Holik as he was primarly on the fourth line, averaging 13:16 of ice time per game. I'm not sure he would be a proper replacement for, say, John Madden because he is turning 36 and giving him more minutes - more important minutes - may force him to do more than he really can at this point in his career. Especially if he likes to play hurt, as stated on his profile page.

Still, Yelle is a defensive forward and he can spell Madden's unit should it continue to be a checking unit. According to the even strength numbers at Behind the Net, when Yelle stepped on the ice, the shots against and the goals against per 60 drastically dropped. In terms of shots against per 60, it fell from 28.9 to 25.9; and the goals against dropped from 1.99 to 1.45. Very nice numbers, I say. Of course, those numbers also reveal that Yelle contributes little to the offense. The shots for per 60 also fell from 27.2 to 23.6; and the goals for per 60 fell from 3.24 to 1.67 when Yelle is on the ice. He'll never put up more than 30 points in a season (he hasn't in his career), so these numbers shouldn't be too surprising. Again, he's a defensive forward, you can't really make him out to be something that he's not.

The other asset that he brings that, say, Blair Betts, doesn't is experience. Yelle has been to the top of the mountain with Colorado not once, but twice. He knows what it takes to succeed when defending in a big game situation. Granted, the Devils had numerous players with playoff and Stanley Cup experience last season; but it's not a bad trait to have. That all said, I put him in the same category with Betts: he can be useful, but he may not be necessary. I think Rod Pelley or someone else from Lowell may be able to do well enough on the fourth line and thereby save a few hundred thousand dollars. I favor Yelle a little more for two reasons. First, it's plausible that Lou may replace Holik, a veteran defensive center, with another veteran defensive center. Second, given that Yelle is getting older and already makes less than a million, it's plausible that he could be had for less than a million dollars.

I actually wouldn't mind him (or Betts) as a Devil; but is he really necessary? No.

Joel Lundqvist

#39 / Center / Dallas Stars

Height: 6-1

Weight: 194

Born: Mar 02, 1982

2008-09 Salary: $750,000

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Joel Lundqvist	43	1	5	6	-9	20	0	0	1	0	32	3.1

Joel Lundqvist is still learning the NHL, it seems. He just finished his third NHL season, his first where he didn't start in the AHL - but it was cut short due to a two shoulder injuries and from being scratched after the fact. While he excelled in scoring in the SEL for Frolunda, which got the Stars' attention, he struggled at the NHL level. As a result, he got limited minutes with 10:48 per game. At age 27, the appeal is that once he gets fully acclimated, he could prove useful. Of course the question is how much better can he really get? Will he be like fellow signed-from-the-SEL player Johnny Oduya and get better with more time? Or will is this the best we'll get from him?

The word on his profile page is that he's a defensive forward and the even strength numbers at Behind the Net seems to agree with that statement. When he was on the ice, while the shots against per 60 stayed the same at 24.5; the goals against per 60 did fall from 2.71 to 2.41. Of course, like Yelle, the numbers also prove that he is not at all an offensive player. The shots for per 60 fell from 25.5 to 21.4 and the goals for per 60 fell from 3.05 to 1.13 when Lundqvist stepped on the ice for Dallas. Of course, this is all from limited action in this past season so I still don't think he would think

Completely unlike Yelle, though, Lundqvist is not good on faceoffs. In the three seasons he had with Dallas, he took 91, 224, and 76 faceoffs, respectively winning 62%, 47.8%, and 32.8% of them. I know it's a small and inconsistent total number of faceoffs; but it's telling that his winning percentage fell so sharply with each season.

With respect to how the Stars faithful think of him, Brandon of Defending Big D plainly states that Lundqvist is a fourth liner. He notes that he was primed for a breakout season after a solid 2008 playoff performance, but since it didn't happen, there's no real reason for him to stick around in Dallas as an extra forward. That bit troubles me - if the Devils are going to go sign someone for the fourth line, they should go after someone who actually is a regular player in the NHL. He'll remain cheap, but so will Stephane Yelle. The Devils have prospects who can act as extra forwards as a minimum and so Lundqvist is not only unnecessary, but I don't think he would be a good signing when players like Betts and Yelle are available.

Chad LaRose

#59 / Left Wing / Carolina Hurricanes

Height: 5-10

Weight: 181

Born: Mar 27, 1982

2008-09 Salary: $875,000

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2008 - Chad LaRose	81	19	12	31	6	35	0	2	4	0	171	11.1

There's a lot to like about the last suggestion. Chad LaRose is coming off a career year in the regular season and a solid postseason where he put up 4 goals and 7 assists, tied for second in playoff scoring for the Hurricanes. LaRose's style of play is likeable as he brings a lot of energy to the game despite his size. From what I've seen of him, he's definitely a spark plug of sorts. His numbers have improved each season in the four seasons he had with Carolina, though maybe 2007-08 would have been a breakout year had he not suffered a broken leg. Still, he's getting better and at age 27, he's in his prime.

The writers at Canes Country agree he had a great season and that he should be retained (though Scott thinks, somehow, he'll get a massive pay day and not return). The fans think he did great according to this report card like post from Scott Cason; it's usually good when the only negative is, well, he's not big. And this FanPost at CC has a quote the GM, Jim Rutherford, in stating that he will attempt to retain LaRose. Certainly very likeable, but the big issue with him isn't just that Rutherford plans to tie him up early, but that Chad LaRose is not a center at all.

Seriously, LaRose has taken 92 faceoffs in his entire career. There is no reason to believe he can switch to center. He is a winger. That said, with the even strength numbers at Behind the Net definitely agree with his profile page stating that he is a checking winger and that tells me he can definitely be of use for the Devils. When LaRose was on the ice last season, the goals against per 60 (2.45 to 2.26) and the shots for per 60 (27.2 to 24.3) both fell while facing a relatively stronger quality competition than average.

Of course, this raises another issue, where do you stick him? On the left wing, Jay Pandolfo is a Devil until his contract ends due to a no trade clause and the Devils signed Pierre-Luc Leblond-Latourneau, presumably to play left wing on that fourth line. On the right wing, if the Devils get a second line center and/or keep Brian Gionta, that third line spot could be taken by Dainius Zubrus or Brian Rolston like in prior seasons. If not, David Clarkson is already ready for that line. And doesn't Clarkson play just like LaRose anyway?

Don't get me wrong, I see the appeal of getting LaRose especially after what he did in the playoffs. I think he's a fine player. LaRose averaged 15:08 of ice time last season, played like a third liner, he's coming off career best numbers and a solid playoffs, and will command money as such. He is due for a raise and it's going to be significant. Not $3+ million/year significant, but he's going to make at least 7 figures going forward. I don't know if it's worth paying at least $1.5-2 million/year to put him on the fourth line or to make all kinds of room for him. I don't think the Devils don't have a need for a checking winger and so I don't think they should persue LaRose. Again, if Jim Rutherford is already making plans to secure him in advance, then he may not even be actually available. (So why write all this? Well, it was suggested.)

So it's time, for the last time so far, to have your say on free agent centers. Maybe you feel that the Devils would truly benefit with Stephane Yelle on the fourth line. Maybe you feel Joel Lundqvist can breakout eventually. Maybe you feel LaRose is worth the effort. Maybe you feel completely different on all of this. All the same, let me know in the comments below.

Dallas Stars free agency: Diving into the Star system

Brandon Worley — Fri, 22 May 2009 21:35:47 -0000

This afternoon my intention was to post a writeup on Jere Lehtinen and his chances of returning to the Dallas Stars, but I as I delved into that story I started to realize I haven't addressed exactly where the Stars stand roster-wise if they don't re-sign any of their free agents.

Once again, here is the full list of potential free agents after July 1st:

Player	Pos	2008-2009	Type
Sergei Zubov	D	5,350,000	UFA
Jere Lehtinen	RW	4,000,000	UFA
Brendan Morrison	C	2,750,000	UFA
Darryl Sydor	D	2,500,000	UFA
Steve Begin	C	1,057,000	UFA
Mark Fistric	D	788,889	RFA
Joel Lundqvist	C	725,000	UFA
Landon Wilson	RW	550,000	UFA
Matt Climie	G	650,000	RFA*
Aaron Gagnon	C	625,000	RFA
John Lammers	LW	618,333	RFA
Brent Krahn	G	500,000	RFA
Chris Conner	RW	500,000	RFA
Mark Parrish	RW	500,000	UFA
Tobias Stephan	G	485,000	RFA

*Arbitration eligible

Joel Lundqvist has already gone on the record as saying that the Stars will not make him on offer this summer.

So of course, the question for the Stars front office is to determine just how important signing these players is. Contracts and budgets are the main concern, but it also becomes an issue of how many veterans should the Stars try to keep at the expense of playing time for the younger guys?

If the team decides to let each unrestricted free agent test the open market once free agency starts, offers a contract to each restricted free agent (with the exception of Tobias Stephan) and keeps the rest of the current players on the roster, then the depth chart will look like this: (after the jump)

Forwards:

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Brenden Morrow	Brad Richards	Steve Ott
Fabian Brunnstrom	Mike Ribeiro	Brian Sutherby
James Neal	Mike Modano	Krys Barch
Loui Eriksson	Toby Petersen

Defensemen:

Trevor Daley	Stephane Robidas
Nicklas Grossman	Matt Niskanen
Mark Fistric	Andrew Hutchinson

Goalie:

Marty Turco

The Stars have a number of versatile, hard working forwards but are still not very deep in true scoring wingers, especially on the right wing. James Neal, Fabian Brunnstrom and Loui Eriksson all established themselves as legitimate offensive threats this past year and their play next season will be vital to the success of the team. But the Stars are significantly lacking scoring balance in their roster.

We've also seen what happens to this team when you take away the puck-moving, offensive defensemen. The Stars have a solid group of blue-collar blue-liners, but are without that "wow" defensemen that is usually key to putting a group over the edge from an average team to a great one.

And I think every single Stars fan is on the same page when it comes to backup goaltender. Either sign Jonas Gustavsson, or get a veteran in free agency.

So before turning towards our own free agents or looking towards the open market for help, the economical choice would be to promote from within the system (such as Eriksson two seasons ago). Here is who I think is in the Stars system that could make a push for time in the NHL this season (and a few who have already had significant time with the Stars):

Ivan Vishnevskiy, D, 21
Jamie Benn, LW, 19
Colton Sceviour, C, 20
Ray Sawada, RW, 24
John Lammers, LW, 23
Tom Wandell, C, 22
Chris Conner, RW, 25
Maxime Fortunus, D, 25
Tyler Shelast, RW, 24
Francis Wathier, LW, 24

While I wholeheartedly believe that Jamie Benn is going to be a great player for the Dallas Stars for a long time, don't count on him being the Stars offensive savior in 2009. He needs time with the Texas Stars of the AHL to get accustomed to the level of play in the NHL. Beyond Benn and Colton Sceviour, the Stars don't have any other true scoring forwards in the system. They have plenty of high-character, hard working young players that fit the mold of the Dallas Stars player of the past decade, but it's doubtful there is one that can step up next season and have the same impact as James Neal or Fabian Brunnstrom did in 2008-2009.

As far as an offensively-gifted defenseman, there is hope among the Stars faithful that Ivan Vishnevskiy can have a great summer and force his way onto the NHL team next season. After watching him for three games at the end of the season, there is definitely a high level of excitement around the gifted young player. He has the potential to be the next Sergei Zubov for the Stars; a defensive quarterback with great vision and dangerous a shot from the point. I would contend that Vishnevskiy already has the hardest shot in the entire Stars system. But the question that needs to be answered is whether he has the maturity and humility to take on the challenge of being "the next big thing" for the Dallas Stars, and take the lumps that will inevitiably come with the growing pains for a rookie season.

As I stated yesterday, don't expect the Stars to make a big splash in free agency. While we would all love for Les Jackson and Brett Hull to somehow nab Jay Bouwmeester on July 1st, I'm not holding my breath. The front office has stated several times that the team's budget will be under the salary cap, and Bouwmeester will be getting a pretty significant contract from whomever signs him.

Jere Lehtinen is most likely returning, he has stated he wants to, but it's all based on how much of salary cut he's willing to take. The same with Sergei Zubov. The rest of the free agents? Brendan Morrison is the only one I'd be willing to keep, especially with how he really started to make a difference later in the season.

It will be interesting to see what the Stars' plan is this summer when it comes to various free agents on their table. We'd all like to see a high-impact, big-name move, but it's just as likely that the Stars are willing to be patient and use the players that are already available to them in the system to fill the various holes on the roster.

So now I turn to you, the Dallas Stars fan. What would you like to see the Stars do this offseason with their free agents?

Dallas Stars offseason update

Brandon Worley — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:40:11 -0000

The Dallas Stars last played a game exactly one month ago. Since then, it's been a fairly quiet offseason with no players being cut, no coaches fired and no shakeups in the front office. So far. The only big news has been the reported shortcomings of Hicks Sports Group, the company that owns the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers, and how they defaulted on $525 million in separate loans. It's still unclear on how this will affect the Stars franchise if at all, but Tom Hicks has until October to work things out.

While it's been quiet, there's still been some significant happenings in the Dallas Stars world over the past month. Several young Stars players participated in the IIHF World Championship the past few weeks in Switzerland and no doubt gained valuable experience on the international stage. We've seen the team sign several prospects to entry-level contracts, the Stars' top prospect dominate the WHL playoffs and the team actively pursue Swedish goaltender sensation Jonas Gustavsson.

With one month of the offseason gone by and the Stanley Cup Playoffs just about halfway over, I thought this would be a good time to provide an update on what's happened so far and look ahead to the timeline of the coming months.

Follow the jump for a look at all the personnel news of the past month, as well as a timeline for the rest of the offseason.

Free Agency

July 1 - Free agency signing period begins.

July 5 - Deadline for player-elected salary arbitration.

July 6 - Deadline for club-elected salary arbitration.

July 10 - Deadline for eligible players to elect Group 5 free agency.

July 20-Aug. 4 - Salary arbitration hearings held.

Aug. 6 - Deadline for salary arbitration decisions to be rendered.

Unrestricted free agents are free to sign with any team of their choosing after July 1st. The Stars can sign their UFA's to new contracts before the signing period begins. Teams losing unrestricted free agents do not receive extra draft picks as compensation.

A team must extend a "qualifying offer" to its restricted free agent to retain negotiating rights to that player. Players making less than $660,000 must be offered 110 percent of last season's salary. Players making up to $1 million must be offered 105 percent. Players making over $1 million must be offered 100 percent. Both teams and players have the right to ask for salary arbitration as a mechanism to settle contract disputes. A team can take a player to arbitration once in his career, and cannot ask for a salary reduction greater than 15 percent. Players can ask for salary arbitration as often as they want.

Here is the list of Dallas Stars players scheduled to become free agents on July 1st:

Player	Pos	2008-2009	Type
Sergei Zubov	D	5,350,000	UFA
Jere Lehtinen	RW	4,000,000	UFA
Brendan Morrison	C	2,750,000	UFA
Darryl Sydor	D	2,500,000	UFA
Steve Begin	C	1,057,000	UFA
Mark Fistric	D	788,889	RFA
Joel Lundqvist	C	725,000	UFA
Landon Wilson	RW	550,000	UFA
Matt Climie	G	650,000	RFA*
Aaron Gagnon	C	625,000	RFA
John Lammers	LW	618,333	RFA
Brent Krahn	G	500,000	RFA
Chris Conner	RW	500,000	RFA
Mark Parrish	RW	500,000	UFA
Tobias Stephan	G	485,000	RFA

Joel Lundqvist told a Swedish newspaper that he has been informed by the Dallas Stars that he will not be offered a contract for the upcoming season.
Jere Lehtinen has stated during interviews that he expects to return to the Stars and can't see himself playing for any other team.

NHL Draft

May 25-30 - NHL Combine, Toronto.

June 26-27 - NHL draft, Montreal.

For the first time in over ten years the Dallas Stars have a top ten draft pick, currently possesing the 8th overall pick in the 2009 entry level draft. While the complete draft order has yet to be determined, we do know the Stars have the following picks:

Round 1; 8th overall
Round 2; 38th overall
Round 3; 69th overall
Round 5; 128th overall
Round 6; 158th overall
Round 7: 188th overall

*There are two conditional picks in the seventh round that have yet to be determined, both involving the Stars.

Look for an in-depth analysis of the top prospects in the draft throughout the month of June.

Dallas Stars prospects

Over the past few months, the Stars have signed several prospects to entry-level contracts:

Richard Bachman, G
Jamie Benn, LW
Colton Sceviour, C/RW
Philip Larsen, D
Michael Neal, LW
Luke Gazdic, LW

Here is a full list of the current prospects in the Stars system, and their stats from the 2008-2009 season.

Western Hockey League

Player	Pos	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM
Jamie Benn	LW	Kelowna	56	46	36	82	+27	71
Colton Sceviour	C/RW	Lethbridge	69	29	51	80	+5	48
Matt Tassone	C	Swift Current	52	36	19	55	+23	100
Ondrej Roman	C	Spokane	32	10	22	32	+21	19

Ontario Hockey League

Sergey Korostin	RW	Peterborough	49	13	23	36	-6	33
Michael Neal	LW	Sarnia	66	9	12	21	-2	48
Luke Gazdic	LW	Erie	63	2	10	30	-21	127

Tyler Beskowney

Owen Sound

2160

11-12-10

3.64

.902

Quebec Major Junior Hockey League

Guillaume Monast

Quebec

+25

United States Hockey League

Scott Winkler

Cedar Rapids

Colleges

Richard Bachman

Colorado College

2073

14-11-10

2.63

.914

European Leagues

Tom Wandell	C	Timra (Swe)	51	15	26	41	+15	26
Phillip Larsen	D	Frolunda (Swe)	53	2	15	17	+8	18
Perttu Lindgren	C	Lukko (Fin)	49	5	19	24	-5	16
Ondrej Roman	C	Vitkovice (Cze)	26	3	6	9	+6	2

Texas Stars

Unlike this past season, the Dallas Stars will once again have an AHL affiliate where they will develop prospects, get experience for young players on the roster and call up players if injury dictates.

The Texas Stars were granted a one-year, conditional membership in the AHL based on the team purchasing an AHL franchise within one year. The Stars will play in Cedar Park, Texas, a small suburb outside Austin.

Mini-camps and training camp

The Stars will hold several mini-camps this summer for young prospects and rookies, leading up to training camp in September. The dates for these camps have not been set yet, but we will update you as soon as we find out what they are.

World Championships update: James Neal one contact lens away from tragedy

Brandon Worley — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:49:19 -0000

Earlier this week, James Neal was rushing out on the ice for his opening shift in just his third game in international competition. Neal had played for Team Canada before on their World Juniors team but this was different; this was the best of the best in the world and he was one of the chosen few to represent his country. He's one of the top young players in the NHL and has a promising career ahead of him for the Dallas Stars. Most likely he'll be representing Canada once again in next year's Olympics.

All of his future hockey hopes and dreams were dangerously close to never being realized.

During that opening shift on Tuesday, Neal finished an open ice hit on Ladislav Nagy as the forward was following through on a shot. As he collided with Nagy, the Slovakian's stick slid up under Neal's visor and cut him across his left eye. Neal immediately went down to the ice with what was seemingly an innocent accident. Yet watching the players on the ice desperately call for medical attention, seeing the doctors rush to his side and then finally the sight of Neal, with a towel held to his eye, stumbling in the tunnel on his way to the locker room, you realize just how bad this injury could have been.

Neal had cuts on both his lower and upper eyelids that required stitches at a local hospital. His eye immediately swelled shut and the chances of him playing again in the tournament were gone. And then the news came that his contact lens possibly saved any damage to the eye itself.

"For a while," Canadian captain Shane Doan said, "he was probably as scared as he has ever been in his life."

"Anybody that is far away from home and has a dramatic injury like that, it's going to affect you," Doan said. "To be around some familiar faces has got to be nice. The doctors here were unbelievable. Dr. (Don) Chow was great, and the trainers. Later, he had calmed down a bit.

"As a player, it's probably the scariest thing, those things to the eye ... you could tell when he was leaving the ice he was pretty shaken up. The whole bench was."

Neal will be flying back home soon to Canada, and then make his way back to Dallas to be evaluated by Stars medical personnel.

On a personal note, I cannot even begin to imagine the feeling of having your eye cut like that. You can't tell that it's just your eyelids that are injured, it's excruciating pain and not only are you worried about your career but the thought of possible permanent damage to your eye has to be debillitating.

Good luck to James as he makes a speedy recovery and it's great to know that despite what could have been tragic he is expected to make a full recovery.

The qualifying round of the IIHF World Championships starts today, with the USA playing their game tomorrow afternoon. Follow the jump for an update on how the other Dallas Stars players are faring in the tournament and a look at the schedule ahead, as well as a note on how you can catch all the action from the tournament live online.

The qualifying rounds of the World Championships start today with 12 countries advancing, split into two groups:

Group E consists of Russia (6 points), USA (4 points), Sweden (3 points), Switzerland (3 points), Latvia (2 points), and France (0 points).

Group F consists of Canada (6 points), Finland (6 points), Czech Republic (3 points), Belarus (2 points), Slovakia (1 point), and Norway (0 points).

The teams carry over the points already gained in the tournament. The top four teams in each group after the qualifying round will move on to the quarterfinals.

Team USA moves on after big wins over Latvia and Austria but the big story of the tournament so far was the amazing game played last night between the USA and Sweden.

The Americans had a 5-2 lead with less than ten minutes remaining in the game, before a furious comeback by the Swedes tied the game with three goals in five minutes. Kristian Huselius scored 1:59 into overtime to secure the improbable win.

While the rally was great, the story of the night was the play of Swedish goaltender (and Dallas Stars free agent target) Jonas Gustavsson, as noted by Mark Stepneski in his story last night.

Despite eleven goals being scored in the game and five of them coming against Sweden, the best player in the game was probably Swedish goalie Jonas Gustavsson. The highly touted Gustavsson, who is being pursued as a free agent by the Dallas Stars and other NHL teams, stopped 39 of 44 shots and was named his team's best player in the contest.

"How often do you see a goalie give up five goals and still be their best player? He was fantastic. We might have hand nine or ten goals tonight otherwise," Team USA Coach Ron Wilson told reporters after the game.

Plagued by some shoddy defense in front of him for the first 50 minutes, Gustavsson faced several prime USA scoring chances. He had no chance on some of the goals and he delivered some spectacular saves to keep his team in the game.

The USA will play its first qualifying round tomorrow at 1:15p CDT against France. Sweden lost it's game today against Russia, will Gustavsson taking over for an injured Johan Holmqvist midway through the game.

Denmark failed to make the qualifying round, so Stars prospect Philip Larsen will not be moving on in the tournament. Larsen had a rough game in the last game against Norway, turning over the puck that led directly to the game-winning goal in overtime.

Loui Eriksson and Nicklas Grossman (Sweden), and Matt Niskanen (USA) are still playing. Joel Lundqvist is out for the tournament with an injured thigh. For a full breakdown of how each player has done so far in the tournament, you can check out ADSP.

[Editor's note: For the best in-depth Dallas Stars daily news and updates, there is none better than Andrew's Dallas Stars Page. Mark Stepneski does an incredible job of pooling every bit of news from around the world into one easily accessible website.]

If you are interested in comprehensive coverage of the World Championships, be sure to check out IIHF.com.

If you wish, you can also watch any tournament game live on IIHF.com, for a price. It's $9 a game, or you can pay about $50 for a full pass to every game. Not cheap, but it's worth it if you are hungry for some exciting international hockey.

Personally, while I love the NHL, international hockey is something that can be incredibly exciting and something I love to watch. The dimensions of the ice are bigger, there's less hitting and and goalies are really left alone on an island in a league with less than stellar defense. It's also interesting to see how different the game is treated in Europe; if you think sponsorships are bad in America, you haven't seen anything until you watch a game of football, rugby or hockey in Europe. The rink in Switzerland features a big display of the Skoda Yeti in one corner, with sponsor patches all over each team's jersey.

Check it out if you can.