It’s Dallas Stars day on PHT

By Joe YerdonAug 17, 2013, 9:15 AM EST

Throughout the month of August, PHT will be dedicating a day to all 30 NHL clubs. Today’s team? The Dallas Stars.

Last season marked yet another disappointment for the Stars. They finished last in the Pacific Division and missed out on the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Doing that while trying to bring fans back to American Airlines Center is rather counterproductive.

This season, they’ll have a lot of new things going for them. New uniforms, a new division, a new coach, and a new set of forwards including a potential star forward who ran into some troubles with his previous team. Is it all going to be enough to get Dallas back to the playoffs? That’s why they play the games.

Offseason recap

Things were a bit busy in Dallas this summer.

Coach Glen Gulutzan was fired and Lindy Ruff now takes over behind the bench. GM Joe Nieuwendyk was ushered out of office and replaced by former Red Wings guru Jim Nill. Meanwhile, top forward Loui Eriksson was dealt to Boston in a blockbuster deal that netted them hotshot forward Tyler Seguin and steady veteran Rich Peverley.

Speaking of steady veterans, the Stars also traded for Edmonton center Shawn Horcoff and Ottawa defenseman Sergei Gonchar. Veteran goalie Dan Ellis was also brought on board to give Kari Lehtonen more consistent support.

The Stars went the veteran route the previous offseason adding Ray Whitney and Jaromir Jagr only to see that not exactly work out for the best. This time around they solved issues up the middle and added a real X-factor in Seguin. If his off-ice distractions were a real issue and they’re put aside, the Stars may have found the perfect young guy to team up with their own stud forward Jamie Benn.

After making so many moves, no matter what the Stars will be a team to watch. As they dig into the new Central Division, if things break right they very well may be back in the playoffs.

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Official: Stars fire GM Joe Nieuwendyk

By Joe YerdonApr 28, 2013, 11:17 AM EST

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What was just a report last night is now official.

The Dallas Stars have fired Joe Nieuwendyk as the team’s general manager after four years in the role. It’s believed Detroit Red Wings assistant GM Jim Nill will be hired to fill the position. Nieuwendyk’s contract with the Stars was set to expire after next season.

Nieuwendyk was hired in May of 2009 and while he’s made some shrewd moves during his tenure, he’ll likely be remembered by NHL fans as the guy who lost out on a pair of deals with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The trade that sent James Neal and Matt Niskanen to the Pens for Alex Goligoski now lives in infamy after Neal became a monster goal scorer alongside Evgeni Malkin while Niskanen emerged as one of their more consistent defenders. Goligoski has done well in Dallas, but the others’ performances turned the deal into a lopsided one.

Brenden Morrow’s performance in Pittsburgh this season is also not helping Nieuwendyk’s image as an executive while helping Pens GM Ray Shero look like a wizard.

Now it’ll likely be up to Nill to figure out how best to surround guys like Jamie Benn in Texas.

No extensions for Jagr, Roy, and Nystrom make them deadline fodder in Dallas

By Joe YerdonApr 2, 2013, 8:10 AM EST

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The next two days for the Dallas Stars could wind up being very busy.

General manager Joe Nieuwendyk has been trying to work out contract extensions for a few of his players. Jaromir Jagr, Derek Roy, and Eric Nystrom are guys he’s looking to keep in a Stars uniform.

As Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News reports, there hasn’t been any progress there and he may have to swing some deals to help the future of the franchise even in spite of the Stars being four points out of a playoff spot.

“These are very difficult decisions,” Nieuwendyk said Monday during the second intermission of the Stars’ 4-0 loss to Anaheim. “They’re never easy.”

With Dallas being losers of three of their last four and their next two games coming against Anaheim (yes, three in a row – scheduling quirk) a playoff spot could slip further away. The Stars haven’t made the playoffs since 2008 and making the postseason is clearly the goal to have. Is that worth possibly mortgaging the future and losing impending free agents for nothing? It’s a tough spot indeed for Nieuwendyk.

PHT Morning Skate: There’s panic in Winnipeg

By Joe YerdonApr 2, 2013, 7:22 AM EST

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PHT’s Morning Skate takes a look around the world of hockey to see what’s happening and what we’ll be talking about around the NHL world and beyond.

See what happens when you lose three in a row? People start to get nervous. Fortunately for the Winnipeg Jets, the Hurricanes and Capitals aren’t doing much to catch them in the Southeast. (Winnipeg Free Press)

Welcome back, Bobby Ryan. He snapped a six-game goalless streak against the Stars last night. (Orange County Register)

Former Devils like Ken Daneyko, Stephane Richer, Claude Lemieux, Slava Fetisov, and Sergei Brylin will play an alumni game for Sandy relief. Pretty cool. (Fire & Ice)

Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff says they can be both buyers and sellers at the deadline. That’s not confusing at all. (Winnipeg Sun)

They’re ready for the rebuild in Buffalo after seeing Jordan Leopold and Robyn Regehr dealt the last two days. (Buffalo News)

Turns out Ryane Clowe’s impending trade wasn’t a distraction for the Sharks last night. Still, pretty crazy he’s getting the Jarome Iginla treatment. (CSNBayArea.com)

Big decisions await Dallas GM Joe Nieuwendyk at the trade deadline. (Dallas Morning News)

Speaking of Dallas, Brenden Morrow wanted to be a Star for life. D’oh… (DMN)

Finally, from the college ranks: The Denver Pioneers fired 19-year head coach George Gwozdecky. He’d only taken the team to 20 wins each of the last 12 years and has led them to two national championships. What a bum, right? Sheesh. (Denver Post)

Time for a shakeup in Dallas?

By Joe YerdonMar 17, 2013, 12:45 PM EST

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Dallas’ 8-1 loss to Chicago last night not only saw them wind up on the bad side of too many highlights, but it may be the kind of thing that leads to big changes.

Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News opines saying it’s the sort of blowout that can get coaches or GMs fired or lead to the locker room being cleared out.

Could the Stars resort to personnel changes after an 8-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday the worst loss the team has suffered at American Airlines Center? Well, it seems at the very least we should be on alert.

After all, owner Tom Gaglardi was in the building. He brought his family down for the game from Vancouver and viewed that debacle live. While the team’s performance on the ice was frustrating, it may have been just as annoying that the arena was sold out, and that Chicago fans were having a heyday.

So what is there to do? Firing coach Glen Gulutzan would seem like the first and obvious move to make if you’re looking to send a message, but Dallas is heavily in the mix for the playoffs (three points back of eighth).

Ditching GM Joe Nieuwendyk? Not likely happening as he’s been steadily rebuilding what former owner Tom Hicks blew up. Perhaps it’s time for Nieuwendyk to start working the phones a little harder and change up the roster.