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Devin Shore

Dallas Forward Devin Shore Out With Lower-Body Injury

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The Dallas Stars are having a hard time staying healthy. The team is already without top-six forward Alexander Radulov and defensemen John Klingberg, Marc Methot and Connor Carrick, not to mention they have yet to see either Stephen Johns or Martin Hanzal hit the ice this season. That list has grown yet again, as forward Devin Shore is now expected to miss time as well due to a lower-body injury. Stars head coach Jim Montgomery told the media that Shore is expected to miss a minimum of seven to ten days.

Shore, 24, was off to a hot start this season. The University of Maine product is tied for fifth on the team in scoring behind five goals and six assists and has frequently been skating on the Stars’ top line. While Shore still has ample room to grow into a more offensively involved player, his 50-point pace was easily making 2018-19 look like his best season yet. The 2012 second-round pick has finished in the low thirties in back-to-back 82-game seasons to begin his NHL career. The question now is whether Shore will be able to bounce back quickly and get back to his current scoring clip or if an extended absence or slow return could send him back toward that 30-point projection.

While Shore is out, the Stars will have to call upon their depth once again. The team recently recalled Denis Gurianov from AHL Texas and will likely ask he, Mattias Janmark, Gemel Smith, and free agency addition Blake Comeau to take larger roles. This could be an opportunity for 2018 re-draft Adam Mascherin to make his NHL debut as well. Dallas is in the bottom third in the league in scoring as is and will have to find some suitable replacement for Shore’s production while he remains sidelined.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Dallas Stars

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Dallas Stars

Current Cap Hit: $78,030,832 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Miro Heiskanen (three years, $894K)
D Julius Honka (one year, $863K)
F Roope Hintz (two years, $812K)

Potential Bonuses:

Heiskanen: $2.5MM
Honka: $500K
Hintz: $158K

Total: $3.16MM

The Dallas Stars got a big boost to their defense when they managed to get Heiskanen, the third-overall pick in 2017, to come over to the NHL from Finland. The talented defenseman should be both an offensive and defensive presence for years to come and should be one of the cornerstones of the franchise. The 19-year-old posted 11 goals and 23 points in 30 games in the Liiga last year and has made an immediate impact to the team. And at an entry-level price, should prove to be an even greater impact to the team’s salary cap.

Honka, the team’s first-round pick in 2014, has shown glimpses of being a dominant defenseman as well, but despite his offensive talents, his lack of defense has kept him out of the lineup and has caused him to doubt himself as he is dealing with confidence issues. There was a belief that with new head coach Jim Montgomery around, Honka was starting to develop into that top-four defenseman that the team was hoping for, but he has already been scratched twice, suggesting he’s still not there yet.

A team that lacks offensive depth should be thrilled that Hintz has made the roster. The 21-year-0ld is a 2015 second-round pick and is coming off a 20-goal campaign in his first season of the AHL and could provide some offense from the wing position.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Jason Spezza ($7.5MM, UFA)
D Marc Methot ($4.9MM, UFA)
F Mattias Janmark ($2.3MM, RFA)
D Esa Lindell ($2.2MM, RFA)
F Brett Ritchie ($1.75MM, RFA)
D Roman Polak ($1.3MM, UFA)
D Connor Carrick ($1.3MM, RFA)
F Jason Dickinson ($875K, RFA)
F Gemel Smith ($720K, RFA)

This could be the last season for Spezza, and if not, it will be at a much lower AAV. Spezza is coming off one of the worst seasons in his career when he tallied just eight goals and 26 points last season as the 35-year-old struggled. While more determined to put up better numbers this year, the team likely will have to find top-six offense from someone else down the road. Methot is no different as his almost $5MM in salary could be better used elsewhere with the team’s defensive depth, although like Spezza, they could bring him back on a cheaper deal. The defensive specialist struggled with injuries last year, appearing in just 36 games.

The team may need a lot of that money for Lindell, who has developed into a solid top-four defender in Dallas. His defense has always been solid, but he has improved on offense, posting a career-high of 27 points and needs to be locked up to a long-term deal. The team also might consider locking up Janmark, who has improved each year since joining the team. The 25-year-old put up 15 goals back in the 2016-17 season and followed that up with an 19-goal season last year, suggesting he could be ready to take that next step this year and become that much-needed offensive weapon on their second line.

Two Years Remaining

F Martin Hanzal ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Valeri Nichushkin ($2.95MM, RFA)
G Anton Khudobin ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Devin Shore ($2.3MM, RFA)
F Radek Faksa ($2.2MM, RFA)
F Tyler Pitlick ($1MM, UFA)

The team still has two years of Hanzal remaining, who signed a three-year deal last offseason, but has struggled with back issues. The 31-year-old appeared in just 38 games last season, posting five goals and 10 points and remains injured at the moment. While he has been skating, there remains no timetable for a return. However, if Dallas can get him back healthy at some point this year, he could provide the Stars with some secondary scoring. Although he’s never been a 20-goal scorer, Hanzal adds a physical presence to the team.

Nichushkin is another player who the team has high hopes for after he agreed to return to the NHL after a two year stint in the KHL. The 2013 first-rounder put up just pedestrian numbers in his two years with CSKA Moscow, but the team believes he should fare well on their second line this season and should produce some offense. Khudobin is another important addition to the team as the team fell apart after the team’s starter went down late in the season at a critical moment. Without a solid backup (Kari Lehtonen), the team struggled and failed to reach the playoffs. Khodobin adds that much needed solid netminder who can fill in for Bishop, who has a history of injury issues.

The team also needs offense from Shore and Faksa. Both have shown the ability to produce, at times, on the bottom-six lines, but both have the potential to take their games up a notch if they can find the right chemistry. Shore has scored just 24 goals in two seasons combined, while Faksa, a defensive center, scored a promising 17 goals last year.

Three Years Remaining

F Blake Comeau ($2.4MM, UFA)
D Stephen Johns ($2.34MM, UFA)

The team has little to worry about in three years as it has just the veteran Comeau locked up and Johns. Comeau was brought on board to add a gritty, veteran presence to the team, while the 6-foot-4 Johns put up solid defensive numbers for the Stars and even provided eight goals.

Four Or More Years Remaining

F Jamie Benn ($9.5MM through 2024-25)
F Alexander Radulov ($6.25MM through 2021-22)
F Tyler Seguin ($5.75MM in 2018; $9.85MM through 2026-27)
G Ben Bishop ($4.92MM through 2022-23)
D John Klingberg ($4.25MM through 2021-22)

The team has several of their cornerstone players already locked up, the most significant came this summer when Seguin agreed to an eight-year extension to stay in Dallas long-term. Until he did so, there was plenty of speculation the team might have to move on from him, but with their franchise player locked in, the team can now focus on building the team around him rather than looking for a new franchise player. The 26-year-old posted a career-high 40 goals last year, but many feel that he is ready for a breakout season and might be able break out and take his game to the next level.

Benn is another player who the team counts on quite a bit on that fearsome first line. The 29-year-old is still a major offensive force who posted 36 goals and 79 points last season, bouncing back from a lesser 26-goal season in 2016-17. He continues to be a consistent scoring threat as he has never (strike shortened season excluded) scored less than 22 goals in his entire career. Radulov adds that third element for Seguin and Benn. The 32-year-old winger signed away from Montreal last summer was a perfect linemate on that first line as he tallied 27 goals of his own.

Bishop put up decent numbers last year as he played in 53 games for the Stars and put up a 2.53 GAA with a solid .916 save percentage. However, injuries knocked him out at a critical time and the team needs him to be healthy for a sustained playoff run. Klingberg had a great season for the Stars, despite seeing his goals scored drop to career-low eight. However, his career-high 59 assists suggested that he’s moving to the upper echelon of defenseman in the league and he even garnered some Norris Trophy consideration.

Buyouts

G Antti Niemi ($1.5MM in 2018-19)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Klingberg
Worst Value: Hanzal

(Excluding entry-level contracts)

Looking Ahead

The key to the Stars plan was getting Seguin to sign on the dotted line and despite some early offseason concerns that it might not happen, the two sides were finally able to come to an agreement before training camp started. That allows the team and general manager Jim Nill to continue working towards adding pieces around a core of Seguin, Benn, Klingberg and Heiskanen by adding much-needed depth. The team looks to be in good shape for the extended future. Now they just have to win some games.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Full 2018 Arbitration Hearing Schedule

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Almost four dozen players decided to file for salary arbitration this summer, and while some of them have already been signed to contracts many others now know when their hearing will take place. The NHLPA released the full schedule of hearings, spread out from July 20th to August 4th.  Remember that players can sign up until an arbitrator awards a contract, including in the short window after the hearing.

July 20

Jacob Trouba – Team filing: $4.0MM, Player filing: $7.0MM. Awarded one-year, $5.5MM contract.

July 23

Brett Kulak – Team filing: $650K, two-way contract, Player filing: $1.15MM, one-way contract. Awarded one-year, $850K contract.

July 24

Brandon Montour – Team filing: $1.5MM, Player filing: $4.5MM Settled before hearing, two years $6.775MM

July 30

Garnet Hathaway – Team filing: $650K, Player filing: $975K Settled before hearing, one-year $850K

August 1

Cody Ceci – Team filing: $3.35MM, Player filing $6.0MM. Awarded one-year, $4.3MM contract.
Gemel Smith – Team filing: two-way contract, Player filing: $900K. Awarded one-year one-way, $720K contract.

August 3

Mark Stone – Team filing: $5.0MM, Player filing $9.0MM Settled before hearing, one-year, $7.35MM

August 4

William Karlsson – Team filing: $3.5MM, Player filing $6.5MM

Remaining 2018 Arbitration Dates

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As usual, arbitration hearings scheduled for later this month have been getting cancelled every day as teams lock up their restricted free agents. Hearings are scheduled each year between July 20th and August 4th, but we’ve already seen 18 players that filed for player-elected salary arbitration reach a settlement with their respective teams. Those players are listed below, with their contract details:

Elias Lindholm (CGY) – 6 years, $4.85MM AAV
Trevor van Riemsdyk (CAR) – 2 years, $2.3MM AAV
Matthew Nieto (COL) – 2 years, $1.98MM AAV
Devin Shore (DAL) – 2 years, $2.3MM AAV
Joel Armia (MTL) – 1 year, $1.85MM AAV
Phillip Danault (MTL) – 3 years, $3.08MM AAV
Blake Coleman (NJD) – 3 years, $1.8MM AAV
Stefan Noesen (NJD) – 1 year, $1.73MM AAV
Jimmy Vesey (NYR) – 2 years, $2.28MM AAV
Taylor Leier (PHI) – 1 year, $720K AAV
Alex Lyon (PHI) – 2 years, $750K AAV
Jamie Oleksiak (PIT) – 3 years, $2.14MM AAV
Dmitrij Jaskin (STL) – 1 year, $1.1MM AAV
Oskar Sundqvist (STL) – 1 year, $700K AAV
Colin Miller (VGK) – 4 years, $3.88MM AAV
Liam O’Brien (WSH) – 1 year, $650K AAV
Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) – 6 years, $6.17MM AAV
Tomas Nosek (VGK) – 1 year, $962.5K AAV

The remaining arbitration schedule looks like this:

July 20

Chris Tierney (SJS)
Jacob Trouba (WPG)

July 22

Adam Lowry (WPG)

July 23

Brett Kulak (CGY)
Mathew Dumba (MIN)

July 24

Brandon Montour (ANA)

July 25

Joel Edmundson (STL)
Brandon Tanev (WPG)

July 27

Mark Jankowski (CGY)

July 28

David Rittich (CGY)
Jason Zucker (MIN)

July 29

Troy Stecher (VAN)

July 30

Garnet Hathaway (CGY)
MacKenzie Weegar (FLA)
Marko Dano (WPG)

July 31

Brady Skjei (NYR)

August 1

Cody Ceci (OTT)
Gemel Smith (DAL)

August 2

Miikka Salomaki (NSH)
Kevin Hayes (NYR)

August 3

Mattias Janmark (DAL)
Mark Stone (OTT)
Brock Nelson (NYI)

August 4

Ryan Spooner (NYR)
Patrik Nemeth (DAL)
William Karlsson (VGK)

Devin Shore Re-Signs With Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars have avoided arbitration with one of their restricted free agents, inking Devin Shore to a two-year contract that carries a $2.3MM average annual value. Shore was scheduled for an arbitration hearing on July 20th, but will instead re-sign with the Stars for a substantial raise on his expiring entry-level contract.

The biggest question with Shore is how does he fit into the Stars forward group long-term? Drafted and developed as a center, he was mostly moved away from the position during the 2016-17 season and struggled to produce much even-strength offense last year. With just 19 of his 32 points coming in that situation, the Stars will need more from him now that he’s carrying a much larger cap hit. He does have value on the powerplay and penalty kill, but after posting poor possession statistics and a team-worst -30 rating (Martin Hanzal was the next lowest at -14) he’ll need to perform better in the bulk of his minutes.

That improvement might come with the new coaching staff, as Shore was obviously one of the players who struggled under Ken Hitchcock’s system. Jim Montgomery, who comes in with no previous NHL coaching experience, will need to get the most out of players like Shore if he has any chance of turning things around for the Stars. It’s not clear if Shore will move back to the middle of the ice, but with Blake Comeau and Valeri Nichushkin coming in to add some depth on the wings it seems a distinct possibility.

Shore will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal, and will turn 24 in a few days. There is more than enough time for him to grow into a force for the team, but he’ll have to do it in a hurry to remain in their long-term plans and set himself up for a big contract in the summer of 2020. For now we’ll have to wait and see how Montgomery tries to utilize him, before deciding whether this contract is worth it for the former University of Maine standout.

Free Agent Focus: Dallas Stars

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Free agency is now a little less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Dallas’ free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Mattias Janmark — No one was sure how Janmark would respond after missing the 2016-17 season with a knee injury, but the 25-year-old took that next step in his development with a solid season for the Stars this season. No longer hampered by a degenerative knee condition, Janmark put up 19 goals and 34 points this season and found himself on the team’s second line by the end of the season.

The question is what is the young forward worth after a bounce-back season? A quality two-way forward, he has forced his way up the lineup this year, often playing big units for a struggling offense. However, with the season he’s had, don’t be shocked if Janmark has some leverage going into negotiations this summer.

F Devin Shore — Considered to be a key piece for the Stars youth movement, Shore had a solid season as a bottom-line forward as he saw his ice time increase by over a minute between the last two years. The 23-year-old put up 11 goals and 32 points last year, but also had 125 shots and 71 hits on the year. The only down side about Shore’s season is his minus-30 plus-minus ratio, way down from a year ago on a team that was better offensively this season.

Other RFA’s: F Jason Dickinson, G Philippe Desrosiers, F Remi Elie, D Dillon Heatherington, D Stephen Johns, F Gemel Smith, F Cole Ully.

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: D Greg Pateryn — Despite a career so far serving as a team’s seventh defensemen, Pateryn found a full-time role with Dallas in 2017-18. The 27-year-old blueliner found his way into the Stars packed defensive lineup and earned the key role as a shutdown defender alongside Dan Hamhuis and often led the team in minutes played. While just posting 13 points in 73 games, Pateryn was quite invaluable and likely can get a big raise as an unrestricted free agent next season.

However, would Dallas consider bringing him back? A favorite of Ken Hitchcock doesn’t necessarily mean that Jim Montgomery would be willing to give him the same role. On top of that, Dallas has more young defenders than ever with John Klingberg, Esa Lindell, Johns, Julius Honka and the addition of last year’s first-round pick Miro Heiskanen. Is there a full-time role for Pateryn or would he be better off looking for a bigger role elsewhere?

Other RFA’s: D Andrew Bodnarchuk, F Brian Flynn, D Dan Hamhuis, G Kari Lehtonen, G Mike McKenna, F Curtis McKenzie, D Andrew O’Brien, D Brent Regner, F Antoine Roussel, D Reece Scarlett.

Projected Cap Space: With $17.6MM in available cap space (not including the possibility of the cap increasing), the Stars have some cap space and few major commitments to their own free agents. After wading deep into the free agent market a year ago when they signed Alexander Radulov and Martin Hanzal, which had mixed results, the team could consider making another run at another forward as that is where the team needs the most depth.

Of course, the Stars top priority will be to extend star Tyler Seguin this offseason, which will have a huge impact on the team’s future. However, the team could use a quality winger such as James van Riemsdyk, James Neal or David Perron on their second line, which the team needs to rebuild for the coming season.

Western Notes: Stars, Wiercioch, Parayko, Fabbri

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The Dallas Stars have won three and a row and host the equally impressive Carolina Hurricanes, who have won their last two, but the Stars feel that the have momentum on their side, writes Scott Burnside of NHL.com. The team’s top line of Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Alexander Radulov have combined for nine goals on the season, while the remainder of the team has managed to put up 10 goals combined. Seguin’s five goals and two assists in seven games has been solid, while Benn has added three goals and four assists. Radulov has a goal and two assists.

The Stars hope that the trio remains hot, but also feel they need more offense from their middle lines. The team feels that the line of Radek Faksa, Tyler Pitlick and Antoine Roussel have picked up the slack in the last three games as Faksa has scored two goals, but the team still has quite a few players who haven’t scored a goal, including Jason Spezza, Devin Shore, Brett Ritchie and rookie Remi Elie. After beating the likes of the Colorado Avalanche and the Arizona Coyotes twice, the Stars will need more from their other lines if they hope to continue their winning streak.

  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they have sent defenseman Patrick Wiercioch to Utica of the AHL today. He was called up yesterday as an extra defenseman for last night’s victory against Buffalo with defenseman Erik Gudbranson missing the game due to a one-game suspension. Veteran Alex Biega, already called up, played instead to fill in for Gudbranson. The 27-year-old Wiercioch has already played two games for Utica and has one goal.
  • Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post Dispatch writes that St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko is expected to play tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 24-year-old blueliner was questionable after taking a puck to his left hand early in the third period of Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. He was removed from the remainder of the game. However, Timmermann writes he practiced today and coach Mike Yeo gave him a clean bill of health. Entering his third season, Parayko might be needed against the 5-1 Golden Knights. He has a goal and two assists in eight games.
  • The St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon responds to fan questions in his column and addresses Robby Fabbri’s impending restricted free agency this offseason. The young star, who is out for the year after re-injuring his surgically repaired knee, will be in a tricky situation since he hasn’t played since Feb. 4. Gordon suggests the team sign him to a short term and low AAV deal to see how he responds to his recovery. If he bounces back, then give the 21-year-old a long-term deal.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Dallas Stars

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Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Dallas Stars

Current Cap Hit: $75,196,355 (over the $75MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Devin Shore (One year remaining, $870K)
D Julius Honka (Two years remaining, $863K)

Potential Bonuses

Honka: $500K

Total: $500K

Despite a disappointing season a year ago, the Dallas Stars did have some young players who showed some promise. Shore was one of those players. A second-round pick in 2010, the 23-year-old had a decent first year with the Stars, scoring 13 goals and adding 20 assists and playing in all 82 contests. What Shore did not get much of was ice time, as he averaged just 14:08 on the ice. That may change this year as there are many who believe he could be a top-six forward right now. Honka is another player who got a little bit of time with the Stars last year. The 21-year-old defender, their first-round pick from 2014, has already fared well with the AHL’s Texas Stars. He scored seven goals and added 24 assists in 50 games with them and got 16 games with Dallas at the end of the year and picked up five points. He is a likely candidate to make the team this year.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

G Kari Lehtonen ($5.9MM, UFA)
D Dan Hamhuis ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Antoine Roussel ($2MM, UFA)
D Jamie Oleksiak ($965K, RFA)
D Patrik Nemeth ($945K, RFA)
D Greg Pateryn ($800K, UFA)
D Stephen Johns ($725K, RFA)
F Curtis McKenzie ($700K, UFA)
F Brian Flynn ($700K, UFA)
F Mattias Janmark ($700K, RFA)
F Adam Cracknell ($675K, UFA)

That’s a long list, but the team really has few major worries about re-signing free agents next season. Lehtonen was a buyout candidate this offseason after the team had too many goaltenders. Instead, they held onto him to be their backup, but at $5.9MM, that’s an expensive backup who played 59 games and had a save percentage of .902. The team will rejoice at their salary cap savings next season. As for Hamhuis, the 34-year-old blueliner will need to have a big year if he wants another contract.

The 27-year-old Roussel is a different story. Everything depends on how he plays, but Dallas would like to see more offense than 12 goals from him to go with his 115 penalty minutes he picked up last year. The same holds true for Oleksiak, although he will be a restricted free agent, but the 24-year-old defenseman must show he can win a full-time job. He only managed 41 games last year. Johns, however, will likely be retained next year. He managed to get into 61 games last year and currently expected to make the team.

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Injury Notes: Eakin, Shore, Maguire

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After news came down this morning that Matt Murray would miss 3-6 weeks after breaking his hand in the World Cup and Mark Stone had suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely, more injury news hit the wire.

In Dallas, Devin Shore left today’s scrimmage with an injury and will be out “some time”, according to Brandon Worley. Shore was competing for a job at the NHL level after being drafted in the second round in 2012 and making his debut last season after other injuries. More importantly, Lindy Ruff told Worley that Cody Eakin will be out for six weeks with a lower-body injury, meaning the centerman will be out until some time in November.

Eakin has been a solid contributor for the Stars throughout his career, putting up three straight seasons with at least 16 goals and 35 points. Only 25, the former third round pick put up 8 points in the Stars’ 13 playoff games, leading some to believe a breakout was in order for this season.

In Pittsburgh, Bill West of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that the Pens lost a second goaltender today for a lengthy period. It was announced that prospect Sean Maguire will miss 4-6 weeks with a lingering concussion issue from his college days. Maguire was exceptional in his three seasons at Boston University, and made his professional debut this spring with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.

Pens’ GM Jim Rutherford also told reporters that Bryan Rust and Oskar Sundqvist skated on their own this morning and will be able to start practicing in the coming few days. Each player was dealing with minor injuries and are expected to be fine for the beginning of the season.

West Notes: McGinn, Shore, Blues

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Prior to entering free agency, left winger Jamie McGinn was looking to find a bigger role in terms of his ice time as well as leadership, he told Sarah McLellan of AZCentral.  The Coyotes were looking for someone to help mentor their young core forwards in Max Domi, Anthony Duclair, and Dylan Strome as well as someone who was willing to get to the dirty areas to score and identified McGinn as someone who would be a fit.  Not surprisingly, it didn’t take too long before the two sides agreed to a three year, $10MM contract on July 1st.

McGinn also had someone he could turn to for information about playing in Arizona as his brother Tye spent part of the 2014-15 season with the Coyotes and obviously the elder Jamie liked what he heard.

The 27 year old profiles as a top six forward with Arizona which should give him a chance to beat his career high in points (39) that he set last season, split between Buffalo and Anaheim.

More from around the Western Conference:

  • Dallas center prospect Devin Shore is a candidate to step into a bottom six role for the Stars following the departures of Vernon Fiddler (to New Jersey) and Colton Sceviour (to Florida). Shore missed the second half of last season following shoulder surgery but impressed in his freshman pro campaign, picking up 26 points in 23 AHL games.  If Shore, a second round pick in 2012, can crack the roster in training camp, he coincidentally will follow in the footsteps of the Stars’ first rounder in 2012, Radek Faksa, writes Steve Hunt of NHL.com.  Faksa also suffered a shoulder injury in his first pro season but was still able to crack Dallas’ lineup the following season.
  • St. Louis will be changing their playing style to reflect the departures of physical forwards David Backes, Troy Brouwer, and Steve Ott as well as the addition of David Perron, head coach Ken Hitchcock told Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Hitchcock has been working closely with coach-in-waiting Mike Yeo to incorporate part of the system Yeo ran with the Wild into how the Blues want to play next season.  While St. Louis will have less toughness in their lineup, they hope to compensate for that by being tougher on the puck, something that Minnesota was known for under Yeo’s tenure.  With only RFA Jaden Schwartz left to re-sign this offseason, it doesn’t appear likely that the Blues will wind up doing much to replace the grit they’ve lost as a new deal for him will eat up a big chunk of their remaining cap space.

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