Martin Hanzal is moving into the Dallas Stars’ top-six forwards when they visit the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.
After giving Hanzal a couple games to adjust back from injury, Stars coach Ken Hitchcock has put the center on a line with Mattias Janmark and Alexander Radulov.
Hitchcock said this was the look he had hoped to have earlier this season, but a number of injuries prevented Hanzal from stepping into that role.
“Our plan was when Hanzal got up to speed, this is what our team looked like … so why not try it now?” Hitchcock said after morning skate. “He’s playing well and let’s look at it and see what it looks like.”
The move also re-unites Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn on the top line, with Devin Shore playing on the right wing.
Radek Faksa’s line with Antoine Roussel and Tyler Pitlick will likely play a 2A/2B role with the Hanzal line when it comes to minutes played, while the fourth line will be centered by Jason Spezza.
Hitchcock added that he wants to get Brett Ritchie “up and running” and would evaluate this lineup after a couple games.
Hitchcock said he needs to see Ritchie play a more impactful game, and that doesn’t have anything to do with goal scoring. He wants to see Ritchie working hard along the boards, play physical, and prove he can win a job in the bottom-six forwards.
“You’ve got to bring that same stuff every night,” Ritchie said. “Whatever role you are in every night you’ve got to bring those intangibles every night.”
With Ritchie re-entering the lineup Gemel Smith will be the healthy scratch.
In goal Ben Bishop will make his third-straight start, while Alex Stalock is in goal for Minnesota.
Methot works out in Texas
Marc Methot continues to work towards a potential New Year’s Eve return against the San Jose Shark.
Methot skated in Frisco on Wednesday with former Stars defenseman/forward Brent Severyn. By all account the skate went well and Methot was able to get up to full strength.
But the question marks aren’t about his performance in on-ice drills, rather the Stars are more concerned with how he responds late in that day or the next morning, testing the durability of his surgically-repaired knee.
Parise returning … to Iowa
It won’t impact the game this evening, but Wild forward Zach Parise was sent to the Iowa Wild for an AHL conditioning stint, meaning he’s getting close to making his season debut.
Parise hasn’t played at all this season after having back surgery on Oct. 24.
“I plan on coming back after the game tomorrow night and practicing with these guys,” Parise told reporters in Minnesota. “I’ll see how it feels after that. .. That’s as far as we’ve looked ahead right now.”
Wild projected lineup
Jason Zucker-Mikko Koivu-Mikael Granlund
Tyler Ennis-Eric Staal-Charlie Coyle
Daniel Winnik-Joel Eriksson Ek-Chris Stewart
Marcus Foligno-Matt Cullen-Zack Mitchell
Ryan Suter – Matt Dumba
Jonas Brodin – Jared Spurgeon
Mike Reilly – Nate Prosser
Alex Stalock
Stars projected lineup
Benn-Seguin-Shore
Janmark-Hanzal-Radulov
Roussel-Faksa-Pitlick
Elie-Spezza-Ritchie
Lindell-Klingberg
Hamhuis-Pateryn
Johns-Honka
Bishop
Scratches: Smith, Methot (injured)
Brad Gibson says
Hanzal as 2C while Spezz takes the 4C role?
What’s wrong with Faksa, Janmark, & Rads? Let Hanzal handle 4C while taking D zone starts & getting time on PK & PP opportunities.
Is Spezza in the doghouse? He is a step slower, but his hands are still Palmolive soft & his vision/creativity are still really good as well.
Pair Spezz with the fast hard working cats who can score to maximize his skill set.
Pair Hanzal with gritty dudes who clean up in our own end & disrupt the other team’s better offensive lines.
I know we didn’t have last change which makes matching lines hard, but this lineup combo was a head scratcher.