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STARS MAILBAG: Fallout from the Oleksiak trade, goalies, and Happy Holidays

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Happy Holidays.

To those of you reading this mailbag, thanks for subscribing and supporting the work we’ve done at The Upset. It’s been a fun first month and I’ve got a couple longer-term stories I’ve been working on coming out this weekend during the NHL’s Christmas break.

On another note the traditional podcast with Ryan Satkowiak returns today, we will be recording sometime this afternoon. In the short term, check out the carcast from last night after the Stars 4-0 win vs. the Chicago Blackhawks.

Let’s dive into the mailbag…

Jamie Oleksiak was classically trained in the art of saying nothing in interviews. From his days as a first-round pick in the NHL draft to his time in Dallas, he wasn’t a very good interview and he would recycle through cliches and use the words “like I said” and “you know” more than any other phrase.

This was particularly frustrating because off the record and when there was no recorder in sight he was pretty insightful.

So my favorite memories are the times he would actually break from that formula and give real answers on the record. One time in the AHL the Texas Stars had a game where the ice looked pretty rough, and for whatever reason that topic unlocked several real answers, it was probably the best interview I ever had with Oleksiak.

Julius Honka. It could be Stephen Johns, who has struggled recently, but I believe that Ken Hitchcock will look at Johns work on the left side as a testament to his versatility and reward him by keeping him in the lineup over Honka.

This is just a hunch, and it’s a tough choice to make, but that’s what my gut feeling says.

With Methot back soon, what do you expect will become of Honka/Pateryn?
— from Tegbam on reddit.

Greg Pateryn isn’t part of the question anymore, he’s staying in the lineup and is a fixture with Dan Hamhuis.

Was the big rig trade a surprise to everyone or was the front office in on the trade with Nill?
-from Krye07 on reddit.

The rest of front office was in on the trade, when Jim Nill is going to make a trade he likes to get input and feedback from others. While it’s still his final decision, he tends to make sure there aren’t any red flags he’s missing.

I don’t think you can really compare those trades side-by-side that way and I believe the Anaheim Ducks simply overvalued Mark Fistric in that 2013 deal.

If you want to compare trade values, a better comparison is the Jordie Benn deal from last season with the Montreal Canadiens. Jordie Benn netted a fourth-round pick and Greg Pateryn, while Oleksiak only led to a fourth-round pick — essentially Jordie Benn was worth more on the open market.

Just more Honka, not way more Honka. I have a feeling the #FreeHonka movement will be re-born on Twitter once Marc Methot is healthy.

Jamie Oleksiak.

Either Martin Hanzal or Devin Shore, because their usage will impact Tyler Seguin’s role. And nothing gets Twitter conversations going like things that impact Seguin.

While Methot is hurt? It’s Dillon Heatherington, he’d be the defender called up in case of another injury.

Maybe. Let’s see if they can actually play consistent hockey against one of the top teams in the Central Division.

Management is hoping for Valeri Nichushkin to step into a top-six role and give the Stars one-two Russian punch on the right wing behind Alexander Radulov.

For me the bigger question will be how Nichushkin fits with the coaching staff. Can he step in and play Ken Hitchcock’s style of play? And will the coaches be willing to give him some early leniency as he adapts back to the NHL?

Ideally Nichushkin would follow Radulov’s example, embrace the Stars system, and adjust rather quickly. He could be the desired second-line winger that goes hard to the net and actually finishes chances, something the Stars have desperately been looking for.

For a more pessimistic view, Nichushukin could be this year’s Brett Ritchie. The player that has high potential and there is hope he could fill that top-six spot, and by December he’s become a player being considered for healthy scratches.

Before this season started Ken Hitchcock talked a lot about twosomes at forward. While they may have changed and been altered from the original plan, it appears that Devin Shore and Tyler Seguin have become a pair for Hitchcock.

With that in mind, it’s not likely that Shore will get demoted beyond the top-six any time soon. Even when Shore and Seguin have struggled together, the coaching staff has been dedicated to letting them work it out and play through it.

It’s not the approach I would take personally, but I don’t see any signs of Shore getting demoted.

Jason Spezza has gotten older and slower, and doesn’t have the puck on his stick as much as he used to. It’s a role that he’s still adjusting to, while he’s also being asked to play on a line that doesn’t really fit his strengths.

While I like what Gemel Smith has done this season, he’s more of an energy player and is going to outwork the opposition. Martin Hanzal is a slower center that works well in his own end when healthy — something we are finally seeing a little bit of — but doesn’t really create much offensively.

Essentially Spezza is playing with two players that need to go the net and rely on hard work to succeed, and there isn’t really much spacing or creativity available for Spezza on that line. Spezza therefore has to simplify his game, and has become less effective and it’s frustrating with his $7.5 million cap hit.

You’re right, Ben Bishop hasn’t live up to his contract.

He was brought in to make big, timely saves and frankly he hasn’t been any better than Kari Lehtonen was the past three or four seasons.

Personally I think it’s related to composure. Bishop started the season with a calm demeanor, he didn’t look out of place, and was rarely “swimming” when trying to make a save. Even in a shutout the other night Bishop has been caught swimming more lately and seems stuck in scramble mode more than he should.

For some goalies it’s a mental thing, they just need to re-set. For others it’s a physical thing, something needs to be tweaked in their footwork. I think it’s a mental thing with Bishop and hopefully that shutout against the Chicago Blackhawks was big for his confidence.

He had been struggling lately and based on recent results, you could have justified the Stars going to Lehtonen in a big divisional game. Instead the coaching staff made a statement that they were going to stand by Bishop and proved that they are going to turn to the big off-season acquisition in key games.

Maybe that will help turn things around, let’s see what happens against the Nashville Predators on Saturday.

It would probably cost the Stars at least Miro Heiskanen. The Senators are going to want a top prospect as part of a big package if they are going to trade away the NHL’s best defenseman.

He was pissed off and frustrated. I didn’t have a problem with it, he typically speaks with the media for long stretches each day after practice, so his short presser sent more of a message than any quote could.

Sean, with world juniors coming up here soon, who do you except to have the better experience performance wise between Oettinger and Point? Also long term wise could this be our future goalie tandem in Dallas?
-from ThePowerfulTCD on reddit.

It’s hard to project goalies, but ideally Jake Oettinger and Colton Point would be the Stars tandem in four or five years. Both have the proper demeanor and fit the mold of a future NHL goalie.

In the short-term, Oettinger has a better chance of individual success at the World Junior Championships in Buffalo. He should be the starting goalie, while Point will be the back-up behind Carter Hart for Canada.

When I was a kid I got a Lionel Train set when I was either a 3-year-old or 4-year-old. Each year we would set up the train set around the Christmas Tree, so that’s the gift that I probably enjoyed the most on a yearly basis.

When I was a kid we would go to my uncle’s house in southern New Jersey each year on Christmas Eve. My dad is the oldest of four brothers, so it would be a pretty big family gathering with my cousins and grandparents. I always looked forward to Christmas Eve for that reason.

I’m also a stickler for having a real tree. It’s something I grew up with and I enjoy the process of picking out a tree each year and then the smell it has in the house.

Yes, you are allowed to change goalies before and during the shootout.

What’s your favorite kind of hat?
-from Charlopa24 on reddit.

Depends on the situation, but the fedora is underused in society.

Still a decision to be made on that front.

We have names in mind, but I don’t think our future child will be named after a hockey trophy like the dogs (Lady Byng and Vezina).

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