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STARS MAILBAG: Figuring out proper roles for Brett Ritchie and Devin Shore

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Before we got into today’s mailbag, I wanted to share a couple quick thoughts. (And would love to hear reader feedback in the comments on this or anything in the mailbag).

1. Why don’t we see more minor-league conditioning assignments in hockey?

Sure, it’s not like baseball where a team can send a player to the minors and limit his work to a certain number of at bats or innings pitched, but you can limit minutes and would give teams a better litmus test on how close a player is to being ready.

For example, last night Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise played for the Iowa Wild in an AHL game there were 7,410 people in attendance. The local hockey fans had a chance to watch an NHL player, there was buzz around the team, and the player was able to ease back into action.

It won’t happen, but in theory the Stars could do something similar for Marc Methot coming back from his knee surgery. It’s been a moving target for Methot’s return, and he’ll likely be eased back into a larger work load in Dallas. Why not have him play for the Texas Stars tonight or tomorrow, use that as barometer of his ability to return, and not have to worry about having that test in his first NHL game back?

2. The United States and Canada will play an outdoor game at the World Junior Championship today in Buffalo. It’ll be the biggest spectacle of the entire tournament, they are expecting more than 40,000 fans, and it’ll probably be the big money maker for the organizers.

I’ve waffled back-and-forth on this, does this game make sense? I understand the financial implications, but if this is a development tournament and medals are on the line, why would you play one game outdoors in frigid and unpredictable conditions? The last thing NHL team wants to see is one of their top prospects getting injured in an outdoor game on ice isn’t up to snuff.

On the flip side, it’s a game people want to watch and a game those teenagers won’t ever forget. Hence I’m continuing to waffle.

Anyway, enough with my random musings, let’s dive into the mailbag…

We had quite a few questions about Brett Ritchie, so we’ll start with the underperforming forward who has just three goals and six points in 29 games.

Before this season I had hoped Brett Ritchie would be a 25-goal scorer. Remember that he scored 16 times last season, and I thought with his size and shot he could that missing piece in the top-six as a right winger behind Alexander Radulov.

Ritchie was also third on the team with 167 shots last season, only trailing Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, and I thought he could have a 200-plus shot season with a larger role.

I was wrong. Ritchie is averaging 1.62 shots per game this season and he isn’t finishing, he has an accurate and hard shot that we see often in practice, but it hasn’t showed up in games.

The reason Ritchie is playing over Gemel Smith on Friday against the St. Louis Blues (at least that was the plan as of this writing) is the hope that he’ll break out of his funk and be that top-six scorer.

It’s based on potential and hope for a better result, which does make it very much like the Jamie Oleksiak situation.

He’s not the odd man out, yet.

If Ritchie goes on a tear and scores a couple goals, he’ll be right back in the mix and we’ll be hoping it isn’t just a hot streak. But you can’t wait forever, and the Stars long-term plan on the wing includes a certain Russian forward currently in the KHL, so Ritchie is more than expendable.

In the short term, I believe that Ritchie’s roster spot depends on the next game. If he plays well and the Stars win, he’ll be back in the lineup on New Year’s Eve against the San Jose Sharks. If they lose and he has a similar showing, Gemel Smith will be in the lineup.

My gut says that Smith will sit the next two games as the Stars will try and get Ritchie up and running, while Ritchie will be scratched for Smith during the Jan. 2 game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Often times the numbers and eye test match up — player with good numbers will look good on the ice, while a struggling player will have bad numbers.

That isn’t the case for Devin Shore. Shore does a lot of little things right, he works hard, and he actually can be a pretty reliable defensive forward. But when he’s on the ice the Stars typically don’t have the puck, and at 5-on-5 the other team is controlling possession against Shore.

His 46.82 Corsi For Percentage (CF%) is the worst on the team of any player with more than five games played (Jason Dickinson has a 46.34 CF% in five games). And he’s been doing this while paired with one of the Stars top-three players, Tyler Seguin, for most of the season.

Despite these numbers, scouts and coaches love Shore’s game — Ken Hitchcock has called him the most versatile forward on the team. They also see potential for him to be a reliable top-six player.

“I would want him on my team, he does everything and can play each forward spot,” one Eastern Conference scout said. “You’d like to see him finish more, but he’s a good hockey player.”

In my opinion Shore is miscast as a top-six player and I don’t think he has the scoring touch to fill that role. When he was scoring goals in the AHL it was by going to the dirty areas and driving the net hard, something he can still do in a bottom-six role. I also believe Shore could be used on the penalty kill.

Overall I think Shore is part of the Stars future, but would be better utilized long-term in a bottom-six role.

I really like what Roope Hintz has done this season. He’s putting up points (17 in 31 games) and the Texas Stars are a better player with him on the ice. He’s also creative player that effectively opens up space for his linemates.

There are still some things he needs to round out before becoming an NHL option. He needs to get better defensively and there are times he needs to be more self-aware of the physical side of the game — when to engage, how to protect himself from big hits, etc…

He could win a spot on the NHL roster next season, but I have a hard time seeing him at center if that was the case. Next season the Stars will still have Tyler Seguin, Martin Hanzal, Radek Faksa, and Jason Spezza under contract.

In all reality Hintz’ best chance of making the team is at the wing, and his inclusion would force some other difficult situations for the coaching staff and management. Playing around with lines, and assuming no trades — a difficult assumption — next season the lines could look something like this:

Benn-Seguin-Radulov
Janmark-Hanzal-Nichushkin
Elie-Faksa-Pitlick
Smith-Spezza-Shore

Scratched: Ritchie

This is a scenario with Hintz not making the team. If Hintz makes the team the Stars will have to part ways with another forward, likely one that is already under contract for next season.

Antoine Roussel, who I have a hard time seeing back with the Stars next season. Roussel makes $2 million per season right now and is going to be able to get more money and term on the open market than the Stars are willing to offer.

If Dallas were to become a seller, I think another team would look to add him as a rental and hope to sign him to an extension at some point.

Top-six scoring help. Hard to see who is available because their aren’t many true sellers yet, and I think the Stars would be making a move closer to the deadline.

I don’t see Mike Hoffman as a fit, and that’s because of his contract and the space the Stars need to conserve for other moves (he has a $5,187,500 through the 2019-20 season).

Anthony Duclair is an interesting name. I think he needs a fresh start and if the price is right I’d consider it.

Who is the fastest skater on the team? Janmark? Eli? Smith?
–from ErosXero on Reddit.

This is a good question, I think I’m going to ask the players on this one. Stay tuned, I’ll work on this story during the home stand.

I’ve seen growth in Julius Honka’s game, and I think the Stars have as well.

A couple weeks ago I believe that Ken Hitchcock was planning on scratching Honka once Marc Methot returned from injury. However his recent play and comfort level in the system have made him a more viable option and Stephen Johns could be the scratch when Methot returns, perhaps on New Year’s Eve.

Honka is playing a smarter game in his own zone, he’s done a better job tying people up, and he has limited his mistakes. This has come in a sheltered role, but it could actually be the ideal fit with Methot for the first three or four games as they work the veteran back up to his typical work load.

In general making the playoffs would be considered a successful season, because the Stars believe they have the coaching staff and player set that can win games in April and May when games get tighter and defensive hockey is right of passage.

Any of the 16 teams that make the playoffs could make a deep run, and that’s something the Stars are keeping in mind as they try to get back there.

Denis Gurianov had a disappointing start to this season, but I think we are starting to see positive flashes in his game. He’s done a better job in his overall body of work with the Texas Stars, and I think he’s starting to understand what he needs to do to be an effective player.

Still isn’t ready for the NHL, but I’m starting to see some positive signs in what’s been a disappointing campaign. We also need to remember he’s still young and is in just his second year of AHL hockey.

When Dave Strader returned to the booth last season and called the overtime game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

I would be surprised if we had the same lines by the end of first period.

With the role he’s been put in and the production he’s provided, I have to go with Radek Faksa.

It’s being overworked.

The Stars have taken 146 minor penalties this season, an average of 3.8 per game, which is sixth-worst in the NHL. It’s bad discipline all-around (and six bench minors aren’t helping) and if you keep putting the other team on the power play they will take advantage.

There isn’t a pre-determined order, but there are some unwritten protocols/norms. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I don’t care about having the first question. For me the bigger thing is making sure the questions I want answered are asked.

I don’t know exactly where I was. But I was a 10-year-old growing up in New Jersey at the time. I do remember watching that series.

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Comments

  1. Dickinson doesn’t look like he’ll ever crack this lineup, especially with all the center depth we have, plus Hintz looks like he’ll eventually leapfrog him at both the center and left wing positions. For next season, Benn and Janmark have the top two LW spots locked down, Elie looks to have one of the bottom six spots covered, and I feel like Dickinson’s skill set is to useful to be buried in the bottom six. Could he be a possible trade piece in the near future?

    • This wouldn’t surprise me. If the Stars were to make a move, I think he’d be a prospect that could be involved. Especially in a deal to add another top-six forward for the NHL club.

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