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STARS MAILBAG: Honka, Oleksiak, Hamhuis, Nichushkin chatter, and EBUGs

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Every so often I’ll go into what I call my “writing bunker.”

I take my laptop to the kitchen table, away from the distractions of my office (there is a TV in there and a big window), put in head phones and listen to Bruce Springsteen music while drinking way too many cups of coffee.

That’s what I did yesterday while working on my book 100 Things Stars Fans Need to Know & Do Before they Die. The “writing bunker” is oddly one of my favorite spots in the world and after eight hours, half a dozen cups of coffee (I only drink coffee while writing, it’s odd), and hearing Thunder Road way too many times I had written eight chapters yesterday. I was diving into topics ranging from the Cleveland Barons, Jarome Iginla, Mark Parrish, and “The Ambassador of Fun.”

It’s been a fun project, and I’m looking forward to seeing the book come to life beyond my kitchen table next year.

(Yes, this is a shameless plug. Please consider buying the book when it comes out in October 2018.)

Enough about my book project, let’s get started with the mailbag….

In my opinion? Nothing. I think this team is better with Julius Honka in the lineup every night.

The coaching staff, who happens to make these decisions, is still figuring out what to do.

Ken Hitchcock discussed Honka on Thursday morning.

“We like a lot of the stuff that’s going on and we set the schedule for him,” Hitchcock said. “When we think it’s time to go back in, he’ll be in on a regular basis. He’s not going to be out for very long. It’s not based on play, but we feel like we don’t want to lose any of these young guys.”

Essentially it’s not a top-six defense like Hitchcock stated it would be at the start of the season. It’s a top-seven and the Stars are rotating until something works itself out.

When I first started writing the mailbag yesterday I was going to make an argument that Jamie Oleksiak should be in the lineup.

Not at the expense of Julius Honka, but in over Dan Hamhuis. In his first five games Oleksiak played fairly well, he wasn’t deserving of Ken Hitchcock’s verbal accolades, but he was a better player than last season and seemed like an ideal fit to play on the third pair.

Then he went and had potentially the worst game of his NHL career.

And after thinking about it further, I still think Oleksiak should be in the lineup over Hamhuis.

Stephen Johns made similar mistakes earlier this season, was allowed to play through them, and seems to have found confidence he was lacking last season. Oleksiak should be given that same opportunity, albeit with a shorter leash after Thursday’s showing.

Hamhuis did have stronger performances against the Coyotes, but overall I don’t see the long-term fit. The speed of the NHL is catching up to the veteran, and it’s already pretty well known that he won’t be part of the team next season.

The one knock on taking out Hamhuis is that you are removing a veteran from the group, and it’s too young of a defense after Marc Methot.

I believe that excuse is starting to get overplayed.

John Klingberg is no longer a kid, he’s a veteran in his fourth NHL season and is a leader on this team as a 25-year-old. Stephen Johns is also 25, and he’ll turn 26 this season. In three seasons people will start talking about how Johns is too old.

With that in mind, half the defensive core is already in it’s so-called prime years or later.

I know that my mind set goes against traditional hockey thinking. And I know that it comes down to Oleksiak vs. Honka for the coaches. But in a fantasy world where veteran status and contracts didn’t matter, you’d likely see Oleksiak and Johns paired together, and Hamhuis would be the odd man out.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

I would try and trade Hamhuis now. The Stars management likely won’t make such a move until they feel 110 percent confident they can trust their defense without Hamhuis’ as an older veteran presence.

This also brings up another issue in a similar line of thought. If Hamhuis is struggling, why would another team trade for him?

I was asked a similar question about Jason Spezza earlier this week, “if he is struggling will he be part of the Stars roster at the end of the season?” And the answer is yes, there isn’t a buy-low scenario for either Hamhuis or Spezza, they aren’t young players with bright futures, they have to be playing well to be desirable assets for another team.

It may never end.

By the time the Stars sort it out, the likes of Miro Heiskanen, Dillon Heatherington, and Gavin Bayreuther will be knocking on the door and providing more dilemmas for us to debate.

It’s obviously a frustrating spot, but Greg Pateryn has been a professional and handled it as well as anyone could.

He hasn’t moped in the press box, he’s always one of the first players on the ice and one of the last players off each practice.

The Stars have also done a good job of keeping him involved and have had him take warmups. It’s a simple gesture, but it’s a gesture that keeps the defender involved and part of the team.

I like Remi Elie playing with Martin Hanzal and Devin Shore. I think it’s a group with two very smart defensive players (Shore and Hanzal), and an energized winger that’s terribly frustrating to play against and is getting a better understanding for the NHL every game.

So in a roundabout way I agree with you. Yes, Jason Dickinson is a better option for the wing alongside Jason Spezza, but that doesn’t mean Elie should be sent to the AHL.

Dickinson in my mind is the first call-up when an injury happens, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they played him with Spezza and Mattias Janmark.

For the role they wanted to fill I think Elie was the better call-up, I also thought Elie was the Texas Stars best overall forward in the opening weekend against the Chicago Wolves. Elie earned the call, but I wouldn’t have been disappointed if Dickinson was the call-up instead.

Dickinson does have higher long-term offensive ceiling than Elie and he has four goals in four AHL games, and he should be the next call-up. However, we need to remember that a fast start in the AHL doesn’t automatically translate to points in the NHL.

He has struggled this season adjusting to his new role. While Jason Spezza was out of his natural position at times last season as a winger, the reduction of ice time has been a bigger adjustment under Ken Hitchcock.

I had a conversation with Spezza this week about making the adjustment, and he correctly pointed out that with less ice time he should have more energy for those shifts.

Guess we’ll have to see if he can take that knowledge translate that into better play soon.

Overall I don’t think there’s a lack of creativity. I just don’t know how creative this lineup can really be.

With the exception of Jason Spezza, and to a lesser extent Devin Shore and Mattias Janmark, the Stars bottom three lines are comprise primarily of hard-working players that will have to get their points by going to the dirty areas — overused phrase and cliched, but it’s true.

For example, players Tyler Pitlick and Radek Faksa have impressed this season, but neither of them are true playmakers that you expect to dangle and individually create on a consistent basis.

The top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Alexander Radulov is the potentially creative one of the bunch, and I think they’ll continue to get more creative as the season progresses.

On defense John Klingberg and Julius Honka have had creative moments, but the rest of the defenders play more of a simple straight-line game that Hitchcock wants from them.

This isn’t a bad thing, you can win playing simple hockey with flashes of creativity. Sometimes being overly creative creates more problems, particularly on defense.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

You make a fair point, but there is one key difference between this season and last season.

Last year the Stars were a bad defensive hockey team that was unlucky. This season the Stars are a good defensive team that’s been unlucky, and those defensive strides make up for the lack of a higher shooting percentage.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

Jamie Benn has seven points in seven games, that’s a point per game ratio. I’ll take that.

The points aren’t my concern with Benn. My bigger concern is if his current overall play is the new normal.

Benn doesn’t take games over anymore, at least not on a consistent basis. While he’s been a very good player, his play over the past twelve months doesn’t even warrant him being in the debate for the NHL’s best player. That’s a bit disappointing when he two seasons ago he was in the conversation for league MVP.

Maybe his body has been worn down by the injuries and this is the new normal. Maybe it’s just a slow start and his three-point outing on Thursday was a sign of better things to come.

Time will tell.

You’d like to see more out of Brett Ritchie. Of the players in that bottom-nine that we discussed, he’s the one that could really step up and provide some needed depth scoring.

Ritchie is on the first year of a two-year deal. When that contract expires after the 2018-19 season he’ll be a restricted free agent and the Stars will likely give him a qualifying offer.

I said this last week, but I think there is a high probability Antoine Roussel isn’t a Star next season. Roussel is a pending unrestricted free agent and will likely be looking for a raise from his current $2 million salary. He also plays a role that can be replicated by younger players at cheaper cost.

Valeri Nichushkin only adds to the roster questions. If he’s in the NHL does that mean Jason Dickinson is stuck in the AHL for another season? What if Roope Hintz or Denis Gurianov are ready? It starts to reach a point where the Stars would have to open space and potentially move another forward via trade.

And a quick side note on Gurianov, I’m not sure if he’ll be ready for the NHL next season. There are moments in the AHL where he looks ready for the NHL, but those are cancelled out by long stretches where he disappears and doesn’t impact the game. He is frustratingly inconsistent and that’s a trend that won’t fly under Ken Hitchcock.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

First of all we need to remember the Nichushkin situation is a messy one. It has lots of layers, and there are certainly some layers and wrinkles that have never been made public.

There is blame on several sides for the botched situation, and that often gets forgotten.

Lindy Ruff was given most of the blame, at least publicly, and that’s faulty logic when there is equal blame on both the player and the Stars management.

That being said, if Nichushkin returns from the KHL I believe he would have an impact. The Stars have been lacking depth scoring, and he’d be an ideal second-line winger that would add both speed and size to the lineup.

There is also a maturity factor that comes into play, and it reminds me of a conversation I had with Alexander Radulov last week. Radulov went through a similar situation with the NHL and the KHL, and he handled it poorly.

We weren’t talking about Nichushkin, but this quote could easily apply to the situation.

“When you’re young, you make mistakes, right?” Radulov said. “You get older and you start to know the better way to handle things.”

Nichushkin will be 23 in March. Sometimes humans — not just hockey players — mature greatly between 21 and 23, I know I did. Hopefully the same thing happened for Nichushkin.

The simple answer is composure. Ben Bishop is a more composed goalie than Kari Lehtonen and his presence has had a noticeable impact on the Stars defense this season.

But you didn’t ask for a simple answer, so let’s dive a bit deeper…

Both goalies actually play similar style and are quite similar when at their best.

Bishop (6-foot-7) and Lehtonen (6-foot-4) are both big human beings that let their size do the work. When Bishop or Lehtonen are playing well it’s a game with calculated and controlled movements, allowing their knees to do the work while the torso and upper body remain square to the shooter.

These basic movements are also the basis for their struggles when they have an off night. If you see Lehtonen or Bishop twisting their torso and moving their upper body unnecessarily, it’s likely going to be a long night.

There are some obvious differences in their games.

Lehtonen, in my opinion at least, is the better athlete and that’s why you see him making the highlight reel more often with big glove saves. On the flip side, he relies on that athleticism too much at times and is required to make those dramatic stops. Bishop is not out of position nearly as much.

Overall Bishop is the more technically sound goalie. From his play on the posts — a weakness in Lehtonen’s game — to his ability to look around screens, he does little things that you’d want a young goalie to watch and replicate.

I would include Ben Bishop in the Stars leadership group.

If NHL goalies could wear letters, like they can in college hockey, I bet he would be a strong candidate for alternate captain.

While the first power play unit has goals in six of the seven games, the second power play unit is still looking for it’s first gaol of the season.

So, yes, I would give Mattias Janmark a look on that power play. I think with his speed and puck control he could actually be an nice option to carry the puck in on zone entries.

I’ve known I wanted to be a hockey journalist since I was in middle school. That was always the main goal, and the specific goals have changed at each step of my career.

My first full-time job was in Kerrville, Texas — a town that obviously didn’t have a hockey team. The goal at that point was to get a job at a paper or in a market that did have a hockey team, it didn’t matter the level, and that’s how I ended up in Cedar Park. When I was an AHL beat writer the goal was to make it to the NHL.

Now that I’m on an NHL beat, the goal has been to remain relevant in a changing media market. I’m not sure what the next step in my career is or when that would happen. I don’t think anyone knows what the hockey media market — or any media market for that matter — will look like in the future, but my goal is to still be part of it.

Martin Hanzal is having an impact and we are seeing that on the penalty kill, where the Stars went a perfect 4-for-4 last night against Arizona.

There are two things to keep in mind with Hanzal:

1. He was roughly two weeks behind everyone else and playing a bit of catchup after missing most of training camp and all but one preseason game with an ankle injury.

2. His consistent impact can often be measured by watching the other team’s best players. Are the top players on the opposing team struggling to create chances? If so, Hanzal is likely having an impact that evening.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

I actually have a the real answer to this question.

By NHL rule, an emergency back-up goalie (EBUG) must be in the building at every NHL game. That EBUG is in the crowd watching the game and has brought their gear with them to the rink.

If an injury happens to a goalie on either team, that EBUG will go put on their gear and serve as the back-up goalie.

In Dallas there is a rotating group of EBUGs that have a split schedule over the 41 home games. That rotating group includes goalies who have both professional minor-league experience and amateurs who play in adult leagues in the Dallas area.

So in this hypothetical an EBUG would play the final three minutes and the team would have to buckle down defensively.

It appears Taco Goals aren’t part of the in-game promotions this year.

Personally I’d like to see the Stars call up the Plucker’s power play promotion — five free wings for a Texas Stars power play goal — from the minors.

That appears to still be part of the in-game festivities.

Not a drop-the-gloves bout. I was once partially responsible for a large kerfuffle in high school when an opposing forward bowled me over in the crease and we went sprawling into the net. I ended up getting a couple shots in with my blocker (which should have been an ejection if the referees knew the rules) before one of my defenseman pulled the offender off me.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

1. The Stars are happy with Bishop’s health right now. There are always risks with a bigger goalie, but they are managing his energy well between starts. I asked, and he hasn’t done anything particularly different this season compared to past seasons.

2. There needs to be more depth scoring. Also more so-called “dirty goals” going to the front of the net.

3. I wouldn’t put Alexader Radulov with Jason Spezza, because Jason Spezza only plays 12 minutes per game. If Radulov is getting moved down in the lineup I would put him with Martin Hanzal where he could still play at least 17 or 18 minutes a night.

Not too much to report beyond what we discussed before. Nichushkin had a slow start to the season, but has gotten more playing time and stepped into a larger role as the season progressed.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

John Klingberg has been the Stars best defenseman, he’s taken some nice strides this season. Dan Hamhuis has left the most to be desired during the first seven games.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

It was a short-lived experiment, so we didn’t really discuss it much.

6-4-0

Can ask that question when the team is back in town.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

Nope. Tyler Seguin has spoke kindly of Adidas, but they happen to be one of his sponsors.

After warmups when the team submits their official lineup to the league officials.

Yes, they can take off one player and put the goalie back in.

Comment from discussion Mailbag, looking for questions.

Nope.

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