Dallas Stars Off-Season Series Part 1 : Free Agents, Fan Favorites

By Sara Townley

Even though the Dallas Stars’ season has recently ended and the guys have begun their short period of relaxation prior to off-season training, there are a few things that we as fans can think about while we anxiously await the arrival of October and game 1 of the 2014-2015 season. I am by no means an expert, but based on my time spent cheering the team on this year and in past seasons, from a fan’s perspective, there are a few things that I hope to see from the Stars during this off-season.  Look for updates to this series each week as I outline what I look forward to seeing during this summer from the Stars!

Part 1 – Free Agents, Fan Favorites

Like I’ve said before, I’m no expert and I’m not focusing on the money aspect of any player’s contracts, but in terms of likeability, being a fan favorite, and what the untrained eye sees throughout a season, there are a few guys that are getting ready to hit free agency, restricted and non-restricted, that we’re (and when I say “we’re” what I really mean is me) hoping not to have to part with. 

There’s a whole host of guys in the Stars organization at the AHL level that will be hitting free agency as well, I’m just going to be focusing on our local Dallas guys for now. With six guys in need of new contracts, I would love to see the Stars tie down Cody Eakin, Antoine Roussel, and Brenden Dillon for the long haul - don’t worry, I’ll be discussing the others in need of contracts in a later post.

All three guys, Eakin, Roussel, and Dillon, are RFA’s, which is good for us as fans who would love to see them stick around. It would be nice to see contracts done and taken care of pretty quick this off-season instead of potentially being drug out over the summer with all of us constantly checking our phones for updates and awaiting news of their deals. I’m fairly certain that the guys are just as eager as we are to get this all squared away! I believe the Stars organization realizes how important these young guys are to the team. The season ended on a high note for both Cody and Antoine, which absolutely helps their cause. With Brenden being injured at the tail end of the season and the beginning of the playoff run that Dallas participated in, the situation is a bit different for him. He did not leave us with many lingering thoughts of recent play, but you cannot overlook the entirety of his season.

  

 Both Cody and Antoine bring speed and some goal scoring ability, but most importantly they never seem to quit. They skate and skate until they just can’t anymore.  I honestly think that the phrase “give up” has never entered either one of their vocabularies and therefore makes them such dependable players. Cody is great when taking face-offs and adds some extra padding when it comes to scoring and supporting Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin in that area. Although Roussel tallies up the penalty minutes, both the fans and the team lights up whenever he’s in for his shift and on the warpath for his next big hit, especially when it’s in perfect sync with his line mate for much of the season, Ryan Garbutt. I believe the Stars need a guy like him around who isn’t afraid to take a penalty when he knows that the game needs a healthy dose of physical play (and perhaps a bloody nose for the next guy that decides to test him). He has a ton of heart, you can feel it, and that’s his style of play. We can only hope that doesn’t count against him when the Stars start talking new contracts. Also, quick side note on Roussel that’s worth some serious praise– he’s been lightin’ things up over at the IIHF World Championships - Atta boy, Antoine!

Brenden Dillon, in my opinion, is a slightly different story than the previous guys I mentioned. For starters, he’s a defenseman and that’s an area that the Stars have had some issues with this season. I suspect that some serious moves may take place in the area of defense for the Stars and I’m thinking that more is going to be asked of Dillon in future seasons if he is to stick around here for years to come.  Many times, Dillon leaves me yearning for a hit that’s followed through completely and I truly believe that even a small improvement in this area for Dillon would make a huge impact on game play. We’re all waiting for him to make his presence known, to strike fear into the opposing team, and make smart plays that we know he is capable of. He’s a well-liked player and one of my favorites to watch at games and practices, but they have to get him signed so we can continue to enjoy watching him as a Star.

Look for part 2 of this off-season series in the next week!

 
Sara Townley covers the Dallas Stars for the Texas Sports Review

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