Star Gazing: The Hockey News Yearbook
The Hockey News 2008-09 Yearbook was released digitally on Friday and the Dallas Stars get plenty of exposure in this year's edition.
Our digital edition featured Detroit's Pavel Datsyuk on the cover, but inside there was plenty of coverage on the Stars including a one-on-one interview with co-general manager Brett Hull, who pushes ideas such as going back to one referee and not giving a point in the standings to the losing team, and a feature article on Stars captain Brenden Morrow, which is titled "Don't mess with Morrow." The Stars captain also is featured prominently in an article on the increase in hitting in the post-lockout NHL.
As for the team, the Stars are picked to finish 2nd in the Pacific Division (behind San Jose) and fourth in the Western Conference (just ahead of Anaheim).
THN picks Detroit, which is predicted to finish first overall in the West, to repeat as Stanley Cup champion.
Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News handles the main article on the Stars and it starts off by touching on the Stars' move to a younger core:
After a season a season in which a dozen players posted career bests, the Dallas Stars are hoping to get better.
How?
With a roster that has been made over from a group of 30-somethings to a huge core of 20-somethings, the Stars believe their players are at a stage in their careers where personal bests can be yearly occurrences.
"I think the big difference for us is we're not built around older players any more," said coach Dave Tippett. "The leadership group of this team and the core of this team has changed in the past couple of years. We're a younger team now."
Morrow, Turco make THN's Top 50
Stars captain Brenden Morrow and Stars goalie Marty Turco were ranked among the Top 50 players in the NHL by The Hockey News.
Morrow came in at No.15 on this year's list after not being ranked a year ago.
"The Stars captain is the perfect combination of goals and grit and the right man to be leading a team on the rise," The Hockey News said. "He's the second-best power forward in the league behind [Jarome] Iginla."
Turco came in at No. 29, down from this No. 23 ranking last year.
"The playoff monkey is off his back and the Stars goalie is one of the best and most dependable stoppers in the game," THN said.
Stars forward Brad Richards, who was ranked 30th last year, dropped off the list this year.
THN's Top 10 players in the league:
1. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh
2. Alex Ovechkin, Washington
3. Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit
4. Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit
5. Vincent Lecavalier, Tampa Bay
6. Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit
7. Roberto Luongo, Vancouver
8. Jarome Iginla, Calgary
9. Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh
10. Dany Heatley, Ottawa
Top Prospects
The Stars were given a C+ grade as far as prospects and were ranked 17th out of the 30 NHL teams. Those came from The Hockey News Future Watch, which was released earlier this year.
Left wing Fabian Brunnstrom is listed as among the top rookies to watch in 2008-09.
Here is an updated list of the Stars' Top 10 prospects according to The Hockey News
1. James Neal, LW
2. Fabian Brunnstrom, LW
3. Ivan Vishnevskiy, D
4. Jamie Benn, LW
5. Perttu Lindgren, C
6. Tobias Stephan, G
7. Sergei Korostin, RW
8. Nico Sacchetti, C
9. Lauri Tukonen, RW
10. Richard Bachman, G
NHL Picks
Here are THN's picks for the playoff lineup in 2008-09.
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Playoff Picks: The Hockey News |
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