The Stars announced Friday that Jeff Kovarsky has been hired as the team's public address announcer for the upcoming season.
From the team's website:
From the team's website:
Kovarsky will handle all in-arena announcements at American Airlines Center for each of the club’s home games.
No stranger to the Stars’ organization, Kovarsky has worked several capacities for the team since 2005, first as music director, and most recently as an in-arena host. He will be the club’s third public address announcer since the Stars moved to Texas in 1993.
"I am honored and privileged to continue my career with the Stars and would like to thank Mr. Gaglardi and Mr. Lites for this opportunity,” said Kovarsky. “I look forward to serving the team and fans with the same passion, excitement, and professionalism established by my longtime friend and mentor, Bill Oellermann.”
Aside from his duties with the Stars, Kovarsky, better known as “Jeff K,” is a well-known radio personality in the DFW Metroplex. He can be heard weekends on KDGE 102.1 "The Edge."
Is Jaromir Jagr the Stars' Cliff Lee?
July, 3, 2012
7/03/12
8:41
PM CT
By
Richard Durrett | ESPNDallas.com
I'll admit that when I first heard that Jaromir Jagr had signed with the Dallas Stars for $4.55 million, I was stunned. First, why would Jagr want to come to Dallas, a team that hasn't made the playoffs in four seasons? And second, at 40 years old, does he have enough left to be worth that kind of investment?
But it was clear when Joe Nieuwendyk talked with the media Tuesday evening that Jagr sold the Stars as much as they might have sold him. And this is a move that goes beyond what Jagr can do on the ice. That's not to diminish what he has left at all. The Stars seem so convinced, they've already penciled him in on the right wing of the top line, with Jamie Benn at center and Loui Eriksson holding down the left side.
"As we sit here in July, that looks pretty good," Nieuwendyk said.
No doubt it does. Jagr's arrival further the Stars' makeover. They've inserted three new top-6 forwards into their group with Derek Roy, Ray Whitney and now Jagr. Mike Ribeiro and Steve Ott have been traded. Ott was being asked to be a top-6 forward, but he's not. And the three new players bring a fresh outlook to the dressing room.
It's also all of a sudden two lines that, at least on paper, have the ability to put more pucks in the net. (You know all of the ridiculous numbers Jagr has put up in his career, but he's never had a season of less than 50 points, and he managed 19 goals and 54 points for Philadelphia last year). That's a big deal for a Stars club that couldn't score last season. There are still some questions on defense with this team, but they appear to have a little more punch than they did last year, and maybe that's all they need to make the postseason. And making the postseason for a club that hasn't done so in four years would be a big deal, not only for the fan base, but for the young players. They need to experience a playoff run and what it takes to succeed. This is a growing team, not a Stanley Cup contender. But a huge step in that growth would be a playoff berth.
Jagr, though, can do more than that. The first person I thought about after hearing Nieuwendyk's excited voice was Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels. Daniels sounded the same way when his club pulled off a trade in early July 2010 to acquire Cliff Lee. Obviously, that was different. Lee was thought to be the final piece for a team that could contend for the World Series. And he helped them win their first playoff series and ultimately get to the World Series.
But his impact was deeper than that. He mentored a young pitching staff, especially the left-handers. C.J. Wilson improved his game after seeing how Lee handled batters. Matt Harrison, even in spring training this year, talked about all the things he learned from Lee. And Lee was in Texas just four months.
That's what Jagr can do. He's a hard worker and made it clear to Nieuwendyk, Bob Gainey and Glen Gulutzan in a 45-minute conversation that he still had the passion to play. They didn't get the sense that Jagr was ready to simply skate around the NHL rinks and say his goodbyes to fans. Jagr isn't pondering retirement. He wants to play and he wants to help a young team.
It can only help the club's infusion of youth to see Jagr keep himself in shape with on- and off-ice workouts. It can only help for them to see someone dedicated to his craft and willing to do anything to win. It can only help if they are in the hunt for a playoff spot to have his veteran leadership in the dressing room to help guide them. It can only help at the box office too, where the Stars finally have a big-name player they can showcase to fans.
Is Jagr too old to really contribute? The Stars are betting $4.55 million on the answer being no. But the investment goes beyond what Jagr does on the ice -- and beyond just his one year in Dallas. That's why it makes sense. Let the young players learn from a guy like that, and then, when it's their time to lead the team and take it to the next level, they'll be better prepared to do so.
Stars sign Jaromir Jagr to 1-year, $4.55M deal
July, 3, 2012
7/03/12
7:11
PM CT
By ESPN.com wire services
Jaromir Jagr has signed a one-year, $4.55 million contract with the Dallas Stars.
Jagr, 40, spent last season with Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 19 goals and 54 points. He is the latest acquisition in what already has been a busy offseason for the Stars, who also have added Derek Roy, Ray Whitney and Aaron Rome.
"Jaromir Jagr is, without a doubt, one of the best players in the history of this league, and he demonstrated last season that he remains incredibly skilled, productive and valuable," Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk said. "We see him fitting into our top two lines and contributing heavily to our offensive attack. We're very excited about adding a player of Jaromir's caliber to our club."
Read the whole story here.
Jagr, 40, spent last season with Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 19 goals and 54 points. He is the latest acquisition in what already has been a busy offseason for the Stars, who also have added Derek Roy, Ray Whitney and Aaron Rome.
"Jaromir Jagr is, without a doubt, one of the best players in the history of this league, and he demonstrated last season that he remains incredibly skilled, productive and valuable," Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk said. "We see him fitting into our top two lines and contributing heavily to our offensive attack. We're very excited about adding a player of Jaromir's caliber to our club."
Read the whole story here.
Who will win Derek Roy for Steve Ott swap?
July, 2, 2012
7/02/12
8:13
PM CT
By
Scott Burnside | ESPNDallas.com
Maybe the surprising swap of skilled center Derek Roy for agitating forward Steve Ott and defenseman Adam Pardy is one of those "this should work out for both teams" kind of deals.
But the deal involves such disparate styles of player and personality that one has the feeling that this might turn out to be a win or lose proposition for one of these squads.
From the Stars perspective, the deal makes sense on a very elementary level: they traded away a top six center in Mike Ribeiro at the draft and needed to fill that hole. Bingo. Roy is a top six center whom GM Joe Nieuwendyk can claim as his own as he continues to put his stamp on the Stars franchise.
The Buffalo Sabres? Well that’s a little trickier.
A team that went crazy a year ago during free agency still seems like a team very much in search of itself.
Maybe Ott, who has two years left on his contract at $2.95 million annually, will help establish some sort of identity with a Sabres squad that under new owner Terry Pegula paid big bucks a year ago to bring in Ville Leino, Christian Ehrhoff and Robyn Regehr to go with a solid core of players, including former Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller, then missed the playoffs entirely.
Ott was a gritty presence for the Stars, playing center and wing and ranking among the league leaders in hits and epithets hurled by opposing players and coaches.
The 29-year-old will be expected to provide some offense as well as a strong two-way game for a team that has been searching for a sense of purpose, an identity, since losing co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere after the 2007 season.
After advancing to two straight Eastern Conference finals coming out of the lockout, the Sabres have missed the playoffs three times and been bounced in the first round two other times.
Last season was a harsh reminder that money buys players not wins and Ott is clearly expected to help change the culture in the Sabre dressing room while mixing it up on the ice.
In talking about the trade to reporters in Buffalo, GM Darcy Regier talked about needing to alter the balance of skill and physicality among his forward contingent. He believes he’s created a better balance with the addition of Ott.
But the Sabres paid a steep price to bring in Ott, who had 22 goals in 2009-10 but has saw those totals dip to 12 and 11 the past two seasons.
In Roy they gave up a proven center that four times has hit the 20-goal plateau and once topped 30. He slumped last year to 17 and a year earlier was slowed by injury and had just 10 goals in 35 games. But Roy was so highly regarded in the Canadian hockey community that he was invited to the Canadian Olympic orientation camp in the fall of 2009 prior to the Vancouver Olympic Games.
True Roy did manage to score in just two goals in his last 19 games last season, but he seems like a good fit for a Dallas team that was looking to fill the void created down the middle when Ribeiro was dealt to Washington at the draft.
Roy, who has one year left on his contract that will pay him $4 million, will be a nice fit especially after signing veteran winger Ray Whitney to a two-year deal on Sunday.
“We've changed the look of our hockey club. We have two centermen we're confident in in Jamie Benn and Derek Roy,” Nieuwendyk said Monday afternoon.
It’s believed the two teams had discussed a deal last season and certainly the Stars had contemplated moving both Ott and Ribeiro at the trade deadline last season.
Now both have been moved in a matter of weeks.
But the deal involves such disparate styles of player and personality that one has the feeling that this might turn out to be a win or lose proposition for one of these squads.
From the Stars perspective, the deal makes sense on a very elementary level: they traded away a top six center in Mike Ribeiro at the draft and needed to fill that hole. Bingo. Roy is a top six center whom GM Joe Nieuwendyk can claim as his own as he continues to put his stamp on the Stars franchise.
The Buffalo Sabres? Well that’s a little trickier.
A team that went crazy a year ago during free agency still seems like a team very much in search of itself.
Maybe Ott, who has two years left on his contract at $2.95 million annually, will help establish some sort of identity with a Sabres squad that under new owner Terry Pegula paid big bucks a year ago to bring in Ville Leino, Christian Ehrhoff and Robyn Regehr to go with a solid core of players, including former Vezina Trophy winner Ryan Miller, then missed the playoffs entirely.
Ott was a gritty presence for the Stars, playing center and wing and ranking among the league leaders in hits and epithets hurled by opposing players and coaches.
The 29-year-old will be expected to provide some offense as well as a strong two-way game for a team that has been searching for a sense of purpose, an identity, since losing co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere after the 2007 season.
After advancing to two straight Eastern Conference finals coming out of the lockout, the Sabres have missed the playoffs three times and been bounced in the first round two other times.
Last season was a harsh reminder that money buys players not wins and Ott is clearly expected to help change the culture in the Sabre dressing room while mixing it up on the ice.
In talking about the trade to reporters in Buffalo, GM Darcy Regier talked about needing to alter the balance of skill and physicality among his forward contingent. He believes he’s created a better balance with the addition of Ott.
But the Sabres paid a steep price to bring in Ott, who had 22 goals in 2009-10 but has saw those totals dip to 12 and 11 the past two seasons.
In Roy they gave up a proven center that four times has hit the 20-goal plateau and once topped 30. He slumped last year to 17 and a year earlier was slowed by injury and had just 10 goals in 35 games. But Roy was so highly regarded in the Canadian hockey community that he was invited to the Canadian Olympic orientation camp in the fall of 2009 prior to the Vancouver Olympic Games.
True Roy did manage to score in just two goals in his last 19 games last season, but he seems like a good fit for a Dallas team that was looking to fill the void created down the middle when Ribeiro was dealt to Washington at the draft.
Roy, who has one year left on his contract that will pay him $4 million, will be a nice fit especially after signing veteran winger Ray Whitney to a two-year deal on Sunday.
“We've changed the look of our hockey club. We have two centermen we're confident in in Jamie Benn and Derek Roy,” Nieuwendyk said Monday afternoon.
It’s believed the two teams had discussed a deal last season and certainly the Stars had contemplated moving both Ott and Ribeiro at the trade deadline last season.
Now both have been moved in a matter of weeks.
Trade a chance for young players, leaders
July, 2, 2012
7/02/12
6:58
PM CT
By
Richard Durrett | ESPNDallas.com
Dallas Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk has altered the look of his club in the past few weeks. First, it was a draft-day trade of Mike Ribeiro. Now, Steve Ott is no longer a Star, heading to Buffalo along with Adam Pardy.
In the process, the Stars are constructing a team designed to push some young players forward and at the same time reduce the pressure on them.
In exchange for Ribeiro, the Stars acquired Cody Eakin, a young, raw forward the club feels has big upside. They then signed 40-year-old Ray Whitney, a forward capable of getting top-6 minutes who can help the Stars now and also provide some leadership in the dressing room. He's clearly not in Dallas much longer than the two-year deal he signed, and by then some of the younger forwards need to be ready.
On Monday, the Stars added Derek Roy as part of the trade with the Sabres, giving them a 29-year-old center they feel can play on the second line. The Stars' scouts and medical team are confident he's over a torn quadriceps sustained late in 2010. And it's a one-year deal and then he's off the books if the club doesn't want to re-sign. Essentially, they can see what he's got, and at his age he could be a part of the club in the future.
But to me, the most important thing these deals does is open the door -- and it opens it slowly, without forcing the issue too soon -- to some young players.
"There's been a conscious effort on that part," Nieuwendyk said. "We talked a lot about our young kids that are turning pro and the two kids in Brenden Dillon (21-year-old defenseman) and Matt Fraser (22-year-old fowared), we want to give them every opportunity to succeed. This trade puts people in their proper spots. Derek Roy will be on our top-2 lines with Jamie Benn. We don’t have to put all that pressure on Cody Eakin. We think he'll be an up-and-coming player, just like the others, but they can play behind them."
The Stars haven't wowed anyone this offseason. They don't seem to be "in" on the big names. But they have some money to spend and through trades, have altered not only the look of the roster, but the leadership group. Ott and Ribeiro aren't in that room anymore. It means Benn, Loui Eriksson, Trevor Daley and Alex Goligoski must step up even more and join Brenden Morrow and Stephane Robidas in that group. That's assuming Nieuwendyk doesn't make any more deals. And he may not be done.
But the Stars have a solid goaltender in Kari Lehtonen (another guy who must lead) and one of the top forwards in the league in Benn. They don't have a lot of scoring around him right now, but they are building an organization that relies on young players to step up in a variety of roles. That needs to happen for this team to march toward contending status again, and it's clear Nieuwendyk is banking on it.
In the process, the Stars are constructing a team designed to push some young players forward and at the same time reduce the pressure on them.
In exchange for Ribeiro, the Stars acquired Cody Eakin, a young, raw forward the club feels has big upside. They then signed 40-year-old Ray Whitney, a forward capable of getting top-6 minutes who can help the Stars now and also provide some leadership in the dressing room. He's clearly not in Dallas much longer than the two-year deal he signed, and by then some of the younger forwards need to be ready.
On Monday, the Stars added Derek Roy as part of the trade with the Sabres, giving them a 29-year-old center they feel can play on the second line. The Stars' scouts and medical team are confident he's over a torn quadriceps sustained late in 2010. And it's a one-year deal and then he's off the books if the club doesn't want to re-sign. Essentially, they can see what he's got, and at his age he could be a part of the club in the future.
But to me, the most important thing these deals does is open the door -- and it opens it slowly, without forcing the issue too soon -- to some young players.
"There's been a conscious effort on that part," Nieuwendyk said. "We talked a lot about our young kids that are turning pro and the two kids in Brenden Dillon (21-year-old defenseman) and Matt Fraser (22-year-old fowared), we want to give them every opportunity to succeed. This trade puts people in their proper spots. Derek Roy will be on our top-2 lines with Jamie Benn. We don’t have to put all that pressure on Cody Eakin. We think he'll be an up-and-coming player, just like the others, but they can play behind them."
The Stars haven't wowed anyone this offseason. They don't seem to be "in" on the big names. But they have some money to spend and through trades, have altered not only the look of the roster, but the leadership group. Ott and Ribeiro aren't in that room anymore. It means Benn, Loui Eriksson, Trevor Daley and Alex Goligoski must step up even more and join Brenden Morrow and Stephane Robidas in that group. That's assuming Nieuwendyk doesn't make any more deals. And he may not be done.
But the Stars have a solid goaltender in Kari Lehtonen (another guy who must lead) and one of the top forwards in the league in Benn. They don't have a lot of scoring around him right now, but they are building an organization that relies on young players to step up in a variety of roles. That needs to happen for this team to march toward contending status again, and it's clear Nieuwendyk is banking on it.
The San Jose Sharks added some toughness by signing forward Adam Burish to a four-year, $7.4 million contract.
"He's the type of guy you hate to play against," Sharks GM Doug Wilson said. "You want him on your side. He doesn't care about anything other than winning."
Burish, 29, is a physical forward who played mostly on the fourth line in Dallas last season. He had six goals, 13 assists, 76 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating.
Burish has 25 goals and 29 assists with 490 penalty minutes in 297 career games. He played his first four seasons in Chicago, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, before spending the last two years with the Stars, where he missed the playoffs.
"I miss that suffering, that kind of pain, playing tired, playing hurt," he said. "As crazy as that sounds, I miss that. I want to figure out how to win a Stanley Cup again. San Jose, to me, should be a team competing for the Stanley Cup every year."
"He's the type of guy you hate to play against," Sharks GM Doug Wilson said. "You want him on your side. He doesn't care about anything other than winning."
Burish, 29, is a physical forward who played mostly on the fourth line in Dallas last season. He had six goals, 13 assists, 76 penalty minutes and a plus-6 rating.
Burish has 25 goals and 29 assists with 490 penalty minutes in 297 career games. He played his first four seasons in Chicago, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, before spending the last two years with the Stars, where he missed the playoffs.
"I miss that suffering, that kind of pain, playing tired, playing hurt," he said. "As crazy as that sounds, I miss that. I want to figure out how to win a Stanley Cup again. San Jose, to me, should be a team competing for the Stanley Cup every year."
Sheldon Souray signs with Anaheim Ducks
July, 2, 2012
7/02/12
1:02
PM CT
By Scott Burnside / ESPN.com
A year ago we spoke to veteran defenseman Sheldon Souray moments after he signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Stars. It was in many ways a career lifeline thrown to the embattled defenseman who’d run afoul of management in Edmonton and been banished to the American Hockey League before finally being bought out by the Oilers.
His pride dinged up and his reputation in question, Souray was a model citizen in Dallas, working with the Stars' young defensemen and providing some much needed snarl. While the Stars couldn’t quite get over the hump and into the playoffs last spring, Souray’s play reinforced that at age 36 the Elk Point, Alberta native can still bring it.
Fast-forward to this year and not only has Souray’s career been revived, in many ways the stars have aligned in a way that suggests he is ready for even better times as the twilight of his career approaches.
Souray, blessed with a big shot to go with his big 6-foot-4 frame, signed a three-year deal Sunday with the Anaheim Ducks that will pay him $11 million over the life of the deal, but beyond the money, he signed a deal that brings with it rare peace of mind.
After spending his whole career packing up and leaving his two children behind at the start of the season, he will remain a short car ride (depending on California traffic of course) away from his two daughters.
“As we’re all getting older, it’s just getting tougher to say goodbye,” Souray told ESPN.com Monday.
“It was getting harder and harder to be away from them.”
His one daughter will turn nine in late September and his other daughter is five. Having them close by will bring a comfort level that he hasn’t enjoyed in a long time and he believes it will translate into better play on the ice for a Ducks team that got bigger on the back end on the first day of free agency with the signing of Souray and Bryan Allen.
“I’ve always been a better player when they’re around. You’re just more complete,” Souray said. “There’s a peace of mind that comes with having them around.”
Souray, based in Malibu while his daughters live with their mother in Beverley Hills, regularly skates with California-based NHLers in the offseason, and he was already beginning to dread the annual routine of packing up and heading off to a new NHL hometown.
Now he can concentrate on helping a team that started poorly last year -- costing head coach Randy Carlyle his job -- before rebounding under coach Bruce Boudreau. Ultimately the Ducks fell short of the playoffs but there is optimism that it was an aberration for a team that won a Cup in 2007 and made the playoffs in five of the first six seasons after the lockout. Although Souray hasn’t played for Boudreau, he knows something of the former Washington head coach having played for the Caps’ American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey two seasons ago when the Oilers banished him from the organization.
All the staff and players in Hershey “raved about Bruce,” Souray said.
He’s also familiar with new Anaheim teammates Saku Koivu, having played with the former Montreal captain in Montreal, and Andrew Cogliano, who was acquired from the Oilers last July.
“It’s awesome,” Souray said of this new chapter in his hockey tale. “I think I can bring some of the X factors they have [been] searching for the last couple of years.”
His pride dinged up and his reputation in question, Souray was a model citizen in Dallas, working with the Stars' young defensemen and providing some much needed snarl. While the Stars couldn’t quite get over the hump and into the playoffs last spring, Souray’s play reinforced that at age 36 the Elk Point, Alberta native can still bring it.
Fast-forward to this year and not only has Souray’s career been revived, in many ways the stars have aligned in a way that suggests he is ready for even better times as the twilight of his career approaches.
Souray, blessed with a big shot to go with his big 6-foot-4 frame, signed a three-year deal Sunday with the Anaheim Ducks that will pay him $11 million over the life of the deal, but beyond the money, he signed a deal that brings with it rare peace of mind.
After spending his whole career packing up and leaving his two children behind at the start of the season, he will remain a short car ride (depending on California traffic of course) away from his two daughters.
“As we’re all getting older, it’s just getting tougher to say goodbye,” Souray told ESPN.com Monday.
“It was getting harder and harder to be away from them.”
His one daughter will turn nine in late September and his other daughter is five. Having them close by will bring a comfort level that he hasn’t enjoyed in a long time and he believes it will translate into better play on the ice for a Ducks team that got bigger on the back end on the first day of free agency with the signing of Souray and Bryan Allen.
“I’ve always been a better player when they’re around. You’re just more complete,” Souray said. “There’s a peace of mind that comes with having them around.”
Souray, based in Malibu while his daughters live with their mother in Beverley Hills, regularly skates with California-based NHLers in the offseason, and he was already beginning to dread the annual routine of packing up and heading off to a new NHL hometown.
Now he can concentrate on helping a team that started poorly last year -- costing head coach Randy Carlyle his job -- before rebounding under coach Bruce Boudreau. Ultimately the Ducks fell short of the playoffs but there is optimism that it was an aberration for a team that won a Cup in 2007 and made the playoffs in five of the first six seasons after the lockout. Although Souray hasn’t played for Boudreau, he knows something of the former Washington head coach having played for the Caps’ American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey two seasons ago when the Oilers banished him from the organization.
All the staff and players in Hershey “raved about Bruce,” Souray said.
He’s also familiar with new Anaheim teammates Saku Koivu, having played with the former Montreal captain in Montreal, and Andrew Cogliano, who was acquired from the Oilers last July.
“It’s awesome,” Souray said of this new chapter in his hockey tale. “I think I can bring some of the X factors they have [been] searching for the last couple of years.”
After signing veteran forward Ray Whitney earlier Sunday, the Stars addressed their defense by signing Aaron Rome to a three-year, $4.5 million contract, the team announced. Rome, 28, played for the Vancouver Canucks the last three seasons.
From the Stars' news release:
“Aaron is a physical defensive defenseman who adds size and grit to our blue line,” said Nieuwendyk. “He competes at a very high level and helps make our team harder to play against. We’re very pleased to add Aaron to our team for the next three years.”
The 6-foot-1, 225-pound blue-liner appeared in 43 games for Vancouver last season, collecting four goals and six assists for 10 points, all NHL career highs.
A native of Nesbitt, Manitoba, Rome has appeared in 174 career NHL games with Anaheim, Columbus and Vancouver, recording six goals and 16 assists for 22 points with 156 penalty minutes. He has also skated in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games (15 of which came with Vancouver the past two seasons), posting a goal and an assist with 37 PIM. He appeared in one playoff game for Anaheim during the Ducks’ 2007 Stanley Cup championship run.
Originally selected by Los Angeles in the fourth round (No. 104 overall) in the 2002 NHL Draft, Rome played in 304 Western Hockey League games from 1998-2004, with Saskatoon, Kootenay, Swift Current and Moose Jaw. In the WHL, he earned 155 points (31 goals, 124 assists) and 646 penalty minutes. He was named to the WHL East Second All-Star Team in 2004.
Stars give qualifying offer to Tom Wandell
June, 25, 2012
6/25/12
2:36
PM CT
By
Richard Durrett | ESPNDallas.com
The Dallas Stars announced Monday that they've extended a qualifying offer to forward Tom Wandell. That means nine players have received qualifying offers:
Richard Bachman
Jamie Benn
Jordie Benn
Mark Fistric
Ryan Garbutt
Luke Gazdic
Philip Larsen
Colton Sceviour
Tom Wandell
From the club's release:
Angelo Esposito, Mikhail Stefanovich, Michael Neal and Jake Hauswirth did not receive qualifying offers.
Teams are required to extend a one-year “qualifying offer” to any current restricted free agent by today (June 25) in order to receive the right of the first refusal or draft choice compensation should that respective player sign an offer sheet with another NHL club. The qualifying offers will expire at 4 p.m. (Central Time) on Sunday, July 15.
Qualifying offers fall into three categories:
1. A player whose prior year salary was equal or less than $660,000 must receive a qualifying offer of 110% of their prior year’s salary.
2. A player whose prior year salary was more than $660,000 and up to $1 million must receive a qualifying offer of 105% of their prior year’s salary (but in no event shall such qualifying offer exceed $1 million).
3. A player whose prior year salary was more than $1 million must receive a qualifying offer at 100% of their prior year’s salary.
If a team does not give a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent, he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and can sign with any team with no compensation required to the player’s former club.
Richard Bachman
Jamie Benn
Jordie Benn
Mark Fistric
Ryan Garbutt
Luke Gazdic
Philip Larsen
Colton Sceviour
Tom Wandell
From the club's release:
Angelo Esposito, Mikhail Stefanovich, Michael Neal and Jake Hauswirth did not receive qualifying offers.
Teams are required to extend a one-year “qualifying offer” to any current restricted free agent by today (June 25) in order to receive the right of the first refusal or draft choice compensation should that respective player sign an offer sheet with another NHL club. The qualifying offers will expire at 4 p.m. (Central Time) on Sunday, July 15.
Qualifying offers fall into three categories:
1. A player whose prior year salary was equal or less than $660,000 must receive a qualifying offer of 110% of their prior year’s salary.
2. A player whose prior year salary was more than $660,000 and up to $1 million must receive a qualifying offer of 105% of their prior year’s salary (but in no event shall such qualifying offer exceed $1 million).
3. A player whose prior year salary was more than $1 million must receive a qualifying offer at 100% of their prior year’s salary.
If a team does not give a qualifying offer to a restricted free agent, he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, and can sign with any team with no compensation required to the player’s former club.
It should come as no surprise that the top three players of this weekend's draft are projected to be among the first picks to reach the NHL. But the 13th pick?
ESPN Hockey Insider Grant Sonier analyzes how soon he thinks each first-round pick will be ready for the NHL.
He put four players in the category of "Can Play Next Season." The first three selections of the draft -- Edmonton's Nail Yakupov, Columbus' Ryan Murray and Buffalo's Mikhail Grigorenko -- are joined in this group by forward Radek Faksa, whom the Stars picked at No. 13.
Here's Gronier's take on Faksa:
Read Gronier's complete first-round breakdown here (Insider).
ESPN Hockey Insider Grant Sonier analyzes how soon he thinks each first-round pick will be ready for the NHL.
He put four players in the category of "Can Play Next Season." The first three selections of the draft -- Edmonton's Nail Yakupov, Columbus' Ryan Murray and Buffalo's Mikhail Grigorenko -- are joined in this group by forward Radek Faksa, whom the Stars picked at No. 13.
Here's Gronier's take on Faksa:
My surprise pick to play next season is Faksa. Dallas puts a premium on hockey sense and skating, and this Czech-born forward continues to improve at a rapid rate. With his smarts, he will learn his craft by playing a strong two-way game, and he can get time on the PK.
Read Gronier's complete first-round breakdown here (Insider).
The Dallas Stars made eight more picks in the NHL Entry Draft on Saturday, including three in the second round.
The Stars selected Ludwig Bystrom, a 6-foot, 208-pound defenseman from MODO Hockey of the Swedish Junior League, with the 43rd overall pick to begin the day. Bystrom was part of the Swedish team that won the silver medal at the 2012 Under-18 World Junior Championships.
The Stars followed up that selection with two centers, Mike Winther and Devin Shore. Winther, taken with the 54th pick, (6-foot, 174) had 32 goals and 24 assists in 71 games for Prince Albert. Shore (61st overall) played for the Whitby Fury of the Ontario Junior Hockey League in 2011-12, where posted 29 goals and 29 assists in 41 games for the club. He is committed to the University of Maine for 2012-13.
The Stars made two trades, acquiring the Los Angeles Kings' 2012 seventh-round pick (No. 183 overall; used to acquire defenseman Dmitry Sinitsyn) for a 2013 seventh-rounder and then swapping their original seventh-round pick (No. 194 overall) to the the Florida Panthers for their seventh-rounder in 2013.
The Stars also selected Finnish defenseman Esa Lindell (No. 74), center Gemel Smith (No. 104), right wing Branden Troock (No. 134) and goalie Henri Kiviaho (No. 144).
Why trading Mike Ribeiro makes sense
June, 23, 2012
6/23/12
12:30
PM CT
By
Richard Durrett | ESPNDallas.com
Judging by many of the comments on the story about Friday's Stars trade, there's a feeling that the Stars shouldn't have dealt away a scorer like Mike Ribeiro. I disagee. A few thoughts on the matter:
* Ribeiro is not a part of the club's future. He's 32 years old and GM Joe Nieuwendyk and his staff are trying to assemble a core of young players that can help the club be competitive for years to come. Ribeiro just isn't a member of that core, and so with one year left on his contract now is the time to deal him.
* Ribeiro is making $5 million this season. That's now $5 million more the Stars have to spend on free agents in preparation for next season with plenty of cap room. Obviously, trading Ribeiro creates a pretty large hole in the top-6 group at center. The guy produced points for a team that lacked scoring. But they have the financial flexibility to go out and at least try to secure some of the bigger names on the market. Can they land winger Zach Parise? It might be a longshot. But you can bet the Stars will do what they can on July 1 to get in the discussion. If not Parise, they could look at other options on the market or, maybe more realistically, on the trading block. They've got prospects and financial flexibility to get something done.
* Ribeiro did have flaws, folks. He stayed on the ice too long during many shifts, he wasn't particularly good in the faceoff circle and it wasn't easy for him to be facing checking-line centers all the time, either. That wasn't going to get any easier in Dallas, which is why Washington is a good spot for Ribeiro, and I expect him to do well as a second-line center there.
* The Stars didn't just throw the name of Cody Eakin out there in trade talks with the Caps. They've done the research and followed him and believe he can be a solid forward in the future. That fits into their long-term plan. Just like the second-round pick they got could, as well. No, it doesn't help them next season. But again, Nieuwendyk is doing this the right way: He's thinking about the next three to five years, not just next year.
* Still, the pressure is on. The Stars have money to spend. How they spend it next month and how they approach trades could determine the long-term success of the club. This is a big moment, not unlike the Mark Teixeira trade moment for the Texas Rangers in 2007. This is the time to make something happen that can set the direction of the organization.
But I have no problems with dealing Ribeiro. If you have a plan -- and the Stars do -- you have to execute that plan. Ribeiro didn't fit into that plan, so deal him now, get something back for him, free up the cap space and go out and do something.
* Ribeiro is not a part of the club's future. He's 32 years old and GM Joe Nieuwendyk and his staff are trying to assemble a core of young players that can help the club be competitive for years to come. Ribeiro just isn't a member of that core, and so with one year left on his contract now is the time to deal him.
* Ribeiro is making $5 million this season. That's now $5 million more the Stars have to spend on free agents in preparation for next season with plenty of cap room. Obviously, trading Ribeiro creates a pretty large hole in the top-6 group at center. The guy produced points for a team that lacked scoring. But they have the financial flexibility to go out and at least try to secure some of the bigger names on the market. Can they land winger Zach Parise? It might be a longshot. But you can bet the Stars will do what they can on July 1 to get in the discussion. If not Parise, they could look at other options on the market or, maybe more realistically, on the trading block. They've got prospects and financial flexibility to get something done.
* Ribeiro did have flaws, folks. He stayed on the ice too long during many shifts, he wasn't particularly good in the faceoff circle and it wasn't easy for him to be facing checking-line centers all the time, either. That wasn't going to get any easier in Dallas, which is why Washington is a good spot for Ribeiro, and I expect him to do well as a second-line center there.
* The Stars didn't just throw the name of Cody Eakin out there in trade talks with the Caps. They've done the research and followed him and believe he can be a solid forward in the future. That fits into their long-term plan. Just like the second-round pick they got could, as well. No, it doesn't help them next season. But again, Nieuwendyk is doing this the right way: He's thinking about the next three to five years, not just next year.
* Still, the pressure is on. The Stars have money to spend. How they spend it next month and how they approach trades could determine the long-term success of the club. This is a big moment, not unlike the Mark Teixeira trade moment for the Texas Rangers in 2007. This is the time to make something happen that can set the direction of the organization.
But I have no problems with dealing Ribeiro. If you have a plan -- and the Stars do -- you have to execute that plan. Ribeiro didn't fit into that plan, so deal him now, get something back for him, free up the cap space and go out and do something.
The Dallas Stars selected center Radek Faksa (RHAD-ehk FOX-uh) with the team’s first-round selection (13th overall) in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft on Friday night.
The 18-year-old Faksa spent the 2011-12 season with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, where he led all OHL rookies in goals (29), assists (37), points (66), game-winning goals (6) and plus/minus (+19). He was selected 22nd overall in the 2011 OHL Import Draft by Kitchener.
The 6-3, 202-pound center represented the Czech Republic at the 2012 World Junior Championship, recording two goals in six games to help the Czech Republic finish in fifth place. He also played for the Czech Republic at the 2011 Under-18 World Championships and the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
During the 2011-12 season, Faksa skated in 24 games for HC Trinec’s junior team, collecting nine goals and six assists for 15 points. He also appeared in 28 games for HC Trinec’s under-18 club, earning 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists).
Ranked as the No. 7 North American skater by Central Scouting, Faksa lived in a hotel for five years while playing for Trinec, which is roughly 50 miles southeast of his hometown in the Czech Republic. His mother is a former figure skater, and taught him to skate at the age of three. His older brother, Martin, was a defenseman, and his uncle, Stanislav Pavelec, played in Czech pro leagues for seven years.
The 18-year-old Faksa spent the 2011-12 season with the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League, where he led all OHL rookies in goals (29), assists (37), points (66), game-winning goals (6) and plus/minus (+19). He was selected 22nd overall in the 2011 OHL Import Draft by Kitchener.
The 6-3, 202-pound center represented the Czech Republic at the 2012 World Junior Championship, recording two goals in six games to help the Czech Republic finish in fifth place. He also played for the Czech Republic at the 2011 Under-18 World Championships and the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
During the 2011-12 season, Faksa skated in 24 games for HC Trinec’s junior team, collecting nine goals and six assists for 15 points. He also appeared in 28 games for HC Trinec’s under-18 club, earning 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists).
Ranked as the No. 7 North American skater by Central Scouting, Faksa lived in a hotel for five years while playing for Trinec, which is roughly 50 miles southeast of his hometown in the Czech Republic. His mother is a former figure skater, and taught him to skate at the age of three. His older brother, Martin, was a defenseman, and his uncle, Stanislav Pavelec, played in Czech pro leagues for seven years.
Mike Ribeiro traded to Capitals
June, 22, 2012
6/22/12
7:21
PM CT
By
Richard Durrett | ESPNDallas.com
The Dallas Stars traded center Mike Ribeiro to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Washington's second-round pick in the 2012 NHL draft and center Cody Eakin.
The trade means the Stars have three picks in the second round of this year's draft (Nos. 43, 54 and 61), which began Friday night in Pittsburgh.
Ribeiro, 32, played six seasons for the Stars (461 games) and recorded 123 goals and 284 assists. He had 18 goals and 45 assists in 74 games last season.
"We'd like to thank Mike for his contributions the last six years with the Dallas Stars and wish him well with the Washington Capitals," Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk said in a press release.
Read the full story here.
The trade means the Stars have three picks in the second round of this year's draft (Nos. 43, 54 and 61), which began Friday night in Pittsburgh.
Ribeiro, 32, played six seasons for the Stars (461 games) and recorded 123 goals and 284 assists. He had 18 goals and 45 assists in 74 games last season.
"We'd like to thank Mike for his contributions the last six years with the Dallas Stars and wish him well with the Washington Capitals," Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk said in a press release.
Read the full story here.
Steve Ott, Mike Ribeiro getting attention
June, 21, 2012
6/21/12
5:38
PM CT
By
Pierre LeBrun | ESPNDallas.com
Pierre LeBrun posted has some Stars news on the Cross Checks Blog. Read the full post here.
The Dallas Stars are getting calls from other teams on two players that garnered attention before the trade deadline: Steve Ott and Mike Ribeiro.
Ott especially got some traction before the deadline, but the Stars ultimately decided to hold on to him as they were sitting in a playoff spot at the time. The rugged winger, who can pot some goals, has two more years left on his deal paying him $3.2 million a year in salary but with a $2.95-million cap hit.
He’d be a good addition for a team looking to bulk up in a second-line role.
Ribeiro, deeply talented but somewhat inconsistent, has one year left on his deal paying him $5 million.
If the Stars move one or either of these two players, it’s with the big picture in mind, which is to get their core a bit younger and build the team around Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson.
The Dallas Stars are getting calls from other teams on two players that garnered attention before the trade deadline: Steve Ott and Mike Ribeiro.
Ott especially got some traction before the deadline, but the Stars ultimately decided to hold on to him as they were sitting in a playoff spot at the time. The rugged winger, who can pot some goals, has two more years left on his deal paying him $3.2 million a year in salary but with a $2.95-million cap hit.
He’d be a good addition for a team looking to bulk up in a second-line role.
Ribeiro, deeply talented but somewhat inconsistent, has one year left on his deal paying him $5 million.
If the Stars move one or either of these two players, it’s with the big picture in mind, which is to get their core a bit younger and build the team around Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson.
