Dallas Stars: Zdeno Chara
Boston's Zdeno Chara, Ottawa's Erik Karlsson and Nashville's Shea Weber are the finalists for the Norris Trophy, which goes to the NHL's top defenseman.
Here's the release from the NHL:
Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators are the three finalists for the 2011-12 James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Norris Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 20, during the 2012 NHL Awards from Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. The 2012 NHL Awards will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network in the United States and CBC in Canada.
Following are the finalists for the Norris Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Chara's strong two-way play helped the Bruins capture their third Northeast Division title in the past four seasons. The Boston captain led all defensemen and tied for third in the NHL in plus-minus (+33) -- matching his League-leading rating from 2010-11 -- and recorded a career-high 52 points (12 goals, 40 assists) to rank fourth among all defenders in scoring. In addition, he led the Bruins in power-play goals (eight) and average ice time per game (25:00). Chara is a Norris Trophy finalist for the fourth time in the past five seasons and for the fifth time overall; he captured the award in 2009, finished second in 2004 and was third in 2008 and 2011.
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
Karlsson enjoyed a breakout season, leading all NHL defensemen in scoring with 78 points (19 goals, 59 assists) in 81 games. He recorded 25 points more than any other League defenseman -- the widest winning margin since Pittsburgh's Paul Coffey lapped the field by 38 points in 1988-89 -- and set Ottawa franchise records for blueline assists and points. The 21-year-old also is the youngest defenseman to tally as many as 78 points in a season since Coffey's 96 with Edmonton in 1982-83. Karlsson topped NHL defensemen in shots (261), was ninth in the League in average ice time per game (25:19) and posted a +16 rating.
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
Weber ranked near the top of several categories, helping the Predators earn their seventh Stanley Cup Playoff berth in the past eight seasons. The Nashville captain placed sixth in scoring among all defensemen with 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists), with his 19 goals tied with fellow Norris finalist Erik Karlsson for first place. He ranked fifth in the NHL in average ice time per game (26:09), tied a career high and led all defensemen with 10 power-play goals and posted a team-leading and career-best +21 rating. Weber is a Norris Trophy finalist for the second consecutive season; he finished second to Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom in 2010-11.
Here's the release from the NHL:
Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators are the three finalists for the 2011-12 James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Norris Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 20, during the 2012 NHL Awards from Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas. The 2012 NHL Awards will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network in the United States and CBC in Canada.
Following are the finalists for the Norris Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Chara's strong two-way play helped the Bruins capture their third Northeast Division title in the past four seasons. The Boston captain led all defensemen and tied for third in the NHL in plus-minus (+33) -- matching his League-leading rating from 2010-11 -- and recorded a career-high 52 points (12 goals, 40 assists) to rank fourth among all defenders in scoring. In addition, he led the Bruins in power-play goals (eight) and average ice time per game (25:00). Chara is a Norris Trophy finalist for the fourth time in the past five seasons and for the fifth time overall; he captured the award in 2009, finished second in 2004 and was third in 2008 and 2011.
Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators
Karlsson enjoyed a breakout season, leading all NHL defensemen in scoring with 78 points (19 goals, 59 assists) in 81 games. He recorded 25 points more than any other League defenseman -- the widest winning margin since Pittsburgh's Paul Coffey lapped the field by 38 points in 1988-89 -- and set Ottawa franchise records for blueline assists and points. The 21-year-old also is the youngest defenseman to tally as many as 78 points in a season since Coffey's 96 with Edmonton in 1982-83. Karlsson topped NHL defensemen in shots (261), was ninth in the League in average ice time per game (25:19) and posted a +16 rating.
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
Weber ranked near the top of several categories, helping the Predators earn their seventh Stanley Cup Playoff berth in the past eight seasons. The Nashville captain placed sixth in scoring among all defensemen with 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists), with his 19 goals tied with fellow Norris finalist Erik Karlsson for first place. He ranked fifth in the NHL in average ice time per game (26:09), tied a career high and led all defensemen with 10 power-play goals and posted a team-leading and career-best +21 rating. Weber is a Norris Trophy finalist for the second consecutive season; he finished second to Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom in 2010-11.
Q & A with Stars owner Tom Gaglardi
February, 11, 2012
2/11/12
11:43
PM CT
By
Mark Stepneski | ESPNDallas.com
Here are some excerpts from a recent interview with Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi, who shared his thoughts on the team and the upcoming trade deadline.
On his assessment of the team’s play so far this season (Note: interview was done day after the Phoenix game and prior to the back-to-back games with Columbus and Buffalo)
“We’re inconsistent. I think we have a playoff caliber team. I think we’ve proven that through different stages of the year. Clearly, there are some hallmarks of a young team with the inconsistency. We’ve had some puzzling nights, but mostly we work hard. It’s not a team that I would say I am regularly upset about being outworked. I can’t stand being outworked. I think we all know the caliber of our roster vis-à-vis the other clubs, and where we sit. The thing we can’t accept is being outworked. But that’s not something that has troubled me a lot this season.
And our back-to-back record has been woeful. That’s something that has got to stop. We’ve played in some tough buildings against some tough teams, but I am getting tired of the excuse there.”
On the importance of making the playoffs this season
“I think it is pretty important. I think it is important in terms of building your season ticket base. I don’t think it’s as important as the media has written because, in the long term, we want to be a competitive team for the longer term more than we necessarily care about this year.
“If we make moves at the deadline and if we make moves in the summer, they are more likely moves about being better longer than being better now. Having said that, we’re not going to do a deal that makes us worse now. I don’t see that happening because Joe (Nieuwendyk) still thinks we can make the playoffs, and we don’t want to jeopardize that.
“It is important to make the playoffs, but if we are going to look to improve our team then it won’t be something that makes us less competitive the next three to five years. There’s a balance there, I think.
“We’ve got some nice pieces in place with Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson, Alex Goligoski, Trevor Daley – we’ve got five, six or seven pieces that teams would like to have. I think if we can build around that then that is probably we’re going to try to do.”
On how much where the Stars are in the standings will dictate what happens at the deadline
“We have a lot of games in February. We’re going to have a clearer picture, or not, by the deadline of where we are in the standings. We still might be in the same spot, we might be in better shape or we might be in worse shape. I honestly don’t think that is going to change a whole lot with what we are going to do. It might a little bit, but we’re not a franchise that is going to trade its best older player for three first round draft picks. I don’t see us doing that deal.
“We want to get better for the longer term and not just for the shorter blip. I think that might take the Stars out of the running for certain players you might see available at the trade deadline, those older guys. We think there are things we can do and there are players that we have identified that would fit what we want. “
Could those things cost a lot?
“They might. I don’t know. We’ll see. The theme, as I see it, is we want to get deeper where we are weak, but not at the expense of where we are today. And I think there are things that we can do. There are transactions that may or may not be available to accomplish that. I think if you ask Joe, he’ll tell you the same thing.”
On what he sees as the team’s needs
“We have quite a bit of depth at defense. The Hockey News had us in the middle of the league (ranked 15th recently). I think we’re a bit better than that. We lack that big No. 1 guy, but then so do a lot of teams. You get into that No. 2 and No. 3 three spot with (Alex) Goligoski and (Trevor) Daley – those are the guys you’d have at No. 2 and No.3 – and those are pretty good players.
“I like our D, we’ve got a lot of depth. Some of the guys that haven’t been playing regularly would be playing regularly on other teams, I think. And it’s nice to see guys like (Philip) Larsen step up and grab a pretty regular spot. I don’t think anybody saw that coming at the beginning of the year.
“Would we like to have a Zdeno Chara or a Nick Lidstrom? Yeah, but so would 20-odd other teams. But I think we’re in pretty good shape there.
“On the farm we’ve got some kids coming with (Patrik) Nemeth and (Jamie) Oleksiak and guys we think can play. We’re in pretty good shape there.
“I think we struggle on offense. A lot of times we don’t score enough goals. And our power play has been awfully inconsistent as well. I think our role players, we’re in pretty good shape there. As a glaring weakness on our team, in my mind, it’s top six. We’re young and we’re not deep enough.”
On his assessment of the team’s play so far this season (Note: interview was done day after the Phoenix game and prior to the back-to-back games with Columbus and Buffalo)
“We’re inconsistent. I think we have a playoff caliber team. I think we’ve proven that through different stages of the year. Clearly, there are some hallmarks of a young team with the inconsistency. We’ve had some puzzling nights, but mostly we work hard. It’s not a team that I would say I am regularly upset about being outworked. I can’t stand being outworked. I think we all know the caliber of our roster vis-à-vis the other clubs, and where we sit. The thing we can’t accept is being outworked. But that’s not something that has troubled me a lot this season.
And our back-to-back record has been woeful. That’s something that has got to stop. We’ve played in some tough buildings against some tough teams, but I am getting tired of the excuse there.”
On the importance of making the playoffs this season
“I think it is pretty important. I think it is important in terms of building your season ticket base. I don’t think it’s as important as the media has written because, in the long term, we want to be a competitive team for the longer term more than we necessarily care about this year.
“If we make moves at the deadline and if we make moves in the summer, they are more likely moves about being better longer than being better now. Having said that, we’re not going to do a deal that makes us worse now. I don’t see that happening because Joe (Nieuwendyk) still thinks we can make the playoffs, and we don’t want to jeopardize that.
“It is important to make the playoffs, but if we are going to look to improve our team then it won’t be something that makes us less competitive the next three to five years. There’s a balance there, I think.
“We’ve got some nice pieces in place with Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson, Alex Goligoski, Trevor Daley – we’ve got five, six or seven pieces that teams would like to have. I think if we can build around that then that is probably we’re going to try to do.”
On how much where the Stars are in the standings will dictate what happens at the deadline
“We have a lot of games in February. We’re going to have a clearer picture, or not, by the deadline of where we are in the standings. We still might be in the same spot, we might be in better shape or we might be in worse shape. I honestly don’t think that is going to change a whole lot with what we are going to do. It might a little bit, but we’re not a franchise that is going to trade its best older player for three first round draft picks. I don’t see us doing that deal.
“We want to get better for the longer term and not just for the shorter blip. I think that might take the Stars out of the running for certain players you might see available at the trade deadline, those older guys. We think there are things we can do and there are players that we have identified that would fit what we want. “
Could those things cost a lot?
“They might. I don’t know. We’ll see. The theme, as I see it, is we want to get deeper where we are weak, but not at the expense of where we are today. And I think there are things that we can do. There are transactions that may or may not be available to accomplish that. I think if you ask Joe, he’ll tell you the same thing.”
On what he sees as the team’s needs
“We have quite a bit of depth at defense. The Hockey News had us in the middle of the league (ranked 15th recently). I think we’re a bit better than that. We lack that big No. 1 guy, but then so do a lot of teams. You get into that No. 2 and No. 3 three spot with (Alex) Goligoski and (Trevor) Daley – those are the guys you’d have at No. 2 and No.3 – and those are pretty good players.
“I like our D, we’ve got a lot of depth. Some of the guys that haven’t been playing regularly would be playing regularly on other teams, I think. And it’s nice to see guys like (Philip) Larsen step up and grab a pretty regular spot. I don’t think anybody saw that coming at the beginning of the year.
“Would we like to have a Zdeno Chara or a Nick Lidstrom? Yeah, but so would 20-odd other teams. But I think we’re in pretty good shape there.
“On the farm we’ve got some kids coming with (Patrik) Nemeth and (Jamie) Oleksiak and guys we think can play. We’re in pretty good shape there.
“I think we struggle on offense. A lot of times we don’t score enough goals. And our power play has been awfully inconsistent as well. I think our role players, we’re in pretty good shape there. As a glaring weakness on our team, in my mind, it’s top six. We’re young and we’re not deep enough.”
Jamie Benn wins accuracy shooting at skills competition
January, 28, 2012
1/28/12
9:26
PM CT
By
Mark Stepneski | ESPNDallas.com
Stars forward Jamie Benn had an impressive showing at the NHL All-Star Skills Competition, taking the shooting accuracy competition and putting on another impressive shooting display in the skills challenge relay.
In the first round of the accuracy competition he hit four of six targets in 13.583 seconds to advance to the finals against Philadelphia rookie Matt Read. Benn then hit four of five targets in in 10.204 seconds in the finals to win the competition to top Read, who hit his four targets in 16.361 seconds.
“It’s a lot harder than it looks,” Benn said on NBC Sports Network’s telecast of the All-Star Skills Competition. “Once you get one you can get on a roll and run with it.”
After the competition he said it was a lot of practice shooting pucks as a kid that paid dividends.
“Shooting all the time growing up and practicing in the garage really paid off,” Benn said.
In the skills challenge relay, Benn had the hardest angle one-timer but he hit three of three shots for Team Chara.
“That sharp angle, I was a little nervous about that one, getting them in,” Benn said.
He was eliminated in the first round of the elimination shootout when Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick made a pad save on his wrist shot.
The highlight of the night was Boston’s Zdeno Chara breaking his own record in the hardest shot competition. Chara shattered his previous record of 105.9 MPH by hitting 108.8 MPH on Saturday night.
Another highlight was Chicago’s Patrick Kane taking the breakaway challenge by donning a Superman cape, Clark Kent glasses and then scoring a goal while gliding towards the net on his stomach.
Team Alfredsson won the skills competition over Team Chara by a score of 21-12.
For Benn, it was a good experience.
“I think it went really well. It was a lot of fun out there,” he said. “It was pretty cool to see the skill that these guys have and it was great for the first time.”
Here were the winners in Saturday’s night’s All-Star Skills Competition.
Faster skater: Carl Hagelin, NY Rangers
Breakaway challenge: Patrick Kane, Chicago
Accuracy shooting: Jamie Benn, Dallas
Hardest shot: Zdeno Chara, Boston
Elimination shootout: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay
Full results are here.
Video of Benn in final round
In the first round of the accuracy competition he hit four of six targets in 13.583 seconds to advance to the finals against Philadelphia rookie Matt Read. Benn then hit four of five targets in in 10.204 seconds in the finals to win the competition to top Read, who hit his four targets in 16.361 seconds.
“It’s a lot harder than it looks,” Benn said on NBC Sports Network’s telecast of the All-Star Skills Competition. “Once you get one you can get on a roll and run with it.”
After the competition he said it was a lot of practice shooting pucks as a kid that paid dividends.
“Shooting all the time growing up and practicing in the garage really paid off,” Benn said.
In the skills challenge relay, Benn had the hardest angle one-timer but he hit three of three shots for Team Chara.
“That sharp angle, I was a little nervous about that one, getting them in,” Benn said.
He was eliminated in the first round of the elimination shootout when Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick made a pad save on his wrist shot.
The highlight of the night was Boston’s Zdeno Chara breaking his own record in the hardest shot competition. Chara shattered his previous record of 105.9 MPH by hitting 108.8 MPH on Saturday night.
Another highlight was Chicago’s Patrick Kane taking the breakaway challenge by donning a Superman cape, Clark Kent glasses and then scoring a goal while gliding towards the net on his stomach.
Team Alfredsson won the skills competition over Team Chara by a score of 21-12.
For Benn, it was a good experience.
“I think it went really well. It was a lot of fun out there,” he said. “It was pretty cool to see the skill that these guys have and it was great for the first time.”
Here were the winners in Saturday’s night’s All-Star Skills Competition.
Faster skater: Carl Hagelin, NY Rangers
Breakaway challenge: Patrick Kane, Chicago
Accuracy shooting: Jamie Benn, Dallas
Hardest shot: Zdeno Chara, Boston
Elimination shootout: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay
Full results are here.
Video of Benn in final round
Benn goes next to last in All-Star draft
January, 26, 2012
1/26/12
9:26
PM CT
By
Mark Stepneski | ESPNDallas.com
Stars forward Jamie Benn was almost the last player selected in Thursday night’s NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft, but Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara decided that Benn would be the 37th player selected and not the 38th.
Benn and San Jose’s Logan Couture were the last two players left in the draft and it was Chara’s decision as to which player would be picked next and which player would be the last one left.
“It’s never easy to leave one guy standing, to be the last one,” Chara said as he made his selection. “But Jamie really deserves to be picked because he had surgery a couple days ago and he still showed up. That’s a big credit to him. So I am picking Dallas Star Jamie Benn.”
Couture, as the last player to be picked in the draft, received a car.
“It was a little bit of a win-win there. Get picked or get a car,” said Benn. “I’m happy I got picked.”
Benn said the experience was fun and a little tense.
“Coming down to the wire it was a little nerve-wracking, but fun at the same time. We’re here for a good weekend and I am looking forward to it,” Benn said. “I don’t think [where you get picked] matters. I think just getting the chance to be at an All-Star game is a pretty good honor. For Zdeno to throw out a shout out there was really nice of him.”
Chara had the first overall pick in the draft and selected Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk, meaning Benn will be teammates with one of the players he was looking forward to seeing at the All-Star festivities this weekend.
“Maybe Datsyuk, he’s pretty cool. He’s a player I like to watch,” Benn said when asked earlier this week about the players he was looking forward to skating with in Ottawa. “(Claude) Giroux, (Steven) Stamkos, all the top players in this league are pretty exciting to watch and to get a chance to skate with them is pretty cool.”
Giroux and Stamkos will skate for Team Alfredsson, which is captained by Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson. Alfredsson’s first pick and the second overall pick of the draft was his Ottawa teammate, defenseman Erik Karlsson.
The All-Star Skills competition is Saturday and the NHL All-Star Game is Sunday. The selections in Thursday’s draft are below.
Benn and San Jose’s Logan Couture were the last two players left in the draft and it was Chara’s decision as to which player would be picked next and which player would be the last one left.
“It’s never easy to leave one guy standing, to be the last one,” Chara said as he made his selection. “But Jamie really deserves to be picked because he had surgery a couple days ago and he still showed up. That’s a big credit to him. So I am picking Dallas Star Jamie Benn.”
Couture, as the last player to be picked in the draft, received a car.
“It was a little bit of a win-win there. Get picked or get a car,” said Benn. “I’m happy I got picked.”
Benn said the experience was fun and a little tense.
“Coming down to the wire it was a little nerve-wracking, but fun at the same time. We’re here for a good weekend and I am looking forward to it,” Benn said. “I don’t think [where you get picked] matters. I think just getting the chance to be at an All-Star game is a pretty good honor. For Zdeno to throw out a shout out there was really nice of him.”
Chara had the first overall pick in the draft and selected Detroit’s Pavel Datsyuk, meaning Benn will be teammates with one of the players he was looking forward to seeing at the All-Star festivities this weekend.
“Maybe Datsyuk, he’s pretty cool. He’s a player I like to watch,” Benn said when asked earlier this week about the players he was looking forward to skating with in Ottawa. “(Claude) Giroux, (Steven) Stamkos, all the top players in this league are pretty exciting to watch and to get a chance to skate with them is pretty cool.”
Giroux and Stamkos will skate for Team Alfredsson, which is captained by Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson. Alfredsson’s first pick and the second overall pick of the draft was his Ottawa teammate, defenseman Erik Karlsson.
The All-Star Skills competition is Saturday and the NHL All-Star Game is Sunday. The selections in Thursday’s draft are below.
Lehtonen 10th, Souray 16th in All-Star voting
November, 22, 2011
11/22/11
7:00
PM CT
By
Mark Stepneski | ESPNDallas.com
The NHL released All-Star voting totals for the first week, and Stars netminder Kari Lehtonen ranks 10th among NHL netminders with 42,527 votes. Boston's Tim Thomas is tops among goaltenders with 95,681 votes.
Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray is 16th among defensemen with 39,263 votes. The top two in defense category are Ottawa's Erik Karlsson (147,468) and Boston's Zdeno Chara (110,098).
Stars forwards Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro, who all are on the ballot, were not among the top 28 forwards receiving votes. Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson, Toronto's Phil Kessel and Ottawa's Jason Spezza are the top three among the forwards.
The Senators are getting out the vote, which is not a surprise since the All-Star Game is in Ottawa this season.
Vote totals are here on NHL.com.
Voting, which started last week, will conclude Jan. 4.
The top vote-getters by position -- three forwards, two defensemen and one goalie -- will take part in this season's All-Star Game, which will be in Ottawa on Jan. 29.
Stars defenseman Sheldon Souray is 16th among defensemen with 39,263 votes. The top two in defense category are Ottawa's Erik Karlsson (147,468) and Boston's Zdeno Chara (110,098).
Stars forwards Jamie Benn, Loui Eriksson and Mike Ribeiro, who all are on the ballot, were not among the top 28 forwards receiving votes. Ottawa's Daniel Alfredsson, Toronto's Phil Kessel and Ottawa's Jason Spezza are the top three among the forwards.
The Senators are getting out the vote, which is not a surprise since the All-Star Game is in Ottawa this season.
Vote totals are here on NHL.com.
Voting, which started last week, will conclude Jan. 4.
The top vote-getters by position -- three forwards, two defensemen and one goalie -- will take part in this season's All-Star Game, which will be in Ottawa on Jan. 29.
Stephane Robidas excited about offseason moves
August, 26, 2011
8/26/11
1:36
PM CT
By
Mark Stepneski | ESPNDallas.com
It was a long offseason for Dallas Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas. It always is when your team misses the playoffs. And Robidas and the Stars have missed the playoffs three straight years. But the veteran defenseman and some of his teammates are back in town and the anticipation level is high after an offseason of changes that included the signing of several free agents and the hiring of Glen Gulutzan as head coach.
“I’m very excited. Marc Crawford has been very good for me and the team, but I think everybody is excited. We haven’t made the playoffs for three years now. We want to get off to a fresh start,” Robidas said after a recent skate in Frisco. “[The coaching staff] has new ideas and a new philosophy. Not that the other ones weren’t good enough, but it’s a fresh start for everybody.”
While the Stars added seven new players via free agency, which is almost one-third of the roster, Robidas pointed out that many key players from last season remain.
“If you look at the core players, most of the core is still here. That’s a good thing,” said Robidas. “You’ve got a guy like Jamie Benn who has another year under his belt and you’ve got a couple of young defensemen who got another year last year. Everybody is growing as a team. Personally, I am very excited with the changes and I can’t wait to start the season.”
One of those changes comes on defense with the addition of Sheldon Souray, a guy Robidas knows pretty well from his days with the Montreal Canadiens. The two were paired together in Montreal and were a defensive pairing in the 2009 NHL-Star Game in Montreal as well. Robidas said he expects Souray, who spent last season in the AHL, to be highly motivated this season.
“I think it’s a great addition. He’s a good player and he’s a really good guy. He brings a lot to the table,” said Robidas. “Last year was a tough year for him. He wants to prove himself. I’ve talked to him and he’s really excited to come back, having another chance. I think he’ll be a great addition to our team.
“Great shot. He brings some toughness. He’s a big guy, size-wise. He brings something we really didn’t have last year. That’s always a plus when you can add something that’s missing. When you build a puzzle you don’t want all the same piece, you need different pieces and I think he’s another piece of the puzzle.”
The veteran Stars defenseman believes the team added a lot of other pieces during the offseason. Besides Souray the Stars signed forwards Michael Ryder, Vernon Fiddler, Radek Dvorak, Jake Dowell and Eric Godard and defenseman Adam Pardy. While the Stars lost a top end player in Brad Richards, Robidas said the offseason moves helped make the Stars a deeper, more balanced team.
“If you look at our identity, we want to be a team that is hard to play against. If you look at all the signings we had this summer they all fit the role,” said Robidas. “I think we have a lot more depth. It’s established players in the NHL. They know their role; they’ve been doing it for years.”
Robidas said if you want to see an example of the importance of depth just look at last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Boston Bruins.
“They beat Vancouver, who was supposed to be the best team. But I think [the Bruins] won with their depth,” Robidas said. “Obviously their goalie made a big difference, but if you look down the line they had four lines going. They had really good players, but they didn’t have that superstar. [Zdeno] Chara is a big, strong guy but there is no Sedins or stuff like that. They all played the right way, they played the system. That’s their identity. I think that’s the identity we want to have.
”I don’t want to live in the past, but we want to get back to that whole mentality. I’m not saying that we are going to play defense and sit back. We are going to be aggressive and upbeat. We’re not going to get pushed around. We are going to be able to match up well with the bigger teams. That’s a big plus if you look at our division, especially. You play Anaheim, San Jose, L.A. and Phoenix. They are all big teams. We added some size and some grit. Like I said, I am very excited with the new acquisitions.”
“I’m very excited. Marc Crawford has been very good for me and the team, but I think everybody is excited. We haven’t made the playoffs for three years now. We want to get off to a fresh start,” Robidas said after a recent skate in Frisco. “[The coaching staff] has new ideas and a new philosophy. Not that the other ones weren’t good enough, but it’s a fresh start for everybody.”
While the Stars added seven new players via free agency, which is almost one-third of the roster, Robidas pointed out that many key players from last season remain.
“If you look at the core players, most of the core is still here. That’s a good thing,” said Robidas. “You’ve got a guy like Jamie Benn who has another year under his belt and you’ve got a couple of young defensemen who got another year last year. Everybody is growing as a team. Personally, I am very excited with the changes and I can’t wait to start the season.”
One of those changes comes on defense with the addition of Sheldon Souray, a guy Robidas knows pretty well from his days with the Montreal Canadiens. The two were paired together in Montreal and were a defensive pairing in the 2009 NHL-Star Game in Montreal as well. Robidas said he expects Souray, who spent last season in the AHL, to be highly motivated this season.
“I think it’s a great addition. He’s a good player and he’s a really good guy. He brings a lot to the table,” said Robidas. “Last year was a tough year for him. He wants to prove himself. I’ve talked to him and he’s really excited to come back, having another chance. I think he’ll be a great addition to our team.
“Great shot. He brings some toughness. He’s a big guy, size-wise. He brings something we really didn’t have last year. That’s always a plus when you can add something that’s missing. When you build a puzzle you don’t want all the same piece, you need different pieces and I think he’s another piece of the puzzle.”
The veteran Stars defenseman believes the team added a lot of other pieces during the offseason. Besides Souray the Stars signed forwards Michael Ryder, Vernon Fiddler, Radek Dvorak, Jake Dowell and Eric Godard and defenseman Adam Pardy. While the Stars lost a top end player in Brad Richards, Robidas said the offseason moves helped make the Stars a deeper, more balanced team.
“If you look at our identity, we want to be a team that is hard to play against. If you look at all the signings we had this summer they all fit the role,” said Robidas. “I think we have a lot more depth. It’s established players in the NHL. They know their role; they’ve been doing it for years.”
Robidas said if you want to see an example of the importance of depth just look at last season’s Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Boston Bruins.
“They beat Vancouver, who was supposed to be the best team. But I think [the Bruins] won with their depth,” Robidas said. “Obviously their goalie made a big difference, but if you look down the line they had four lines going. They had really good players, but they didn’t have that superstar. [Zdeno] Chara is a big, strong guy but there is no Sedins or stuff like that. They all played the right way, they played the system. That’s their identity. I think that’s the identity we want to have.
”I don’t want to live in the past, but we want to get back to that whole mentality. I’m not saying that we are going to play defense and sit back. We are going to be aggressive and upbeat. We’re not going to get pushed around. We are going to be able to match up well with the bigger teams. That’s a big plus if you look at our division, especially. You play Anaheim, San Jose, L.A. and Phoenix. They are all big teams. We added some size and some grit. Like I said, I am very excited with the new acquisitions.”
The Norris Trophy finalists were announced today and Zdeno Chara, Nicklas Lidstrom and Shea Weber are up for his year's honor as the NHL's top defenseman. Here's the release from the league:
Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins, Nicklas Lidstrom of the Detroit Red Wings and Shea Weber of the Nashville Predators are the three finalists for the 2010-11 James Norris Memorial Trophy, which is awarded “to the defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position,” the National Hockey League announced today.
Members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association submitted ballots for the Norris Trophy at the conclusion of the regular season, with the top three vote-getters designated as finalists. The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 22, during the 2011 NHL Awards from the Pearl Concert Theater inside the Palms Hotel Las Vegas. The 2011 NHL Awards will be broadcast by VERSUS in the United States and CBC in Canada.
Following are the finalists for the Norris Trophy, in alphabetical order:
Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins
Chara is a Norris Trophy finalist for the third time in the past four seasons and for the fourth time overall; he finished second in 2004, third in 2008 and captured the award in 2009. The Bruins captain led the NHL in plus-minus in 2010-11 with a +33 rating, matching his career high set in 2003-04. He recorded 44 points (14 goals, 30 assists), marking the seventh consecutive season he has surpassed the 40-point plateau. Chara also ranked second among NHL defensemen in shots (264), tied for third in power-play goals (eight) and was sixth in average ice time per game (25:26).
Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
Lidstrom is a Norris Trophy finalist for the 11th time in the past 13 seasons. He has captured the award six times, placed second three times and third once. Lidstrom enjoyed one of his most productive seasons, ranking second among NHL defensemen in scoring with 62 points (16 goals, 46 assists) in 82 games, highlighted by a career-best 11-game point streak. He tied for fourth place among League defensemen in goals, was third in assists and tied for sixth in power-play goals (six). The Red Wings captain, who turns 41 on Thursday, led the Central Division champions in ice time, averaging 23:28 per contest.
Shea Weber, Nashville Predators
Weber, drafted by Nashville in second round of the 2003 Entry Draft, is a Norris Trophy finalist for the first time. Only two NHL skaters saw more ice time in 2010-11 than Weber, who appeared in all 82 games and averaged 25:19 per contest. The Predators captain set single-season career highs in several categories, including games, average ice time, assists (32) and shots (254). Topping all Nashville defensemen in scoring with 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists), his offensive contribution proved crucial to Nashville in securing a sixth playoff berth in seven seasons; the Predators posted a 13-2-1 record when he scored a goal.
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