The Stars Will Be Shining In Dallas Once Again This Season
Club: Dallas Stars
Fantasy Impact Grade: Hot
Superstars: None
Big Producers: Brad Richards, Sergei Zubov, Brenden Morrow, Mike Ribeiro,
Mid Level Flyers: Sean Avery, Mike Modano, Jere Lehtinen
Rookies/ Prospects: Fabian Brunnstrom, Lauri Tukonen, Ivan Vishnevskiy
Sleepers: Loui Eriksson
Avoid the Hype: Philippe Boucher
Analysis:
Fantasy managers savvy enough to turn to Dallas for serious team depth this season will be uncovering a plethora of players that have the potential to offer serious fantasy production.
The top unit featuring Brenden Morrow, Jere Lehtinen and Mike Ribeiro is sure to light the lamp again this upcoming season. Ribeiro absolutely dominated in Big D last year recording 27 goals, 56 assists, spending significant time on the power play and 46 minutes in the sin bin. Don’t expect much to change this season and have no reservations about making Ribeiro your number one center. Keep in mind too that Ribeiro isn’t a household name center just yet, so you may be able to nab him in the 4th or 5th round and use him as your second option at center. Brenden Morrow will be to Ribeiro’s left and should be a solid source of points once again this season. What makes Morrow slightly more appealing than other number one left wingers is that he has a bit of a mean streak to him, so on top of scoring 70 points this season, it’s very plausible that he’ll post 70-80 penalty minutes. Look for Morrow to ship out around the same time as Ribeiro, and treat him similarly in terms of strategy. Jere Lehtinen is probably the least potent of the three, but could still be a solid source for fantasy points. Last season, Lehtinen missed 33 games with a sports hernia, but if he remains healthy for the entire 2008-2009 season, Lehtinen could hit the 60 point mark. Consider him a 2nd or 3rd option at right wing on your fantasy team just incase he catches another injury this season.
Last season, the Stars made a deadline deal to acquire Brad Richards and are looking to collect serious dividends from that deal this year. Richards will be starting the season on Dallas’ 2nd line, playing with newcomer Sean Avery and rising star Loui Eriksson. As we have seen from his stint in Tampa Bay, Richards is capable of putting up great numbers. However, as a 2nd liner, it would be more realistic to peg him as a 2nd center option with the potential to put up 60-70 points. Sean Avery will be making his debut in Big D this fall and if your league cashes in heavily on penalty minutes, Avery may be the best fantasy option in the league. Avery could easily score 30-40 points this year and amass 150-175 penalty minutes. He’s a nice middle round option that could supply all your penalty minute needs, and still offer some point production.
Other fantasy notables in Big D can be found in the form of a seasoned veteran and an up and coming prospect. Mike Modano is not the main man in Dallas anymore, but he could still see some quality offensive production if he winds up on the point for the Stars power play again this season. You probably won’t see 50+ points production with Modano as a 3rd line center, but if they slide Modano into that power play unit again, he may be of some value if your team lacks special teams production. The problem with trying to wait on someone like Modano is that unlike Mike Ribeiro, he is a household name at center, and will go much earlier than his value is at this season. Let someone else make the mistake of jumping the gun on him this season. If, however, Modano is still kicking around in round 14 or 15, he might not be a terrible addition to your fantasy squad as a 4th option at center. Rookie Fabian Brunnstrom could wind up turning some heads in 2008-09. The highly-touted Swedish Elite League superstar chose to sign with Dallas over the likes of Montreal and Detroit and is looking to break into the NHL immediately. This kid could be a gamble. Fortunately, if he doesn’t live up to potential, he should have only cost you one of your very last draft picks. If he lives up to his hype, he’ll easily make a good argument for second line duties.
Defense has always been the name of the game for the Stars, and unfortunately, a solid defensive minded core doesn’t win fantasy championships. The only factor here will be Sergei Zubov. Last season was tough one for Zubs because of an injury. If he stays healthy, you will see steady production in the form of points and +/-. Also, look for Zubov to quarterback the Stars power play, possibly along side Mike Modano. Two vets on the point and a young talented core down below could equal big things for Dallas’ power play this season. They should hover around the top in the west for power play production if everything comes together.
If you’re looking down the road a year or two, a couple of players to throw on your radar are Lauri Tukonen and Ivan Vishnevskiy. Dallas’ power play quarterback is getting up there in age and that leaves the door open for fresh, young talent to try and step up and take command of this all important task. Philippe Boucher isn’t offensively minded enough to take over for Zubov once he hangs ‘em up. His 50 point season from a few years ago was a flash in the pan and even reaching 40 points this season seems like a long shot. Matt Niskanen is starting to show his offensive upside, but it’s still too early to determine whether he is capable of handling the job. This is where you may want to flag Ivan Vishnevskiy and monitor his situation until he hits the big time. Vishnevskiy has put up monster point totals for a defender in the QMJHL and could break into the league sometime in the next year or so. The situation right now may be ripe for Vishnevskiy to showcase his talent and earn a roster spot. Lauri Tukonen is huge question mark right now for Dallas. Scouting reports have wondered if Tukonen truly does possess the talent to perform as expected at the NHL level. His performance at the 2006 IIHF World U20 Championship, however, proved that he certainly does have the talent to make a splash in the NHL and that he should be considered for a roster spot. It probably won’t be this year, but get to know the name for next season to see if he can be of any service to the Stars.
Goaltending:
Situation: Rock Solid
Grade: B+
1. Marty Turco
2. Tobias Stephan
When dealing with the Stars goaltending situation, be sure to proceed with slight caution. Marty Turco is an elite goaltender who has a tendency to slump at points during the season. However, Turco always seems to rebound well and is a great option as the number one option for goaltending on your team. He shouldn’t feel any backup pressure whatsoever from Stephan this season unless he truly struggles throughout the year. However, with the team he has in front of him this year, this could be one of his best seasons to date.
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