"I know that he's a very structured coach, and he can be very demanding, which is a good thing," Methot said. "And he gets it. He's been around for so long now that he's very confident in what he's delivering."
General manager Jim Nill has made a push to improve the Stars' defense since the season ended. They allowed 260 goals last season, second-most in the League behind the Colorado Avalanche (276), one reason they missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs by 15 points one season after having the most points in the Western Conference.
Hitchcock was hired because of his attention to defensive details, and the goaltending was improved when Ben Bishop was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings on May 9 and then signed to a six-year contract.
Adding Methot is another step in that effort. The Stars have three young right-handed offensive-minded defensemen in John Klingberg (24), Julius Honka (21), and Stephen Johns (25) that could pair well with a veteran left-handed shot like Methot.
"I complement well an offensive-minded player," Methot said. "It allows whoever I'm playing with to roam around a little bit more and take more opportunities offensively. At the same time that doesn't mean your partner can skate around all over the place at free will. I think you still as a tandem have to be fairly good in your own end."
Methot is confident the Stars' struggles last season are behind them.
"They've got a really good core of players there," he said. "I'm sure they just needed a few tweaks and I'm hoping I can be a major contributor there."