First Shift 🏒
The effects of the Stars’ tight salary cap are already evident.
Because of recent raises given to several players, Dallas has no wiggle room under the salary cap. The Stars will likely carry less than the maximum 23-man NHL roster for most of the season, and that will be tough to navigate on regular nights, let alone when players are injured.
Matt Duchene was placed on LTIR on Thursday and will be unable to play in the team’s first 10 regular season games. To fill in for him, Dallas recalled Arttu Hyry and Colin Blackwell from the AHL and will insert one or potentially both into the lineup during a season-opening back-to-back against St. Louis (Friday) and Nashville (Saturday).
It’s not ideal.
“It’s a part of our business that everyone is involved in, coaches as well,” Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. “As long as we stay in the same boat.”
While the Stars had an optional practice on Thursday, it appears Hyry will slot into Duchene’s spot on a line with Jamie Benn.
“Artty is going to fill in for that spot,” Gulutzan said. “He played there in our last game in Minnesota and I thought Artty was maybe our best player. We think he’s going to do a great job.”
Hyry, 25, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Finland two seasons ago. Last year, he played 20 NHL games and had 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists), 4 of which came in his final 8 games. In 94 career AHL games, he has 68 points (33 goals, 35 assists). He’s a solid defender and is remarkably sharp on faceoffs (58.7% in 25 NHL games).
Blackwell, 33, has been a regular on the team for the past two seasons. He was injured early in training camp and did not get into a preseason game. When it came time to make salary cap cuts, he was placed on waivers and made it through. He went with the team to Traverse City, Michigan for team building, but then was assigned to the Texas Stars and practiced in Cedar Park on Wednesday.
“I feel great, to be honest,” he said. “I had a great practice in Austin, got an hour of skill work. It was like a two-hour day and I think it helped me.”
Could he play soon? The Stars will likely alternate several forwards in the bottom six the way they did last season, so it could be Kiviranta, Hyry and Blackwell rotating in and out. That’s just what all will have to deal with.
“It’s not a great start so far. It’s not how I envisioned it, but you work with the cards you’re dealt,” Blackwell said. “It’s all out of my control, so I just put my head down and play.”
Hyry agreed.
“I go day by day and try to do my best and I’ll see where it takes me,” he said.
