What role will Cogliano have in Stars' offense this season?

Andrew Cogliano

About last year

Had 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 78 games with Anaheim and Dallas. Cogliano played the previous seven seasons for the Anaheim Ducks, so getting traded to the Stars for Devin Shore in January was a bit of a challenge. Cogliano embraced the move and became a strong voice and a leader for the Stars, but he didn't produce much.
He had three goals and three assists for six points in 32 games with the Stars.

Season overview

Cogliano is small, but strong and a heck of a skater, so he fits into what the Stars are trying to do. He's a smart veteran who can fill a lot of roles, as he's listed at all three forward positions.
The former first-round pick for Edmonton has been a model of consistency in Anaheim, producing 30-plus points four times in a span of five seasons (he had 29 in the other). But he had a big dropoff last season, both in his 46 games with the Ducks (three goals, eight assists) and in his 32 with the Stars.
So then the question becomes whether he is a solid depth forward who offers strong defensive play and veteran leadership, or if he can give more than that and get back to 20-something points with double-digit goals.

Going forward

Cogliano is an intense individual, and he wants to be his best every game, so you can expect he will push to have a bounce-back season statistically.
In 2017-18, he had 12 goals and 23 assists for 35 points. He also averaged 15:12 in time on ice and fired 175 shots on goal. He did not play much on the power play in 2017-18 and he probably won't get much man-advantage time with the Stars, so the focus will likely have to be in a third-line role with 12 or 13 minutes a game.
That said, he's not over the hill and he produced great numbers before last season, so there is a real chance he can make significant improvement.
Cogliano has been a good Corsi player throughout his career and had a 52.2 last season with Dallas. He was plus-28 in SAT (shot attempt differential at even strength), which ranked fourth on the Stars in the regular season.
All of that seems to indicate he can be a valuable part of the team for the 2019-20 season.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.
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