Confirmed with Link: Ken Hitchcock Returning as Head Coach (Wilson, Barnes, Fraser as Asst. Coaches)

[Troy McClure]

Fact, Nill waited to can Ruff. We can only speculate as to why, which around here should be fun, not a death grudge argument.

Nill spoke to this a couple of days before hiring Hitch. Nill said the team was starting to get healthy in the second half of the season, so he wanted to give Ruff a chance to see what he would do with the healthier lineup as part of a playoff push. It turns out the team was as crappy late in the season as it was back when the injury excuses were at their peak.

Who knows how true it is, but that's what he said.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

Troy,

I had forgotten that, and in my experience talking with hockey people, they do tend to be pretty open and honest, so I believe it. And, its not a particularly sugar coated analysis of things to save face for Ruff, so can't see it being a fabrication.

That said, there weren't too many injuries on D, and Ruff had to have marching orders to work with the young D and improve them, but there were a lot of 5-6-7 goal against games when they could have made a push. No real progress on D over the season, except for one short burst at the very end, even if we agree with Misty it was going to be tough the first quarter to half a season.

How long should it take to mold that group of guys, with only one true rookie, plus Hammer, Benn, and Klingberg for vet experience into a mid level D corps?

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

Troy,

I had forgotten that, and in my experience talking with hockey people, they do tend to be pretty open and honest, so I believe it. And, its not a particularly sugar coated analysis of things to save face for Ruff, so can't see it being a fabrication.

That said, there weren't too many injuries on D, and Ruff had to have marching orders to work with the young D and improve them, but there were a lot of 5-6-7 goal against games when they could have made a push. No real progress on D over the season, except for one short burst at the very end, even if we agree with Misty it was going to be tough the first quarter to half a season.

How long should it take to mold that group of guys, with only one true rookie, plus Hammer, Benn, and Klingberg for vet experience into a mid level D corps?

Never gonna happen. Just an awful crop of defenseman.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

If that's so, (and for Blazing Saddles fan, the only answer can be "It's twue....It's twue") then a crap load of bad drafting and/or poor development in the AHL.....and we're just screwed.

I don't see any stud D Nill could acquire, and doubt he will think Alzner is a big enough upgrade to spend big $$$ on. I do think he believes some of those guys he has can mature into the roles. Granted, the bottom three didn't get anywhere near a full year of experience under their belts.

They did have a nice 7 game stretch near the end. Do that times 7 (11 with playoffs) and we can be contenders.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

Even a cursory glance around the league makes it true unfortunately.

Average means better than half the league, we're talking the 15th or 16th best D core in hockey. Well, have you seen the talent disparity other teams have on their bluelines.

Not a chance.

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

Having said that,

You can get by on a below average D core if the rest of you're team is on point.

Blueline is screwed, definitely. The team as a whole can still win hockey games.

 

[FirstRowUpperDeck]

Funny part is Jo Benn couldn't stick here as more than 6th D man. Goes to MTL and by early accounts was solid second pairing. OF course, he was better here than most fans gave him credit for.

However, what is it about Dallas that its the place where goalies (and often, young D men) go to have their careers die? Its enough of a pattern to study, for sure.

Going back to Ruff, he has won more games than most, but a .561 vs. .606 Win% for Hitchcock. I doubt Buffalo, a small and limited budget market ever demanded winning, and he may not have created a true winning culture here, whatever that is. No doubt, Hitch has created winning cultures most places he goes.

I know that is a vague term, but am pretty sure some of his firing was stats and some gut feel.

 

[Benneguin]

Having said that,

You can get by on a below average D core if the rest of you're team is on point.

Blueline is screwed, definitely. The team as a whole can still win hockey games.

By that do you mean as a bubble team? The offense and goaltending would need some significant upgrades to be anything more than that.

 

[Morry83]

I don't know how to embed tweets on mobile, but...

"@FriedgeHNIC: BTW, would not be a surprise if Rick Wilson went from STL to DAL. Long history with Ken Hitchcock"

 

[Dallasman]

I don't know how to embed tweets on mobile, but...

"@FriedgeHNIC: BTW, would not be a surprise if Rick Wilson went from STL to DAL. Long history with Ken Hitchcock"

Getting the old gang back together!

 

[Morry83]

"@DarrenDreger: Ex Blues assistant Rick Wilson lives in Dallas as does his family. If he wants a job with the Stars safe bet he'll have one."

 

[________]

 

[Benneguin]

What's Doug Jarvis doing these days?

 

[txomisc]

What's Doug Jarvis doing these days?

werent we all pretty sick of rick wilson by the time he left dallas?

 

[Hockey Dad]

Can't figure out why they want to keep Fraser.

 

[Morry83]

Ugh **** Fraser

 

[Benneguin]

werent we all pretty sick of rick wilson by the time he left dallas?

I don't get why we are trying to relive the past either, but if we are going to do it let's go all in. Welcome to jungle, baby. You're gonna die!

 

[masinaLFC]

why Fraser why?

 

[BigG44]

Sounds like Kirk Muller declined interest from the Stars.

The Stars are looking at individuals with past ties to Hitchcock. I know one of Hitchcock’s former players has been approached about coaching in Dallas, but he has opted to stay in his current position.

http://www.wrongsideoftheredline.com/2017/05/stars-mailbag-are-the-stars-really-considering-trading-the-no-3-pick/

 

[BigG44]

Shapiro doesn't defend keeping Frasier. He actually sounds like he agrees it's time to move on, but he did play devil's advocate.

don’t know if that’s the smartest decision and I know Fraser receives ample vitriol from fans. But for argument’s sake, I’m going to make the case for Fraser.

(Please note this isn’t my opinion. I’m simply playing devil’s advocate.)

Fraser is a good offensive coach. He’s one of the forefathers of the power play drop pass entry and it’s become an effective tool for several NHL teams. The biggest issues isn’t the drop pass, it’s the overuse of the drop pass. Opponents started adjusting to the drop pass and Dallas didn’t make any adjustments.

With adjustments it could become an effective weapon again. If other teams have another entry to defend, the drop pass becomes much more effective. And maybe, while working with a head coach that believes in in-game adjustments, Fraser’s system would work well for the Stars next season.

http://www.wrongsideoftheredline.com/2017/05/stars-mailbag-are-the-stars-really-considering-trading-the-no-3-pick/

 

[Ghost of Kyiv]

I think the biggest argument in favor of Fraser is that 90% of the game still played at even strength.

And since he's started coaching the forwards, the Stars are the second highest scoring club in hockey at even strength. Most of the forwards that have come to Dallas have played well and have largely exceeded their respective expectations.

 

[MBTendy]

Sounds like Kirk Muller declined interest from the Stars.


http://www.wrongsideoftheredline.com/2017/05/stars-mailbag-are-the-stars-really-considering-trading-the-no-3-pick/

Could be Sydor too, but yeah I agree with ya.

 

[BigG44]

Forgot about Sydor, and I did just see he was getting promoted from the AHL to the Blues with Wilson leaving. Definitely could have been him.

That said, I was assuming Wilson is a virtual lock at this point meaning it had to be someone to coach the forwards. That's why I was guessing Muller.

I haven't seen this anywhere yet, but will Dallas go with 2 or 3 behind the bench with Hitch? 3rd up top maybe or will the eyes in the sky by Reese. I can't remember if Dallas has done 3 assistants on the bench before, but I do remember that Barnes was in the box. They also had Valley do it too though IIRC.

 

[usefulfiction]

Forgot about Sydor, and I did just see he was getting promoted from the AHL to the Blues with Wilson leaving. Definitely could have been him.

That said, I was assuming Wilson is a virtual lock at this point meaning it had to be someone to coach the forwards. That's why I was guessing Muller.

I haven't seen this anywhere yet, but will Dallas go with 2 or 3 behind the bench with Hitch? 3rd up top maybe or will the eyes in the sky by Reese. I can't remember if Dallas has done 3 assistants on the bench before, but I do remember that Barnes was in the box. They also had Valley do it too though IIRC.

My first thought was Mueller as well but the more I thought about it the less it made sense...

1) Mueller only signed a 1 year deal with MTL last summer and as far as I know hasn't been extended.
2) Seems weird to refer to him as a "former player" when the most recent descriptor would be "former assistant"

 

[ugrakarma]

This is just personal speculation like all the posts but my biggest worry is that the Stars will return to boring hockey. Beware what you wish for since I wanted better structured defense play as well. Perhaps all the Stars align and there's a happy medium. I don't really know if the two styles can be emerged into one holistic system. I don't mind less blowouts but if they come with boring percentage hockey is it worth it. Too early to tell. Too many moving parts and trying to evaluate how Hitch has changed as a coach.