PuckUpdate :: The Hockey Blog » Stars

Mike Modano Drawing Inappropriately Insane Amount of Interest

Steven Ovadia — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:31:57 +0000

One thing that’s a bit frustrating about the NHL is that a lot of weight is attached to well-known names.

It seems that a lot of GMs look at names rather than stats before they make a move.

How else to explain all of the interest in Mike Modano, he of the 14 goals and 16 assists in 59 games last season.

It seems Modano is drawing interest from the San Jose Sharks, the Minnesota Wild, and, of course, the Detroit Red Wings.

The Wild might be interested because of Modano’s connections to the Minnesota North Stars, who drafted him back in 1988. Signing Modano would be a homecoming of sorts, although the North Stars moved to Dallas, so Modano would be coming home to a franchise completely unrelated to the one that drafted him.

Modano is on record as saying he likes the Minnesota homecoming angle, though.

San Jose likes to keep veteran players around. Grizzled character guys like Jeremy Roenick, Adam Graves, and Rob Blake have all ended their careers as Sharks. Why not add Modano to the list?

But do these teams really want to get involved with a player who just turned 40 last month? And who’s definitely lost a few steps over the past few seasons? If there was a more anonymous player with similar statistics, would there be at least three NHL teams showing interest in him?

Obviously, a guy like Modano brings some intangibles to the table. He’s won a Cup. He’s experienced. He’s a leader. But are those traits worth taking up the roster spot of a player who a team could actually mentor and develop? It’s not like Modano has a long-term NHL career in front of him.

Matt Hendricks is 29. He put up nine goals and seven assists in 56 games for the Avs last season. Does he have three teams interested in him? Adam Mair is 31, with six goals and eight assists in 69 games last season. Why is no one kicking his tires?

I get that Modano wants to prove he can still play at the NHL level. He’s an athlete who’s done nothing but compete for the vast majority of his life. I don’t blame him for wanting to keep pushing himself. I just don’t get why NHL GMs are willing to compromise their line-ups for a guy with a declining skill-set but brand-name recognition.

And the takeaway from all of this seems to be that if you want to extend your NHL career as long as humanly possible, make sure you’ve got a huge name. Because if you’re an anonymous player with average to below average numbers, it seems no one will give you a second look.

It’s better to be old and famous than younger and average.

Nieuwendyk Might Be Warning Modano About the Dangers of an Extended Career

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:50:40 +0000

The Mike Modano semi-retirement story keeps getting stranger.

As you may recall, first Modano announced this would be his last season.

But then, as he reconsidered that, the Stars announced they weren’t re-signing Modano.

Yesterday, Modano held a press conference to discuss his disappointment in the Stars’ lack of interest in re-signing him.

People in Dallas are upset the Stars are turning their back on a hero. There’s a lot of backlash when you publicly announce you’re severing ties with a beloved player who might want to play another season or so.

If I had to guess what’s going down in Dallas, I would say this is GM Joe Nieuwendyk trying to do right by a former teammate. This isn’t about salary, although that’s certainly a consideration. But mostly Nieuwendyk is a guy who kept his career going a little too long and it really feels like he’s trying to prevent Modano from making the same mistake.

It sounds like Nieuwendyk has been subtly trying to drop hints to Modano that he’s simply too old to play the game. Like by reminding Modano the age gap between him and his teammates grows greater each new season: “We even talked about how it’s tough to find things in common with the young guys,” Nieuwendyk told the Dallas Morning News.

Nieuwendyk has been classy in saying the Stars aren’t re-signing Modano because the role they would give him is smaller than the role he wants.

But Nieuwendyk knows no team would offer Modano more than fourth-line minutes, perhaps with some special team work thrown in. I’m not sure what kind of role Modano sees for himself, but I can’t imagine even the most desperate of NHL teams making him a top-six center. And while Modano’s defensive game seems to improve every season, I’m not sure he has the stamina to be a regular third-line center.

Modano had a great Stars career. It’s sad to see it go out on a note like this, with his former team turning its back on him as Modano waits to see if anyone else in the NHL wants to give him a job.

Last season, we watched Brendan Shanahan end his career right before the season started, when he and the Devils realized Shanahan wasn’t a great fit for the Devils.

It was an incredible NHL career ending at least two seasons too late on a anticlimactic note.

Nieuwendyk’s career ended due to back pain, and so, not 100% under his own steam. But his final two NHL seasons (in Florida) saw a once-great player playing at a pedestrian level for an awful team.

It seems he’s trying to prevent Modano’s career from ending in a similar manner.

The big issue seems to be if Modano understands the subtle public signals Nieuwendyk is sending, consciously or otherwise.

And if Nieuwendyk needs to send a more explicit message in a more private setting, assuming he hasn’t already done so.

Bolts Fire Coach Rick Tocchet And GM Brian Lawton

Steven Ovadia — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:57:47 +0000

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New Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik is off to a dramatic start, firing coach Rick Tocchet and GM Brian Lawton.

Vinik said he wanted a clean slate to work with.

Not helping things was the fact that Lawton and Tocchet spent much of the second half of the season at each other’s throats.

The team definitely imploded on Tocchet toward the end of the season, but I thought he deserved another season if for no other reason than his handling of Steve Stamkos.

Vinik has to remember that if it wasn’t for Tocchet, his top goal-scorer might have been Martin St. Louis and his 29 goals, not Stamkos and his 51.

It also would have been interesting to see Tocchet coach with a well-constructed line up.

Tocchet wasn’t an amazing coach, but he coached well enough last season to keep his job. I understand the appeal of the fresh start, but Vinik would have probably had plenty of chances to fire Tocchet if things really didn’t work out next season.

Speaking of ownership changes, Mike Modano is part of a local Dallas group trying to buy the Stars.

I bet Marc Crawford is wishing he had given Modano the captaincy back after previous coach Dave Tippett took it from Modano.

Because as we saw in Tampa, a lot of times, new ownership likes to make changes.

Will Mike Modano Retire After This Season?

Steven Ovadia — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 10:06:31 +0000

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Was last night Mike Modano’s last home game as a Star?

It depends on how you look at things.

The Stars are playing their last game of the season in Minneosta. And if you recall, the Dallas Stars used to be the Minnesota North Stars. You also might recall Modano was drafted by the Minnesota North Stars. So Modano could actually play one more home game if you see Minnesota as his original home.

Plus, Modano hasn’t decided if he’ll retire after his current contract expires at the end of this season. Modano said he doesn’t want his parents at the Minnesota game because it might not actually be his final NHL game.

Last night against the Ducks, Modano remained true to form, tying the game and then almost scoring on a breakaway in overtime, although even Modano agrees the Toronto war room was a little generous in counting his high-sticked tip-in as a goal.

Modano’s career numbers are great. He has the Cup, along with 557 goals and 802 assists. He’s one of the all-time great American-born forwards.

His Hall of Fame biography practically writes itself.

But to me, Modano’s real value is in how he aged.

As Modano lost some of his offensive game, it would have been very easy for him to insist he’s the Stars’ number one center. It would have been easy for him to insist he’s the team’s go-to guy. Instead, he let his game evolve, developing a more defensive component.

He could still be counted on to score clutch goals, as we saw last night, but his game became more than scoring. And he never complained about his new role or ice time (although Modano has never lacked for meaningful ice time).

Modano even handled the sloppily-handled loss of his captaincy with class and grace.

Modano’s final few seasons always reminded me of Bryan Trottier in Pittsburgh, where Trottier played after he had lost some of his offensive game. Trottier, too, let his game evolve, becoming a solid role player capable of moments of offensive genius.

Modano became that same kind of player in his final seasons, serving as an example to the entire NHL that while goal-scoring ability can leave a player, a great player always figures out ways to be great.

Mike Modano Denies Latest Stars Ownership Rumor

Steven Ovadia — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:38:39 +0000

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Mike Modano and Brett Hull are denying they’re part of a group trying to buy the Stars.

Modano told the Dallas Morning News he wouldn’t get involved with anyone from outside of Dallas.

Wayne Gretzky was also supposed to be in on the deal.

Modano isn’t sure if he’s retiring after this season but he seems interested in some kind of management role with the Stars. In fact, if you recall, Modano brought in Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to look into buying the Stars.

If Modano is working with Cuban, I can’t believe he’d walk away from a proven professional sports team owner for Hull and Gretzky. Especially since neither has the best management track record.

So it’s kind of an odd rumor. I’m not sure who would start it and what it accomplishes.

But one interesting thing is that Modano seems to be the one constant in quite a few of the these Dallas ownership rumblings. He seems serious about an ownership role with the team. Whoever winds up emerging as the front-runner owner can probably expect a call from Modano, asking about getting involved with the purchase.

The NHL Needs Mark Cuban

Steven Ovadia — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:13:35 +0000

Who will buy the Dallas Stars?

I guess no one knows, but Mike Heika says he keeps hearing the name Doug Miller.

Miller has experience with minor league hockey in addition to running a non-hockey Dallas-based business.

The interesting name, though, is Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, who was recently brought in by Mike Modano to look into a possible Stars’ ownership role.

Cuban’s an outspoken NBA owner, occasionally a distraction, but always candid and more importantly, always keeping his team’s best interests in mind.

In other words, the kind of owner the NHL lacks.

Can you imagine Cuban sitting by if the NBA shut down its season for the Olympics and NBC decided to move a key game to cable?

The NHL seemed blase about the snub when the league and the owners should have been outraged. I get that ice dancing is a huge ratings draw, but if the NHL wants to grow the game, they need to expose the game to new people. The Olympics is a huge opportunity to do that, but it’s a more challenging prospect when a huge game, like U.S./Canada, is relegated to cable.

And you would think that since NBC has an NHL game package, they would want to do everything they can to get new people watching hockey.

NBC is taking the quick ratings grab rather than taking a risk on a more long-term ratings prospect. Obviously, it’s NBC’s right to do so, but it would be nice if someone in the league stood up for the game and called NBC on its short-sightedness.

It’s the role Cuban was born to play.

Stars Grab Lehtonen to Start Planning for Next Season

Steven Ovadia — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:08:36 +0000

I like the Kari Lehtonen to Dallas trade because it gives the Stars options at a position where they’re vulnerable.

The Stars will soon be parting ways with goalie Marty Turco. If he’s not traded, he won’t be re-signed next season.

Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk doesn’t want to wait until the off-season to get his goaltending future straightened out. He wants to have some contingency plans in place, so the Stars don’t find themselves without an NHL-quality goalie next season.

Lehtonen can fill that role.

Dallas gave up the prospect Ivan Vishnevskiy for Lehtonen, which seems like a steep price. In fact, for that kind of prospect, I would have thought they could have almost gotten Ilya Kovalchuk.

But even given Lehtonen’s price, assuming he can get in some solid games, it’ll make negotiating with other goaltenders a lot more relaxed. Instead of agents using Dallas’ lack of a goalie to force the Stars to overpay for free agents, at least now Nieuwendyk can walk away and say the team already has a goalie they’re comfortable using.

Devils Need To Be Active at Trade Deadline

Steven Ovadia — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:54:57 +0000

Everyone is looking at Atlanta, wondering where they’re going to trade Ilya Kovalchuk.

But don’t forget to keep an eye on New Jersey, a team that also might be active before the trade deadline.

Not so much for Kovalchuk, but for a goal-scoring center who can help out on the powerplay.

I don’t think Kovalchuk is enough of a consistent two-way player for the Devils to be interested. Plus, he would be way too flashy of an acquisition for New Jersey. And of course, he’s not a center.

But Matt Cullen from Carolina? He could be a good fit. He’s a play-making center more than a pure goal-scorer. But he does have 11 goals on the season. That would put him in sixth place in goals on the Devils.

Cullen is also an experienced powerplay point man. He’s got just one goal this season, but he still seems to have his big shot.

I’ve also heard vague rumblings about Mike Modano coming to the Devils as a rental. I doubt he would leave Dallas, but one variable is the Stars’ GM: Joe Nieuwendyk.

Nieuwendyk won a Cup with the Devils acting as a key center. He took all of the important faceoffs and kept everyone honest in the defensive zone. It was a very specific role, but one he seemed to enjoy. Is he possibly selling Modano on that same kind of role, plus the chance to win another Cup?

Modano could be interested if the Dallas playoff picture gets irreparably bad before the trade deadline.

Nieuwendyk Too Patient in Dallas?

Steven Ovadia — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:54:23 +0000

Mike Heika has a nice column reminding fans how long it took Dallas GM Bob Gainey to build a championship team.

By Heika’s math, it took around three years, so current GM Joe Nieuwendyk has some time. Fans seem to be losing patience as Nieuwendyk seems quite content to see how many of the Stars younger players are going to pan out.

It’s not a bad strategy for Nieuwendyk to take, given that it allows him to know exactly what he has and what he doesn’t. But for fans, it’s a very slow process. And at the end of the evaluations, Nieuwendyk could discover he doesn’t really have what he thought he did.

Since so many NHL GMs come out swinging, making trades just to make trades, and trying to either win right away or surrender their season immediately, it’s nice to see a GM with an even keel. Having said that, I’m not sure if Nieuwendyk is giving coach Marc Crawford the kind of players he needs to run his system. Heika touched on this in the email newsletter, but Crawford’s system depends on defensemen driving the attack. It’s all about that first pass out of the defensive zone springing the forwards, with defensemen shooting the puck on net, and forwards either redirecting shots or grabbing rebounds. The Stars don’t have that defenseman. Ironically, they once did, but they let Sergei Zubov leave for the KHL.

So Nieuwendyk gets points for patience, but might want to pay a little bit more attention to where his team is right now, personnel-wise.

Goodbye, Mike Penner

Steven Ovadia — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:54:47 +0000

This weekend, the sportswriting world lost Mike Penner of the LA Times.

Penner was probably best known for his brilliant writing about his decision to become a woman. His byline changed to Christine Daniels. He subsequently returned to living as Mike Penner.

Penner covered the Ducks when they first joined the NHL and it seems he might have played a role in the team’s decision to go from being a Disney attraction to an actual hockey team.

Obviously, Penner went back quite a bit, to the days when the LA Times covered hockey…

Not hockey related, but Penner seemed to be a sweet person, too.

Also, an interesting tidbit out of Dallas, from Mike Heika’s mailbag:

Q: Hey Mike, when the boys are playing at the AAC, it seems like I’ve seen Alex Auld sitting at the opposite end of the bench from where Marty sits when he isn’t playing. … Am I remembering right? And if so, what kind of goalie logic is behind that?

HEIKA: I asked Alex Auld, and he said that his experience is that people on the center ice end of the bench get hit with a puck a lot more than people on the goal-side end of the bench. That’s his reasoning for not sitting in the “traditional” goalie spot on the bench – purely from a safety standpoint. Maybe Marty Turco will soon follow suit.

So yeah. In case you were wondering, Auld likes to avoid pucks hitting him both on the bench and on the ice.

Finally, my take on Carolina’s Jim Rutherford, the MacBeth of GMs. This guy is all about making decisions and then reversing them.