Can this team pass Detroit and finally win it all? The Red Wings remain the team to beat, but the revamped Stars could have a Hull of a chance next spring. And he joins a team that still has much to prove in the postseason. The Calgary Flames won their Stanley Cup after trading him and he never reached the Final Four of the NHL playoffs as a Blue. Sometimes it's a little difficult to keep up with him." "It's amazing, some of the things he does. "He's probably one of the three or four most-skilled players in the game," Hull says. Playing with Modano will be an adjustment, too, because he has never been teamed with such an explosive skater. "I'm trying to adjust to a new system, which is pretty much like the old one," Hull says. Hull bristled at playing just 18 minutes a night for the Blues, but he'll have to earn a penalty-killing role to get more minutes in Dallas. Hull faces a tough adjustment, especially within Hitchcock's four-line system. Brett has to buy into the program to stay on that line. Lehtinen is a premier two-way forward.Īnd Hull? You get the since his acquisition was spurred by Star-struck owner Tom Hicks, not Gainey, but Hitchcock is confident the free-spirited shooter will be able to fit into his team's tight framework. The Stars like to match Modano against the opposing top center to neutralize the foes offense and make that scoring line play defense. "I feel very fortunate to come to a program like this,"" Hull says. Other than a bit more toughness, general manager Bob Gainey can't see too much more that this franchise needs. This is a team that can check like the New Jersey Devils, yet score with some explosiveness.
The Stars defense is sturdy and mobileled by banger Derian Hatcher and puck rushers Sergei Zubov and Darryl Sydor. Hopes Hull can provide scoring support while blending in with center Mike Modano and right winger Jere Lehtinen on a counterattacking line, leaving Nieuwendyk and Verbena for a pure scoring line. Nieuwendyk led the Stars with 39 goals and, other than Pat Verbena (who scored 31 last season), the Stars didn't have another big-time finisher.ĭallas players such as Jamie Wright, right, know the pursuit of Detroit is on. When stars center Joe Nieuwendyk went down with a knee injury, the Stars found themselves lacking scoring punch. "We felt in the playoffs, especially against Detroit, we needed to be stronger in that area." "We needed to add to our top six (forwards),'' Hitchcock says.
So the Stars retooled for this season, adding Hull and replacing injury-prone veterans Greg Adams and Bob Bassen with some up-and-comers.
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