Dallas Stars Training Camp Day 2: "You Gotta Commit to It"
A bit more physicality showed up the day before the team's first preseason game
On Friday, the Stars skated in Frisco again. Like Thursday, the pace was quick, as you’d expect from pretty much every NHL training camp right now, where coaches and players alike are all looking to shake off the rust from the offseason and put new ideas into practice.
Some of those ideas continue to be familiar As far as the personnel, the only change in the groups on Day 2 was that Cameron Schmidt was moved down to the C group, which does not feature any presumptive NHL players. To keep the groups balanced, Texas Stars forward Jack Becker was moved up to the B group, where Becker skated on a line with Cross Hanas and Harrison Scott on Friday.
Even little things like that are reminders that training camp is a time for evaluation, and it’s happening on a daily basis. Real decisions are being made based (at least in part) on what is happening on the ice.
And real instruction is happening, too.
“It was a lot of D-zone coverage,” said Glen Gulutzan after all three groups had finished their workouts. “Some new concepts, a little bit today. I thought it was a little more grindy day, but I liked it. I liked the way the guys worked.”
Gulutzan stopped drills a few times to correct something, or to point out an important piece of that coverage, whether it involved play along the wall in the defensive zone or in breakouts. Gulutzan also said that a lot of the work they’re working on is far from new.
“A lot of concepts in D-zone coverage, we were using from last year,” Gulutzan said. “Just added a couple little nuances to it. But a lot of it was the same.”
It’s worth pointing out that there was more hitting (along the boards) during drills in Day 2, which seems not entirely to be a coincidence, the day before the team’s first preseason game.
However, Gulutzan emphasized that the increased hitting wasn’t by design, but that the sort of drills they were doing necessitated more contact along the boards. He also pointed out that since players have been skating all summer without much contact, it was good for the players to start experiencing some hitting again.
“Obviously we made some changes,” Jason Robertson said. “I mean, every team, when you have a little spark, everyone’s gonna get up and get after it. It’s meshed pretty well so far.”
It’s been interesting hearing the players’ response to the notions of an emphasis on a bit more physicality. Tyler Seguin was measured in talking about it yesterday, talking about how finishing a hit is a situational decision, but that he’s open to trying a new approach.
Today, Matt Duchene pointed out that there’s a fine line to be walked when it comes to the increased physicality Gulutzan has mentioned.
“I know where he’s coming from,” Duchene said. “We weren’t an overly physical team. It’s a fine line. You can overdo that part. We all play against those teams that are just out to hit you, and you kind of invite it, they take penalties, and you kill them on the power play. But you know, there is an annoyance to certain teams that play with a little bit more edge.”
That approach of looking to capitalize on another team’s overaggression can work, as the Stars’ power play showed many times over the past three years. But ultimately, how the new coaching staff’s changes work out will be determined by results. The players are the ones who bear the responsibility for wins and losses, and they likewise bear the responsibility for implementing their coach’s changes.
On Friday, Colin Blackwell called the firing of DeBoer a “wake-up call” to the team. And while not every player was willing to use that exact phrase, the players did affirm the need to buy into the new approach and go full steam ahead.
“I think all of us just have to commit to that going forward,” Duchene said. “It’ll be maybe out of our comfort zone for certain guys at certain times, but it’s just like playing a system. You gotta commit to it.”
Bouncing Back from Tough Injuries
Robertson is coming into camp healthy, though he did say today that his foot occasionally gets “a little stiff here and there.” But he emphasized that it’s pain-free, which is the goal.
“I think I’m starting on the right foot this year,” said Robertson. “No pun intended.”
One other thing Robertson talked about today was how difficult last year was for him, when his scoring and play wasn’t up to his standards for the first half of the season.
“I think last year, reflecting on it, some people, when they don’t play, they kind of feel lost and dark. I was kind of the opposite. I was playing, and I was feeling kinda lost, a little bit,” Robertson said. “Looking back now, I maybe pushed myself too hard, to come back too soon.”
It was a revealing comment from Robertson, who certainly looked frustrated at times last fall when he was recovering from having a cyst surgically removed from his foot. But don’t expect that to keep Robertson off the ice this year, if he can help it.
“Nothing you can do about that now. It’s a good lesson to learn. I always wanna play in every game. I always have.”
Lian Bichsel also battled some injuries last season, but it was only in Jim Nill’s end-of-season presser that we found out Bichsel would have two recoveries to do over the summer. Bichsel played with an injured shoulder for much of the postseason, and then on June 6, he also had surgery to remove a plate that had been put into his ankle a couple of years ago.
“I’m good,” said Bichsel of his health in training camp. “My team back home in Switzerland did a really good job on that. I had surgery on my ankle, just took the plate out of my ankle. And my shoulder, did rehab.”
Bichsel, like most NHL players, doesn’t want to sound like he’s asking for sympathy, though. He confirmed that his shoulder was bothering him during the playoffs, but he pointed out that he was far from the only player having to manage something during a long and difficult playoff run.
“I mean, the playoffs are tough,” Bichsel said. “It’s a tough sport, so you get banged up a little bit, but I’m good now.”
Bichsel also said that he’s looking forward to no longer having the plate in his ankle while skating, which he said he could feel “rubbing in the skate” last year. I would imagine that would be a relief, indeed.
Another Note on Line Combos and Defense Pairings
Gulutzan answered a question about Jamie Benn today, but he took a moment to say something speecific: that as much as he praises Jamie Benn’s leadership, he also sees him as an important contributor on the ice as well as off it.
“You look at a lot of players in the league that have the same kind of skill set as him,” Gulutzan said of Benn. “They play tough. They’re good along the walls. They’re good in front of the net. They’ve got a hockey IQ. Those guys are valuable.”
Gulutzan used the example of Corey Perry, who played for Gulutzan in Edmonton last year. And in listening to him, it sounds quite a bit like Benn may actually get a look on a line with Rantanen and Johnston, perhaps playing more of a net-front role with two skilled playmakers (and Benn himself is still no slouch in that regard). That might end up being a better fit for Benn rather than paying on a bottom-six group where his looks are more similar to those from ten years ago, when he was scoring dozens of goals from everywhere.
Still, it’s best not to take anything as gospel just yet when it comes to predicting NHL realities based on one or two days of camp. And you can also be confident that Gulutzan isn’t looking to make big-time roster decisions based on a preseason game. Instead, it’s more about finding chemistry.
“Our roster is pretty set,” Gulutzan said. “I’ll evaluate where the lines are, and who’s a fit with who. That’ll be throughout training camp, and (defense) pairings, too. I wanna evaluate that.”
Gulutzan went on to say that while many veterans prefer not to play road games in the preseason, the nature of the Stars’ schedule over the next few weeks (which will feature three straight road games) will require some veterans to do just that.
Still, the rosters won’t be full-scale reflections of an NHL roster, Gulutzan acknowledged. But he did point to defense pairings and power play groups as things he’d like to keep intact, as far as potential NHL combinations go.
So if you want some advice on predicting the opening night lineup, I’d say this: look at defense pairings of NHL players, and the top power play group on any given night. Deducing more than that at this stage is probably a bit optimistic, to put it kindly.
And really, Gulutzan said he’s more focused on how the bigger messages are sinking into the players as a whole, rather than looking to make decisions about future call-ups, lines, or NHL roster decisions right now.
“I would like to see the young guys, but as a coach, your biggest evaluation is always how your concepts are being adjusted to in-game,” Gulutzan said.
And the veterans themselves know that. As Duchene said today, “I’m not reading too much into lines right now. They change a hundred times during a season, and different coaches like different things. So we’ll see.”
Thomas Harley Appreciates Explanations
But we’re already burying the lead today, because Thomas Harley’s dry sense of humor needs no training camp. Here are just a couple of the moments from Harley’s media scrum Friday morning, which started out innocently enough.
“I’ve known Nils [Lundkvist] for three, four years now,” Harley said. “He’s come a long way. He’s worked so hard to gain muscle and be able to defend at a high level in this league. His puck skills have always been there. So, I’ve learned that the harder you defend, the more time you get with the puck. I think if we can do that at a high level, we’re gonna have success with the puck.”
Harley was then asked about whether he’s noticed Lundkvist’s bigger physique this year in camp, and after chuckling through a comment from a media member about Lundkvist’s noticeably muscular legs, Harley smiled and gave this response.
“Between working out, and just kind of the natural progression of growing into a man,”—Harley smiled here, but managed to keep it together—“Yeah, he’s definitely put on some weight and muscle, for sure.”
Harley also mentioned that he enjoyed going to Team Canada’s orientation camp last month, even if they didn’t go over much hockey stuff. It’s easy to forget that Harley didn’t get the benefit of any such time before the Four Nations Face-Off last spring, as he was a late addition to the roster flown in midway through the tournament.
“It’s good just to see everyone and to continue to kinda bond with them,” Harley said. “And for Johnny (Wyatt Johnston) to get to meet everyone, I think that was big for him as well.”
From there, Harley was asked about Neil Graham, who is now an assistant coach in Dallas. Harley played for Graham in Texas. Many in the organization have viewed Harley’s final AHL time during the 2022-23 season as a big milestone in Harley’s defensive development, and he still has a lot of good things to say about his new (old) coach (who is also not very old at all, actually).
“Grammer is a player’s coach,” Harley said. “He’s very patient with his guys. He explains what he’s doing and why he’s doing it, which I appreciate. He’s a very smart guy, so I think he’ll be a real asset to our staff.”
Lian Bichsel echoed Harley’s praise of Graham, whom he played for during parts of the last two seasons, including returning from Sweden to join Texas’s 2023-24 playoff run.
“He’s a great coach,” Bichsel said of Graham. “He has some great input, and I think him as an assistant coach and helping the coaching staff as a group, I think will be really good. He has some really good points, some different eyes on the bench, too. I’m really excited that he got the chance to be a coach up here as well.”
On the lighter side, Harley was asked a follow-up question about why he thinks players value explanations like Graham gives, and Harley had a ready answer, which he gave with tongue planted firmly in cheek: “Because we’re stupid.”
After some laughter from those present, Harley went on to clarify with a more serious response.
“I always do something better if I understand why I’m doing it. If I’m just told to do something, it’s a little iffy. So, explaining why you’re doing it, to me, has always helped.”
Harley’s dry sense of humor tends to come out on top of any exchange he’s in, but he did have another serious moment when asked about whether he still thinks about the playoff results of last year.
“You don’t really forget it,” Harley said. “You kind of forget it, and you kinda don’t. But when you need a little extra motivation, you tend to think about it. It’s there, for sure.”
Jamie Benn’s Old Friends
Harley wasn’t the only one to talk about a former coach today, as Jamie Benn said he was “excited” when he found out Glen Gulutzan was returning to coach the Dallas Stars this summer.
“Obviously I have a relationship with him, and kept in touch over the years,” Benn said, “Wherever he’s been, when he’s come into town or vice versa, usually pass by after games and catch up. I was excited when they hired him.”
Benn also said Gulutzan has brought in “a few changes we’re excited about,” and that the team had been working on those changes in camp so far.
As for another familiar face, Benn was pretty forthright about how special it is to have a longstanding teammate back in Radek Faksa.
“There’s a big chunk of us that have played together for a long time here,” Benn said. “Obviously bringing Faksa back was exciting for our group. There’s a lot of close bonds on this team, friends that we’re gonna have for the rest of our lives. So I think that’s really gonna help us on the ice, and that’s why winning it here with this group is going to be that much more special.”
I am also pleased to announce that we are bringing back our longstanding feature Assorted Quotes from Training Camp, which we’ve done for every single day of Training Camp coverage so far. Today’s is entitled
Assorted Quotes from the Second Day of Training Camp
“Well, physically, I’m not hurt. That’s good.” -Jason Robertson (on a healthy start to camp this year)
“Pretty easy and quick.” -Jamie Benn (on how his contract negotiations went this summer)
“I’m lighter, a little bit.” -Lian Bichsel (on having a plate removed from his ankle this summer)
“We never really looked elsewhere. There might have been some stuff out there, but a bird in the hand is, uh…you know the rest. We love it here. I mean, I’ve made that pretty clear. It probably worked against me a little bit, how much I made it known. But I guess that’s who I am. Getting four years at my age shows a lot of faith in where I’m at from them, that I want to honor.” -Matt Duchene
“I just love the city, love the guys. Every single night, you got a chance to win. Definitely some unfinished business to take care of, and hopefully be a part of it. My family loved it here, and I loved it here, and it’s just a good group where you come to the rink every single day, wanting to be a part of this.” -Colin Blackwell (on his decision to re-sign with Dallas)
“As far as what you’re gonna see…? I don’t know. We’ll find out when we start playing games.” -Thomas Harley
“It’s pretty normal now. If I don’t see him here, I see him at his house, or at mine.” -Jamie Benn (on whether he’s getting used to seeing Jordie Benn around the rink by now)
“My kid was laying in bed the other night, and he goes, ‘I can’t wait for Daddy’s hockey to start.’ Stuff like that, it puts things in perspective, and you start to look at hockey through their lens, where it’s just pure love. And you love the game again in a different way.” -Matt Duchene
“It could be. However, it is September.” -Thomas Harley (On how the Olympics could be one of the greatest moments in his career)
"I don’t agree with the comment. His dad’s a doctor…His mom might be a doctor, too.” -Glen Gulutuzan (Jokingly refuting Thomas Harley’s explanation for why hockey players need explanations)
My favorite segment, Assorted Quotes from Training Camp, is back (featuring Thomas the comedian)!