Stars' Tyler Seguin: Dishes masterfully in rout of Blues

Seguin went on an assist frenzy against the Blues on Thursday, helping out on four goals (one on a power play) in a 6-2 win.

Seguin's doing his thing as usual, driving the Dallas offense with elite production from the center position. He's found the scoresheet in four of the last five games and should continue registering points with consistency as long as he can stay healthy; he's missed 21 games over the last two seasons, so a full campaign from Seguin would be huge for both him and his fantasy owners.

Gaming: friv

Canadian teen Denis Shapovalov upsets Nick Kyrgios at Rogers Cup

As they get their earliest experiences on the ATP Tour, most young players are scheduled to play on a back court, and they nervously muddle through a loss to some world-class pro before a handful of observers.

That was the exact opposite of what happened to intriguing 17-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov in his maiden Rogers Cup match Monday night.

Just more than two weeks after winning the junior Wimbledon title, the teen from Thornhill, Ont., made a roaring Rogers Cup debut in a night-time match on Centre Court, where he shocked a less-than-stellar world No. 19 Nick Kyrgios 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3.

“We were asked at one point if he was given the opportunity to play a night match on Centre Court in his first Rogers Cup, would he like that, and Denis answered: ‘Yes,’” Adriano Fuorivia, Shapovalov’s coach, said earlier on Monday. “He was asking for the big stage. He’s been brought up to go for it.”

The win propels the fascinating Canadian teen into the second round, where he will face world No. 40 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria.

Shapovalov was backed by a huge hometown crowd at York University’s Aviva Centre, which is located about seven kilometres from Tessa Tennis, the academy where he grew up being coached by his mother, Tessa Shapovalova, a former national team player in the old Soviet Union. She and his father, Viktor, were at Monday’s match, along with his brother Evgeniy and some kids from the academy.

“Nick is an incredible tennis player, top 20, maybe even a future No. 1, so obviously I didn’t expect to win, but I thought I’d just go fight for every point and that’s what I did,” an exuberant Shapovalov said after the match. “I thought it would be fun with all the fans [on Centre Court]. I love playing on a big stage; I love impressing people, so it was very fun for me.”

Since winning the junior Wimbledon title two weeks ago, he’s had a brief taste of life on the ATP Tour. He made his main-draw debut at an ATP World Tour tournament last week, suffering a 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4 loss to Lukas Lacko of Slovakia at the Citi Open in Washington.

When arriving for the Rogers Cup, the player largely unknown before his junior Wimbledon title was asked to do several TV interviews and was repeatedly surrounded by autograph-seeking kids. He played in a ball hockey exhibition on Centre Court alongside players such as Novak Djokovic and NHL stars Connor McDavid and Tyler Seguin. He got the opportunity to practise with world No. 8 Tomas Berdych.

Monday’s match seemed like a mere measuring-stick opportunity, a chance to see how far off Shapovalov might be in this brief encounter with ATP talent. Kyrgios had also been a junior Grand Slam champ just three years ago when he took the boys’ Australian Open title.

Centre Court was about two-thirds full for the Monday night match. A few fans held up a large cardboard cut-out of Shapovalov’s head. Others tried out a sing-song “Let’s go Shap-O.” It felt like the youngster’s coming-out party, and the Canadian fans were enamoured with the fair-haired and athletic newcomer.

Twice in the first set, Kyrgios was on the verge of breaking Shapovalov, but both times the youngster clawed his way out of it to remain on serve. The Canadian saved four break points.

At times, the enigmatic Australian seemed to be loping around the court as if distracted or disinterested. The more experienced player was suffering with double faults and unforced errors early on. At one point on his serving motion, his racquet flew completely out of his hand.

The Canadian couldn’t earn a break point of his own, but he kept surviving. The two played to a first-set tiebreak.

A chant of “Go Denis Go” began late in the tiebreaker as the Canadian won it on big serves, winners and letting Kyrgios make his own mistakes. Shapovalov punctuated the win with a fist-pumping holler and the crowd that filled the stadium a little more than half full roared with a mix of joy and surprise.

At times, Shapovalov delivered stunning cross-court backhand winners or beautifully placed aces. In other moments, his inexperience was glaring as he scrambled to keep up with Kyrgios’s pace. But it was obvious the world No. 19 was not at his best.

The Australian went up a break early in the second set and cruised to a 6-3 win as the Canadian began to commit several mistakes of his own. In the third, however, the Canadian went up 2-0 and let Kyrgios choke on unforced errors. The winning game went to deuce before Shapovalov smashed an ace for advantage and then sealed the match with a cross-court forehand winner. Kyrgios had 18 double-faults on the night.

“You know, he's coming off of one of the best results of his career; he has a great future,” said Kyrgios. “I'm really looking forward to see how he's going to progress into the seniors and transition. He's a top player.”

Shapovalov got increasingly fired up as the night progressed, as the charismatic teen called on the Toronto crowd to bring the noise. The likeable kid said the win does wonders for his confidence.

“I played a couple of players now and I have played them tight. I was practicing with Tomas Berdych and I went 6-4 in a set with him, so I feel like I'm very close to these guys,” said Shapovalov. “I didn't know how Nick's game would suit up against mine. He's got a huge serve. It was very difficult for me to return. Yeah, I think I played some very good tennis today.”

Mike Modano and Tyler Seguin remember the late Gordie Howe, reveal why he will always be remembered in NHL locker rooms

Mike Modano is a hockey icon in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. He hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1999 with the Stars and is the all-time goal scoring and point leader among American born NHL players.

Oh, he is in the Hockey Hall of Fame, too. 

Tyler Seguin is one of the most polarizing players in the game today and possesses breakneck speed that when paired with teammate Jamie Benn, has shown to be lethal.

Recently, both Modano and Seguin paid tribute to the late Gordie Howe, who died Friday at age 88.

The former Red Wings captain, known by many as simply "Mr. Hockey," was a 23-time All-Star and holds the record for most games and seasons played.

Modano and Seguin both took to The Players Tribune to pay their respects and share the memories they each had of Howe.

Having had his number retired by Dallas in 2014, Modano revealed Howe was the reason he wore number 9.

"I always wore number 9 because of Gordie Howe," Modano wrote. "Ever since I started playing junior hockey up in Saskatchewan with the Prince Albert Raiders, it had to be number 9."

"Gordie is such an icon that you don't need to watch YouTube to get an understanding of what he means to the game of hockey. His legend has been passed down by word of mouth, from junior hockey buses to NHL locker rooms."

"Gordie Howe will live on in NHL locker rooms as long as people are still playing hockey. I'll guarantee you right now, even 50 years from now, any time a guy has a goal, an assist and a fight, there will still be a rowdy little celebration in the room, and you'll hear Gordie's name."

Seguin also marveled at Howe's toughness, particularly his massive physique, and said "Gordie wasn't to be messed with."

"Gordie is just massive," Seguin wrote. "Gordie wasn't to be messed with. And he was just such a complete player on the ice. He was everything all at once. That's probably what I'll always remember about him. As a kid growing up, my father and my father's father talked a lot about Gordie, and he became a bigger-than-life figure for me."

'It was terrible': Stars center Tyler Seguin on fluky playoff injury, how close he was to returning

Tyler Seguin suffered a calf injury when he returned from an Achilles tendon injury in Game 2 of the first round playoff series, the Stars revealed Friday.

While Seguin and coach Lindy Ruff said the calf injury was directly related to the Achilles injury, both said they felt Seguin was healthy when he played April 16 against the Minnesota Wild.

"It's a tough one to explain. It's related, it's a calf injury that he suffered," Ruff said. "I guess it's related to the Achilles, maybe one area compensating for the other, but even with the two extra skates I thought he looked dynamic in practice the next couple of days and it's unfortunate what happened. He was medically cleared well before we even played him, but that's just stuff that happens."

Seguin said he knew when he either strained or tore his calf muscle in Game 2 that he was going to have problems. He finished the game and played 15:40,but he struggled throughout.

"It was terrible," Seguin said. "Honestly, I didn't really tell Lindy about it at the time. I hadn't been in the lineup, so I kind of kept it to myself and told (head trainer) Dave (Zeis) but not really Lindy. I've never felt anything like that."

Still, Seguin said he felt great when he was skating before Game 2 and understood the risk involved.

"I was told hips, knees, calf, this could all be caused from the Achilles," he said.

Asked if he came back too soon, Seguin said: "The thing with my calf is, I didn't have the strength yet when I was coming back in the lineup. It was another fluke thing that happened, a weird step that made it go fireworks in my leg. You can speculate all you want. I could have waited a couple of more games. I'm a competitive athlete and I see my team working hard the last 10 games of the season with me hurt and then I get a chance to be back in the lineup for Game 2 against Minnesota, I'm not going to pass that up."

Stars general manager Jim Nill said a lot of thought went into the decision-making to put Seguin back into the lineup.

"He had the Achilles tendon severed. It was fully healed, he came back, and he had an injured calf muscle," Nill said. "Is that a result of the Achilles? We don't know. We think it is just because of the way everything heals up, different dynamics, the muscle's firing different. He came back that first game and severely injured his calf muscle."

The loss of Seguin, who is fourth in scoring in the NHL over the past three seasons, was significant. Ruff said just having Seguin there to finish some of the great scoring chances the Stars created would have been helpful.

"If you give Tyler a couple of those opportunities that some of our players had, he doesn't miss," Ruff said. "That's just what he is, he's a dynamic goal scorer, and he doesn't need five chances to score one. I don't want to use any excuses, we didn't have him. We had to play without him and I still think we had a chance to beat them without him. Would he have helped? I think the answer's yes."

Seguin said the experience was mentally exhausting. He said watching his teammates battle hard for two months without him was tough.

"I wanted to be back out there so badly, but there wasn't really any much talk of me playing against St. Louis," he said. "Then, the last few days, I really started feeling a lot better and started being able to skate a lot harder. Personally, I was hoping for maybe a Game 2, Game 3 next round. So I was close, but I wasn't close enough yet."

Now, he said, he will focus on being ready for the World Cup of Hockey, which starts Sept. 17 in Toronto. Seguin and Jamie Benn have been selected for Team Canada.

"My motivation's huge," Seguin said. "This offseason is going to be a little different with that World Cup stuff happening and with being injured, continuing rehab. Like I told our docs, even if I came back in the next round, I still wasn't going to be 100 percent. So it was probably next year and it would take an offseason to get my Achilles fully healed and get my calf back working. I'm really working very hard on that probably starting next week and getting it back to 100 percent."

Stars' Tyler Seguin missed playoffs with strained calf

Tyler Seguin says he didn't even know he had calf muscles before the All-Star forward from Dallas injured one trying to come back from a cut on his left Achilles tendon.

So the 24-year-old will just add that to his off-season conditioning checklist as he tries to get healthy for next year after sitting out all but one postseason game this season.

"Probably the toughest time of my career I would say, being away from the rink," Seguin said Friday following team meetings two days after a Game 7 loss at home to St. Louis with a trip to the Western Conference finals at stake. "Just two months of trying to find a fine line between supporting the guys and also not being a distraction and making sure they can do their jobs."

The trouble started March 17 when Seguin was cut during a 4-3 victory against Tampa Bay. He missed the final 10 games of the regular season but was skating close to full speed when the playoffs started.

After Seguin missed the opener against the Wild, coach Lindy Ruff decided to give the team's No. 2 scorer behind captain Jamie Benn a shot in the second game. The left calf, weakened by the layoff, didn't last long.

Calls injury 'fireworks in my leg'

"It was another fluke thing that happened, a weird step that made it go fireworks in my leg," said Seguin, who had 73 points during the regular season (33 goals, 40 assists). "I've never felt anything like that."

The Stars also revealed Friday that Patrick Sharp separated a shoulder in the St. Louis series and fellow forward Antoine Roussel had a strained abdomen. Both played all 13 postseason games. Travis Moen was limited to six games with a broken wrist.

Dallas led the Western Conference with 109 points in the regular season, and extended the second-place Blues to seven games despite getting outscored 25-14 in the series. Dallas never scored more than three goals in a game.

"It was going to be a tight series regardless of who was in the lineup," forward Jason Spezza said. "Would he have helped us? Definitely. He's a special player in the league. The reality of it was is he wasn't going to be able to play. You almost just block it out and you move forward and that shows the resiliency of the group."

Ruff pointed to several missed chances early before Game 7 got out of hand and the Blues cruised to a 6-1 victory.

"I'm going to tell you if you give Tyler a couple of those opportunities that some of our players had, he doesn't miss," Ruff said after falling to 0-4 in Game 7s as a coach. "That's just what he is. He's a dynamic goal scorer, and he doesn't need five chances to score one."

If Seguin is healthy and the Stars are contending a year from now, the high-scoring duo of Benn and Seguin will try to win a postseason series together for the first time. They lost in the first round to Anaheim in 2014, Seguin's first season with the Stars.

"I think whenever you have a chance to have Tyler in the lineup, it's going to make your team better," said Benn, the captain who was second in the NHL in regular-season points with 89 (41 goals, 48 assists) and tied for second in playoff points through two rounds with 15 (five and 10). "It was tough not having him, but we had to find a way to do it without him and came up short."

From Seguin's point of view, the Stars were effective without him.

"We bought into playing with who was in the lineup," he said. "I don't think anyone was really thinking about that during the games. But obviously when we're in those close games, and I'm watching upstairs and I know I can help." Maybe next year.

SEGUIN SENDS OUT 'WEIRD' TWEET CHEERING ON BRUINS

Proving once and for all that he’s over the bitter divorce from the Boston Bruins three years ago, Tyler Seguin sent out a pro-Bruins tweet on Friday night while watching the Bruins battling for their playoff lives in St. Louis. Clearly Seguin had a Central Division agenda in hoping the Blues would lose the late regular season game, but the former Bruins star sent out a tweet supporting the B’s in the third period of their white knuckle 6-5 win over a hard-to-kill St. Louis club at Scottrade Center.

Seguin is, of course, on the shelf with an Achilles tendon injury at the moment and unable to help the Stars on the ice. So instead the 24-year-old sent out the pro-Bruins tweet cheering on former teammates like Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask and David Krejci among others.

It might have been “weird” in the words of Seguin rooting for a Bruins win, but it ended up being just the good luck charm that Boston needed on a night they required all the help they could get against the Blues.

Tyler Seguin not quite ready to become a rapper, but appreciates work of friend 'Mike Stud'

Tyler Seguin has a lot of friends who are athletes, and at least one who has become a rapper.

Seguin hung out one night last week at Trees with good friend and rapper Mike Stud, who was performing. The evening turned into a full-fledged athlete get-together, with Mavericks swingman Chandler Parsons and Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel also on hand.

"I think we tend to congregate; there's a lot in common and a lot of connections," Seguin said.

Seguin has known Stud for years. He got to know the former Duke pitcher, whose given name is Michael Seander, while played for the Boston Bruins.

Seander saw his athletic career end because of Tommy John surgery. He started rapping as a joke, but he gained fans and has since put out albums and gone on tour as Mike Stud. Seguin and Manziel are even mentioned in his songs.

"It's fun to watch him. He's really creative. I respect his talent," Seguin said. "He'll be working on a beat and then he'll leave the room for five minutes and come back with a whole verse. It's amazing to watch."

Seguin said he has no future in rapping but enjoys the concerts. He said he has gotten to know Manziel and Parsons and also is friends with Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman, another Duke alum.

Seguin has met players through sponsor connections, awards shows and mutual friends.

"Athletes tend to appreciate one another and what the other can do," Seguin said. "I think we can relate."

An account of the evening was reported by TMZ.

"It's a little weird, but it's just sort of how it is," Seguin said of the report. "I was there more to see a friend than anything else, but you just sort of expect it now."

2 short-handed goals help Avalanche beat Stars 3-1

DALLAS - For three years in a row now, the Colorado Avalanche have dominated Dallas.

At least on the scoreboard.

Carl Soderberg and Gabriel Landeskog each scored a short-handed goal, and the Avalanche beat the Stars 3-1 Saturday night for their fourth consecutive victory.

Semyon Varlamov made 42 saves for the Avalanche, outshot 43-15. Mikhail Grigorenko added Colorado's final goal with 5:51 remaining.

The Avalanche beat Dallas for the 11th time in 12 meetings during Lindy Ruff's three seasons as Stars coach.

"Those are things that you can't really explain," Landeskog said. "They're one of the best teams in the league this year and they're playing really well. It's just a matter of trying to get ourselves in a good spot."

The Stars totalled 106 shots, but the Avalanche blocked 32 and Dallas misfired on 31 others.

"I thought our penalty killing was really good, and we scored two short-handed goals. That gave us a chance to win this game, and (Varlamov) was phenomenal out there," Colorado coach Patrick Roy said.

Jason Demers scored for the Stars, who fell to 2-6-2 in their last 10 games. Antti Niemi stopped 12 shots.

"To force them out of their game, you have to get the lead," Ruff said. "We didn't force them out of their game. We had to be a little harder around the front of the net."

Landeskog's goal at 10:12 of the second period broke a 1-all tie. Tyson Barrie pushed the puck ahead to Landeskog, who skated in alone and put a wrist shot past Niemi.

Colorado's penalty killers are 19 for 21 in the last seven games, with three short-handed goals.

"I realized I was on my own," Landeskog said. "I kind of had my mind made up already what I was doing coming in on him. It doesn't happen very often that you score one short-handed goal, nonetheless two."

Dallas dominated the early play, but Varlamov denied good chances for Johnny Oduya, Valeri Nichushkin and Tyler Seguin. Demers tied it for the Stars on the power play at 7:24 of the second.

Midway through the first period, Niemi saved a close-in shot by Soderberg with his pads and engulfed John Mitchell's wrist shot from the slot.

Soderberg gained redemption during the first period's only power play. He won a battle for the puck from Jamie Benn, skated in on Niemi and flipped a wrist shot into the upper left corner at 19:07.

In the second period, the Stars had the first 12 shots on goal, finally scoring on the ninth when Demers backhanded in a rebound from the blue paint.

Dallas' goal appeared to come with a bonus: Soderberg hit Demers with a high stick that drew blood and a double-minor. Landeskog scored during the 4-minute power play, however, and Grigorenko put in his own rebound over Niemi's glove for a 3-1 lead.

"I'm pretty tired after back-to-back games," Varlamov said. "Those were very intense games for us. I think we almost died after the second period. We took too many penalties and then they were all over us. Thank God that we scored."

NOTES: Avalanche RW Jack Skille left in the first period with a back injury after crashing into the boards following a shot that Niemi saved. ... Colorado welcomed back D Erik Johnson, who missed nine games because of a lower-body injury, and LW Blake Comeau, who missed Friday's game while his wife was giving birth to their second daughter. ... The short-handed goals moved the Avalanche up to fifth in the NHL with six, trailing Ottawa (nine), Montreal (eight) and Dallas and Winnipeg (seven each). ... Landeskog has three goals in two games vs. Dallas this season. ... The Stars are 1-8-3 against Colorado in Ruff's tenure as coach, including losses in both games this season. ... The Stars scored once on five power plays, but gave up the two short-handed goals and are 4 for 33 over the last 12 games.

Tyler Seguin has scored 11 of his 13 goals on the road, as Stars lead NHL with 10-2-0 road record

CALGARY, Alberta - Maybe it’s the snappy white uniforms.

Maybe it’s the chance to play the villain.

Maybe he prefers being the hunted rather than the hunter.

Whatever the case, Tyler Seguin is tearing it up on the road this season. He leads the league with 20 points in 12 road games, including 11 of his 13 goals this season. On Saturday, he started the Stars’ four-game road trip off on the right skate when he popped in the overtime winner against Minnesota.

It was the kind of thing that has happened to him on the road more this season, where he received a perfect pass from linemate Jamie Benn, and he pretty much had to shoot. At home, he has tried to be more cautious, more selective, but things have just clicked on the road.

“I think maybe I shoot the puck more on the road, it is a simpler game,” Seguin said. “Honestly, though, it really doesn’t seem that different to me. I think maybe they’re just going in on the road.”

There are some interesting theories you can ponder, though. Stars coach Lindy Ruff has been using the top line more in a defensive role this season and has been asking Seguin, Jamie Benn and Patrick Sharp to be strong checkers against the opposing team’s best scorers. Because Ruff gets to match lines more at home, the message seems clear that those players are the hunters.

“I’ve been thinking a lot more about my D-zone coverage, and that’s probably more a concern at home just because of the way we’re used,” Seguin said.

On the road, the Benn, Seguin and Sharp line typically draws the other team’s best defenders, and that allows them to concentrate a little more on offense. Still, Seguin is the outlier in the group. Benn has 12 of his 18 goals at home. Sharp has 13 points at home and seven on the road.

“It’s probably just a small sample size and might be a little bit of a fluke,” said Sharp. “If anything, it’s a credit to Seggy, because he’s getting the other team’s best players on the road, and he’s finding a way to succeed even though he has to fight through that.”

Sharp said he does notice Seguin improving his all-around game. The 23-year-old center worked hard in recent years to improve faceoff success, and he currently sits second on the Stars at 55.9 percent. Now, he’s turning that focus to his two-way play.

“I’ve watched him from both sides, and I think he is getting better,” Sharp said of seeing Seguin as an opponent and as a teammate. “I think you look at something like his faceoffs, and he found a way to improve a lot in a short time. He’s a guy who works every day to make himself better, and you love to see that.”

Does that explain scoring 11 of 13 goals on the road in the first 24 games? Probably not. But whatever the case, it’s helping the Stars win. Dallas has the best road record in the NHL at 10-2-0, and that’s been a key with three four-game road trips in the first 27 games of the season.

Had the Stars not been able to find success as the visitor, things might not be going as smoothly as they are for Dallas.

“If you’re winning, it helps,” Ruff said of the road. “The road trips can bring a team together. We’ve played a pretty good brand of hockey on the road, and we want to continue that.”

Spezza, McDonagh among bounce-back players

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was the Fantasy MVP last season and no doubt helped many who owned him to fantasy championships.

But it takes more than a great season from a goalie to win. You also need to be able to identify when to drop a player who is playing below his draft value. It's not easy dropping Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon, who had 38 points one season after winning the Calder Trophy, but holding on to a player and waiting for them to turn the corner during a rough year can be costly.

Here are 10 players you can expect to have bounce back fantasy seasons:

Lucic should see a spike in his offensive numbers and peripherals as well.Milan Lucic, Los Angeles Kings, LW -- Lucic is always coveted in fantasy hockey because he covers every offensive category (goals, assists, points, plus-minus) and also adds penalty minutes and hits. But last season was the worst of his career. In his first 37 games, Lucic had six goals, 18 points (four power-play points) and was a plus-3. In the remaining 44 games, he had 12 goals, 26 points, and was a plus-10. The 44 points and 141 shots on goal were his lowest in a full season since 2009-10, and the 81 penalty minutes were his fewest since 2012-13. He did have a career-high 259 hits, which ranked 10th in the League. Now with the Kings, and with better talent around him,

Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche, C/RW -- The No. 1 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and Calder Trophy winner saw a drop in production across the board last season. In 2013-14, he played 82 games, had 24 goals, 63 points, was a plus-20, had eight power-play goals, 26 penalty minutes and 241 shots (10.0 shooting percentage). But the only number that increased was his penalty minutes (34); the goals (14), points (38), plus-minus (-7), power-play goals (three), shots (192) and shooting percentage (7.3 percent) all decreased. True, he missed 18 games with a broken foot, but he wasn't nearly as productive as he was in 2013-14. Expect his third season to be closer to his first, in terms of production.

Zdeno Chara, Boston Bruins, D -- One of the most coveted fantasy defenseman for the past decade, Chara's production took a hit last season. His eight goals and 20 points were his fewest in a full season since the 2000-01 season, showing how valuable he's been. In 63 games, Chara had 42 penalty minutes, four power-play goals and 138 shots on goal, and a zero plus-minus ranking, each low totals for him. He missed seven weeks with a knee injury, but hadn't been very productive prior to that, so it's tough to blame most of his disappointing season solely on the injury. In the past 10 full NHL seasons, Chara has averaged 13.7 goals, 42.8 points, 96 penalty minutes, 8.1 power-play goals and a plus-17.6 rating. Chara is the 48th-ranked defenseman on Yahoo!, but should be taken well above that number.

Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes, LW/RW -- Skinner has been in the League for five seasons, and 2014-15 was the first time in a non-shortened season that he scored fewer than 20 goals (18). He had 31 goals and 63 points in 2010-11 when he won the Calder Trophy. In 2013-14, Skinner had 33 goals, 54 points, 11 power-play goals and was a minus-14. He had fewer points (31) last season than goals the previous season and had fewer power-play goals (four) and 39 fewer shots on goal in six more games, and his shooting percentage fell from 12 percent to 7.7 percent. Playing on the first line with likely linemates Eric Staal and Elias Lindholm, expect Skinner to top 20 goals and 50 points.

Chris Kunitz, Pittsburgh Penguins, LW -- Seventeen goals and 40 points are not what you expect from a six-time 20 goal scorer. Kunitz did have nine power-play goals, but was a plus-2 and had 170 shots, and a shooting percentage of 10 percent. In 2013-14, he had 35 goals, 68 points, was a plus-25, had 13 power-play goals and 218 shots (16.1 shooting percentage). The Penguins finished 19th in the League in scoring last season, but the addition of right wing Phil Kessel should help that, and Kunitz, who likely will skate on a line with Kessel and Sidney Crosby is primed for a bounce back season.

Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche, C/LW -- It was a difficult season for the Colorado Avalanche, failing to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Matt Duchene had 21 goals and 55 points which may seem like good numbers, but it was his second-lowest goal total in five full NHL seasons. The 55 points matched his total from his rookie season (2009-10) and more was expected from Duchene, especially after 23 goals, 70 points and 217 shots on goal. His plus/minus rating went from plus-8 to plus-3 and he had fewer penalty minutes (16) and power-play goals (two) in 11 more games. Because of his disappointing season, Duchene likely will still be around in the seventh or eighth round.

Mike Smith, Arizona Coyotes, G -- In 62 starts, Smith won 14 games and lost 47 last season and had the highest goals-against average of his career (3.16) and his lowest save percentage (.904) since 2010-11 when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He also failed to have a shutout for the first time in his nine-year career. It's difficult to imagine Smith not doing better than each of those totals this season, even if the Coyotes' offense (29th in goals per game last season) and defense (28th in goals allowed per game) aren't much improved. Coach Dave Tippett and general manager Don Maloney have continually expressed confidence in Smith and he should see another 60-plus starts this season, barring an injury.

Ryan McDonagh, New York Rangers, D -- McDonagh, who sustained a broken foot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, said he is fully healed. After a career year in 2013-14 (14 goals, 43 points, plus-11, 36 penalty minutes, 177 shots on goal, 7.9 percent shooting percentage), the 26-year-old defenseman played more of a shutdown role last season. McDonagh scored eight goals, had 33 points, was a plus-23 and had 26 penalty minutes. The 148 shots and 5.3 shooting percentage were also lower than his previous season. Expect a 10-goal, 40-point season from McDonagh, who should finish higher than last season when he was tied for 43rd in goals among defenseman and tied for 45th in points.

Antti Niemi, Dallas Stars, G -- A change in scenery may be beneficial to Niemi, who struggled last season in San Jose. He went 31-23-7 in 61 games with five shutouts but had the highest GAA of his career (2.59). He's won at least 24 games in each of the past six seasons, although that number could slip this season, since he's slated to split time with Kari Lehtonen. The Stars have a high-powered offense, but they also have a suspect defense. But expect Niemi to improve on most numbers from last season, except the win total.

Jason Spezza, Dallas Stars, C -- Spezza struggled with 17 goals and 62 points, his fewest goals since his rookie season (2002-03) and his fewest points since the 2010-11 season. He's an eight-time 20 goal scorer, and the addition of Patrick Sharp creates one of the best top-six forward combinations in the League. Spezza likely will either be centering Sharp and Ales Hemsky or on a line with Jamie Benn andTyler Seguin. Either way, the 32-year-old Spezza is in line for a big offensive season for the Stars, who added punch this offseason to what was already one of the highest scoring teams in the League.

Honorable mention: Alexander Semin (Montreal Canadiens), Bobby Ryan (Ottawa Senators), Artem Anisimov (Chicago Blackhawks).

Heika: As a team, Stars should lead the league in scoring this season

Dallas Stars insider Mike Heika hosted a chat Wednesday to talk all things hockey. Here are some of the highlights:

How should the Stars approach this season to avoid that slow start like they had last year?

Heika: They've already started in the summer. The players are all aware of the problems and have been working on them in their heads or even on the ice (in the World Championships). Two things that should help. One, every player is going to be dedicated to better defensive play. And two, they seem better prepared for injuries and transition to new players. Spezza and Hemsky struggled early last season, and Nichushkin and Nemeth were hurt. I believe the Stars will be better prepared for the assimilation of Sharp and Oduya, and the depth will be ready to jump in if injuries become an issue.

I'm predicting that Tyler Seguin leads the league in scoring this year. Takes that title away from Benn.

Heika: That's a fair bet. He was on pace to do it last year. The Stars were second in scoring last season and have added Patrick Sharp and Val Nichushkin to the lineup. They should have several players among the scoring leaders and should lead the league in scoring as a team.

What move from the offseason do you think the club will regret the most that they didn't do?

Heika: Wow, that's a tough one. I was interested in Cody Franson, and that was certainly a doable move, but the league is not high on him right now. The book is he doesn't move the puck fast enough and isn't physical enough. So, I'm going to say the Stars enter the season with no regerts at this time. They might even get that tattooed on their logo somewhere.

What will Jordie Benn's role be this year?

Heika: He is very hard to knock off that mountain. There has been a line of young defensemen trying to take his minutes for a couple of years, and coaches still want him on the ice pretty much every game. This could be the year he becomes a seventh defenseman, and if he does I think he would be a great seventh defensemen. He's very dependable when his minutes don't get too high.

Seguin Pots a Pair in Cedar Park Scrimmage

Dallas Stars top line center Tyler Seguin notched a pair of goals for Team White in Sunday's scrimmage against Team Victory Green in Cedar Park, TX. Seguin came close to notching a hat trick but was stopped by goaltender Philippe DeRosiers on a penalty shot.

Team White won, 5-2. Among the NHL level regulars appearing on Team White apart from Seguin were Patrick Sharp, Antoine Roussel, Vernon Fiddler, Johnny Oduya, Jason Demers and Jamie Oleksiak. Team Victory Green featured Valeri Nichushkin, Patrick Eaves, Alex Goligoski, Jyrki Jokipakka and goaltender Kari Lehtonen (six saves on nine shots). 

Goals by Matej Stransksy, Demers and Brandon Magee rounded out the Team White scoring to supplement Seguin's two goals. For Team Victory Green, Jokipakka and Jason Dickinson notched one goal apiece.

The Stars open their preseason schedule on Tuesday with a road game in Sunrise, FL against the Florida Panthers. Game time will be 6:30 p.m. CDT.

Heika: Patrick Sharp 'very impressed' with Tyler Seguin after scrimmage

CEDAR PARK -- Tyler Seguin showed some top-end speed Sunday.

While the Stars center had some ups and downs in his first scrimmage action, his ups were breathtaking. Seguin sauntered in on the right wing and snapped a laser past Philippe Desrosiers to give his team a 4-2 lead in the third period, and then blew through Alex Goligoski in three-on-three play to tally his second goal within minutes.

It was a subtle reminder of Seguin’s capability.

“The speed combined with the shot … I don’t know what’s quicker: how fast he skated or how fast he shot it,” said Stars coach Lindy Ruff. “It really does put him in a dynamic category. One step, and he creates his own ice, and then the shot is so quick the goalie flat out is not ready for it.”

That’s really not a surprise to anyone. Since joining the Stars in a 2013 trade, Seguin has 161 points (74 goals, 87 assists) in 151 games and is among the leading scorers in the NHL. So lighting up the third period of an intra-squad scrimmage isn’t that big of a deal.

But the flashes of energy, jump and enjoyment revived memories of just what the 23-year-old can do.

“I was having fun,” Seguin said. “But it was definitely the first day. It was a bit rusty, and there was some finding the timing of the game, but it felt good for the first day.”

It also was Seguin’s first chance to skate beside veteran Patrick Sharp, the three-time Stanley Cup champion acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in the summer. Sharp has skated beside Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa, so he has a pretty good understanding of high-end talent. And he said Seguin has similar skills to his former teammates.

“It’s like just throw the puck in his area, and get yourself a few points,” said Sharp, who assisted on both Seguin goals. “I’m very impressed with Tyler.”

Seguin and Sharp will probably play with captain Jamie Benn when he is ready to compete. Benn had double hip surgery in the offseason and the team is being cautious with his recovery. In the meantime, Seguin and Sharp will work on their timing.

“You can put lines together in the offseason, but until you get out there on the ice and work through the kinks, you don’t really know,” Sharp said. “It’s a process, and you have to get better week by week. The first thing you want to do is come together as a team, and for me being the new guy, I can feel the chemistry building already.”

Seguin is expected to benefit from the NHL’s new rule for three-on-three overtime. He can skate and find open ice, and that should be abundant in the new OT. As he has talked about extensively in training camp, Seguin said the key is playing defense first. In fact, he could become the driving conscience of the team when it comes to defensive play by the forwards.

“I think a lot of it is going to be on our forwards,” Seguin said. “If our forwards can improve — and I speak for myself as well — by going back to our own net and playing good defensively, we’re going to be a good team this year.”

And Seguin and Sharp can be a big part of that on both sides of the ice.

“It’s fresh and new to both of us,” Seguin said. “There were a few passes I could have given him that were more in his comfort zone of shooting the puck. It’s going to take some time, but it’s coming together.”