In twelve regular season games, Richards gathered 11 points, and was even better during the playoffs with 15 points in 18 games, really giving hope to Dallas faithful that this season, Richards will be back in the 70-90 point range.
The Stars also feature two of the most talked about players in the NHL. Sean Avery shocked some with his decision to move to Dallas. Many had thought a move back to the Western conference was in the cards for the super-pest, but many thought it would be to the California coastline—not big D.
Be that as it may however, 1/2 General Manager Brett Hull got the man he wanted—A pest with offensive potential that makes his team one of the most hated to play.
At different ends of the dynamic spectrum though, the fairly reserved Fabian Brunnstrom settled on Dallas after numerous stops at various NHL cities this past spring. While not many know what to expect from Brunnstrom in his first NHL season, if he one day starts to produce like he did in the Swedish Elite League (37 points in 54 games), then he'll be well-worth the money.
Word is though, he may be even better.
Steve Ott is one who is cut from the same cloth as Avery, although his offense will be a little less prominent than his pest-like tendencies, while Landon Wilson, Krys Barch, and Toby Petersen were brought in for some seasoned, NHL depth.
On the youth front, Loui Ericksson will be looking to capitalize on a strong season which saw him broach the 30-point plateau, and his production is only expected to go up. Konstantin Pushkarev and BJ Crombeen may also see some time at the NHL this season, with Crombeen bringing his hard-working attitude to the lower lines, while Pushkarev could be a surprise this year if he can stay healthy and consistent at the NHL level.
But we'd be remiss if we didn't talk about the heart and soul of this team, and Coach Carbonneau's son-in-law Brenden Morrow. Morrow has quickly become one of the top leaders in the Western Conference these past few seasons, and if he spends a full season with Richards this year, he could be in line to crack 80 points, especially if he repeats his 30-goal campaign.
Ken's Take: The Stars have so many offensive weapons spread over all four lines they clearly appear to be the only team capable of knocking off Detroit. The playoff experience gained last year may mean a Cup-kissing finale for the Stars and their power packed offense this year.
So what does it all mean?
The Stars really have all the pieces to be a powerhouse in the Western Conference, and they could be right there at the top with Detroit this year.
Although the Sharks have added to their defense, the Stars have a lot of weapons up
front, and I'm not sure there's a complete enough package in the Pacific (or an experienced enough package) that can compete night-in, night-out with the Stars.
Needless to say, it'll be fun to watch.
1st in Pacific
Bryan Thiel is an NHL Community Leader and a Senior Writer for Bleacher Report. If you want to get in contact with Bryan, you can do so through his profile. You can also read all of his previous work in his archives.
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