Dadonov, DeBoer reunite versus Vancouver

The "new normal" is expected to begin for the Stars tonight.
Because of vacillating performances and cap concerns, Dallas has juggled its lines in recent weeks and even played with 11 forwards and seven defensemen in its past two games. But a Sunday trade for Evgenii Dadonov not only introduced a veteran player with whom the coaching staff is familiar, it simultaneously opened up about $400,000 in salary cap space. This means Dadonov will likely take a significant role in the top nine. It also means the Stars had the cap space to call up both Fredrik Olofsson and Fredrik Karlstrom.
The lineup the Stars will use against Vancouver on Monday is one that could stick together for a little while.

The Stars sent Denis Gurianov to Montreal to get Dadonov, and the Canadiens retained half of Dadonov's $5 million salary. Gurianov had a salary cap hit of $2.9 million, so there was a lot to like about the deal for Dallas.
"We're grabbing an experienced player who has a history of scoring," Stars GM Jim Nill said on Monday. "He's been a 20-goal scorer [four times] in five years. He's shown he can do that. And we gained cap room, which was important."

Dadonov is having a down season in Montreal with 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 50 games. But the 33-year-old forward had 20 goals among 43 points in 73 games for Vegas last season. That Golden Knights team was coached by Pete DeBoer and Steve Spott, who moved this season to the Stars. Nill said having the familiarity with the coaching staff was helpful in making the trade.
"That comes into it," Nill said. "I talked to the coaches. They had him in Vegas and he was one of their top players for them and played very well for them. They're very comfortable with him, and that's important. And we think he's the right fit."
DeBoer said at the morning skate the coaches were still working through potential lineup combinations. The most obvious fit would be on a line with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment, but the team has shown it will shuffle players around, so we'll wait and see. That said, DeBoer is excited to have the option of using Dadonov.
"I know the player well," DeBoer said. "I'm a big fan of the person and the player. He's a seasoned veteran player. He's not overwhelmed by moments, he's really trustworthy on the ice. I think he's capable of scoring some big goals come playoff time because he goes to those areas of the ice. It's nice to have that veteran presence there."

Seguin and Marchment have played together for much of the season, but the coaches have been scrambling to find a third player who fits on that line. The top line of Jason Robertson - Roope Hintz - Joe Pavelski has been pretty consistent, and a line that includes veteran Jamie Benn with two youngsters in Wyatt Johnston and Ty Dellandrea has also played a lot together, so it makes sense.
Dadonov offers options on a lot of lines.
He also can be a solid contributor on the second power play.
"He's been an elite bumper, middleman, for a while in this league," DeBoer said of Dadonov's role on the power play. "He brings us different dimensions there."
Dallas has one power play goal in its past eight games and ranks 31st in the NHL in power play success at 10.2 percent since Jan. 1 (21 games). Any help on the power play can be a good thing.
Dadonov will likely draw a few of the same assignments that Gurianov did, which could mean a boost in a lot of areas. Gurianov, 25, was taken 12th overall in 2015 and played 257 games for the Stars. He has struggled to score in recent seasons and has just nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 43 games this season.
"Denny was a big part of our team," Nill said. "In the end, he just wasn't producing any more. He's an offensive player, great speed, great skill, and it just wasn't working. The last couple of years have been very inconsistent. He's a young player and eventually you have to make decisions."
The fact Montreal was willing to retain half of Dadonov's remaining salary is indicative of the value they think they can get in Gurianov.
"Denny is an intriguing player," Nill said. "He's got a lot of ability and we've all seen that. He can turn a game quickly, and he's still young. In our business, we have to make decisions, roster-wise."
The Stars are hoping this is the right one.
"I'm excited, really excited to play here," Dadonov said. "I think it's a good team, always hard to play against, so it's a step forward for me and a great opportunity."

Key Numbers
3:48
Stars defenseman Esa Lindell is scheduled to play his 500th career regular season game tonight. Lindell ranks second in the league at 3:48 in shorthanded time per game.
66.3 percent
Vancouver is last in the league in penalty kill success at 66.3 percent. The Canucks rank second to last in goals against average at 3.97.
27
Seguin has 27 points (nine goals, 18 assists) in 25 career games against Vancouver.
He said it
"I think Esa is one of the most undervalued players probably on our team and maybe in the league. You talk to coaches and they're looking for the guy they can trust all of the time. So, when the game is tied 2-2 with five minutes to go, guess who's going out there? He's a guy who can play heavy minutes, is on the penalty kill, he stays out there for two minutes, he's a horse. He's what everybody is looking for."
- Stars GM Jim Nill on Lindell, who is schedule to play his 500th regular season game tonight.
Expected lineup
Robertson-Hintz-Pavelski
Benn-Johnston-Dellandrea
Marchment-Seguin-Dadonov
Olofsson-Faksa-Karlstrom
Heiskanen-Miller
Lindell-Hakanpää
Suter-Lundkvist
Oettinger
Wedgewood
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Hockey League or Dallas Stars Hockey Club.
Mike Heika is a Senior Staff Writer for DallasStars.com and has covered the Stars since 1994. Follow him on Twitter @MikeHeika.