Sheldon Souray looks to fit in with Stars

Of all of the free agent signings on July 1st, Sheldon Souray’s deal with the Dallas Stars may be one of the more fascinating deals. Most people know that Souray and his contract were sentenced to the AHL last season; NHL teams wouldn’t even sign the veteran blueliner as he passed through waivers. When the Oilers cut ties with Souray this summer making him a free agent, Stars stepped up to give Studly Wonderbomb a chance to show that he still can play at the NHL level. Perhaps more importantly, they gave him the chance to show that he can stay healthy for an entire 82-game NHL season.

Not surprisingly, Souray is already in Dallas preparing for his new coach with his new team. He took the time to talk to Mark Stepneski after skating at the Dallas Stars practice facility:

“I just hope to come in here and complement them, whether it’s playing big and using my size and my experience. If I get a chance to play some special teams, chip in there. I am just looking to jell with the group early. They’ve got guys who have been here for a while, guys who know what the systems are and what the organization is like. I think with a new coach we all start on a new page a little bit. There’s a canvas that needs to be painted and I want to be one of the guys that helps all the guys. I may be the oldest guy here now.”

Even though the Stars have Stephane Robidas, Alex Goligoski, Trevor Daley, and Nicklas Grossman who are all slated for big-time minutes next season, a guy with Souray’s skill-set will receive every opportunity to make the team. He (and his shot) will be a welcomed addition to a team that will desperately need to find alternative sources of scoring after watching Brad Richards leave for New York.

The Stars are gambling that Souray can find the consistency (and health) that helped him score 23 goals and 53 points in the full season he was healthy (2008-09). Dallas Stars blog DefendingBigD.com is hoping for the best:

With Souray being so motivated to prove that he still “has it”, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a comeback year for Souray. That chip on Souray’s shoulders is the key here -- a motivated player is exactly what the Stars want as he will be determined to contribute wherever possible, whenever possible. Souray is signed for one season, so if the Stars-Souray experiment does not play out on the optimistic side, the team has given some veteran experience to their relatively young defense while not overcommitting time or money.

When he’s at his best, Souray is a defenseman who can score from the point, play a physical style of game, and stick up for his teammates. More precisely, he’s at his best when he’s actually on the ice (not in the pressbox). If Souray can stay healthy for 82 games this season, the move has the potential to be one of the better bargain signings of the offseason. Even if he isn’t the player that he was a few years ago, the Stars still have defensemen that can log major minutes while Souray fills in as a third-pairing defenseman.

If the Stars get the motivated and healthy player they think they signed, Souray could be a perfect fit in Dallas.