Meet Matej Blumel. He’s the player with a shot to make the Stars’ opening night roster that you’ve never heard of.
Blumel, a 22-year-old Czech forward, is a dark horse candidate to crack the NHL roster, a new acquisition whose arrival could come at a perfect time for a player joining an NHL organization for the first time.
He signed with the Stars over the summer after a strong World Championship with Czechia (eight points in 10 games) and followed it up by being one of Dallas’ best players at the Traverse City Prospect Tournament this month. Blumel also scored twice in the team’s scrimmage on Saturday in Cedar Park.
“The first practice at main camp down in Austin, I was very nervous,” Blumel said. “I thought, I’m not going to be, but I was. I saw Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, Joe Pavelski. I was telling myself ‘Oh [crap], I’m really here.’ It was a hard first practice for me, but then I said ‘I can be with these guys on the same team. I belong here.’”
Blumel was originally a fourth-round pick by Edmonton in 2019, but he did not receive a NHL contract offer during the two years when the Oilers owned his rights, he said. So he remained in Czechia, playing for HC Dynamo Pardubice until the World Championship in the spring.
Thanks to his strong tournament, Blumel said he had about eight to 10 NHL teams vying for his services before he signed with Dallas.
Now, he’s one of a handful of depth forwards vying for playing time in the Stars’ bottom six. Stars coach Pete DeBoer said he does not need his bottom-six forwards to fill specific roles.
“We want to be a four-line team that has the ability to get over the boards with any of those lines, not worry about matchups, tilt the ice and play in the other team’s end and chip in some goals,” DeBoer said. “Some of those lines are obviously going to chip in more than others. We need a lot out of those guys. It’s not one thing. We don’t just need penalty-killing and defense. We’re going to ask for more from all four of our lines.”
Depending on a variety of factors, there’s anywhere from one to four forward spots available. If the Stars decide to carry 22 players to accommodate Jason Robertson’s contract, there goes a spot. If the Stars want to roster eight defensemen, there goes a forward spot. If Robertson has not signed a contract by the start of the season, an extra spot up front would open.
Blumel is challenging players like Marian Studenic, Ty Dellandrea and Riley Damiani for a spot. Swedish forward Oskar Bäck, Fredrik Olofsson and Fredrik Karlström also remain.
In Traverse City, Blumel led the Stars with four goals in three games and was one of the team’s best players, along with Damiani. (When asked Tuesday if he would describe himself as a true goal-scorer, he laughed and said “I wouldn’t.”) The Stars have shown in the past that good performances in Traverse City can lead to a spot in the NHL.
Just last year, Jacob Peterson used a standout Traverse City performance to springboard himself into the Stars discussion and then onto the roster for opening night in New York.
“I’m really happy that I went there and I played,” Blumel said. “I can say that I’m happy with the way that I played there. It was fun, those three games. I’m really glad that I could go up there and play and got to know some guys. Didn’t have to go with no friends.”
Tuesday in Tulsa: The Stars beat the Coyotes 4-3 in overtime on Tuesday night in Tulsa.
After opening the preseason Monday in Dallas, the Stars sent a junior group to Oklahoma on Tuesday night, including just five expected NHL forwards and one expected NHL defenseman. Goaltender Scott Wedgewood started and played two periods against his former team.
Ryan Shea gave Dallas the early 1-0 lead in the first period before Joel Kiviranta and Mason Marchment added a goal each in the second as the Stars pulled ahead 3-1. Marchment’s second goal of the night, and the preseason, sealed the win for the Stars in overtime.
First cuts: The Stars announced their first set of training camp cuts on Tuesday afternoon, sending Francesco Arcuri, Justin Ertel, Jacob Holmes, Christian Kyrou, Conner Roulette and Matthew Seminoff back to their junior teams. Dallas also released Logan Morrison and Jacob Murray from their amateur tryouts.
The Stars have 53 players remaining in training camp.
— Defenseman Artem Grushnikov did not practice on Tuesday. When asked about injuries suffered in Monday’s preseason opener, DeBoer said there were no major injuries
Twitter: @MDeFranks
