The Dallas Stars have always had a bit of a logjam at defense on their NHL roster. Last season, they carried 8 blueliners and head coach Lindy Ruff was loathe to change the pairings up — almost stubbornly sticking with pairings that didn’t always feel they were working.
It garnered him a ton of complaints and grief from a vocal minority of the fan base who would rather have seen some younger guys in the lineup or veterans benched due to poor play.
Fast forward to this season. Dallas again carries 8 defenseman on their NHL roster, and Ruff has shown a propensity to change the pairings fluidly.